SummaryAsk Dr. Ruth chronicles the incredible life of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a Holocaust survivor who became America's most famous sex therapist. With her diminutive frame, thick German accent, and uninhibited approach to sex therapy and education, Dr. Ruth transformed the conversation around sexuality. As she approaches her 90th birthday and shows no sig... Read More
Directed By:Ryan White
Ask Dr. Ruth
Metascore
Generally Favorable
68
User score
Generally Favorable
7.8
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
78% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
22% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Apr 29, 2019
83
As a documentary, Ask Dr. Ruth has it kind of easy: It’s got an enchanting subject eager to tell a fascinating story.
May 8, 2019
75
It’s not a particularly revealing film, more a reiteration of her credits and credentials, just a hint here and there about how her parents’ influenced her career choice, even after death. Her son Joel tries to remember Ruth ever talking about losing her parents to The Holocaust. She didn’t unless he or his sister asked.
Apr 29, 2019
75
Fortunately, the [animated] reenactments are rendered with sensitivity, respectfully capturing the wide-eyed curiosity of a young woman, and conveying her story in a way that archival footage and family photos cannot.
May 9, 2019
71
It’s her unstoppability, her tireless drive to see through the work she believes needs doing in the field of sexual enlightenment that gives Ask Dr. Ruth real urgency, lifting what’d be an otherwise breezy character portrait to near essential levels.
May 9, 2019
60
The experience of watching Ask Dr. Ruth is a bit like that of meeting someone unaccountably delightful and almost being knocked backward by the gale-force strength of her personality, and then wanting to go out and buy one of her books so as to actually learn something about her ideas.
Feb 7, 2019
60
The irony at the core of the Dr. Ruth persona is that the maverick who made the bedroom public is herself incredibly private, and while she encourages women to get intimate with their bodies, she’s not in touch with her own emotions. Still, she is vocal about respecting boundaries, and White acquiesces, trusting that the facts of Westheimer’s life say plenty about her peppy workaholism.
User score
Generally Favorable
100% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
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0% Negative
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Sep 9, 2019
8
This was a very nice surprise in what continues to be a year of solid documentaries. I was expecting this to be a simple, but humorous, documentary about Dr. Ruth's time as a sex therapist. And a small portion of the film is like that, but the majority of the film is spent on the story of her life as a whole, which began with her escaping from the Holocaust at a young age. It's well worth the watch.
Aug 5, 2019
8
Ask Dr Ruth is by far the best documentary of 2019 so far and without a doubt will be in contention for the best of 2019 overall. I had no idea who she was before this film and thanks to Ryan White the director I will never forget her. Dr Ruth has had a fascinating life and deserves all the praise in the world for what she has survived. Looking beyond the subject material though, this documentary is near perfectly put together. The way White crafts Ruths story flows seamlessly and you as the viewer get to know Ruth and her family in detail. My one complaint is the animated segments. I was pulled out from the story and would have liked to have seen Ruths face as she told the gripping and horrific tales she has experienced, I feel I would have empathized more. I know this is a Hulu film and I am not sure if it got a theatrical release anywhere, but this has got to be considered for oscars.
Production Company:
- Delirio Films
- Neko Productions
- Tripod Media
Release Date:May 10, 2019
Duration:1 h 40 m
Tagline:Size Doesn't Matter
Awards
Cinema Eye Honors Awards, US
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Calgary Underground Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
