Ask Dr. Ruth

Dr. Ruth is a worthy subject for a documentary. She was controversial at the time that she had her sex show, and she has an interesting life story that took her from Nazi Germany as a child (heartbreaking yet inspiring). At 90 years old, she has the energy of a 30 year old. A fun documentary that explores her impact on psychology, sexuality, and pop culture.

What a remarkable woman! Her life, her career, her humor. I highly recommend this! So so good

This was not what I expected, it's even better. She's kind of a hardass and I didn't even know!

I was prepared for a light hearted Dr. Ruth montage of people asking questions. What we get is a deeper look into her past including diary entries while orphaned in Switzerland during the war. That part might make you cry among other things. Overall we see a woman who doesn't let anything drag her down as she's changing the culture and how we talk about sex today.

The film was well made, it does kind of end without a conclusion, or at least that's what it felt like to me. Oh, and the parts with the child voice-over reading the diary was weird without a German accent.

Should you watch it? Yeah! It's not about sex as much as it's about her life and career. The woman is 91 and still writing books. We all have something to learn from this film.

It's time for the talk. You know, the, talk.

Thanks to a tiny, pepper pot, ex-sniper and now media darling personality since 1980, North America can now converse sensically whilst employing previously taboo words like, wait for it: orgasm!

Whew.

Now 91, Dr. Ruth continues her tireless campaign to make everyone comfortable with sex by talking about it with a stark openness that, because it is delivered by someone who looks like grandma, elicits everything from awe, to shock, to giggles, to inspiration. No secret there, that's just perfect film fodder, but what this well paced doc does offer is a combination of her astounding history, her unrelenting workaholic pace, and why they are connected.

As a jewish girl at the outbreak of World War Two, Karola Ruth Siegel was whisked off from her native Germany to a Swiss orphanage, never to see her parents again. Her remarkable journey from that bleak beginning to her celebrity status, is a riveting one. "Ask Dr. Ruth" follows, at a good pace, Dr. Ruth as she scampers from one event to another, pausing for some historic tidbits and reflection. Westheimer is all business though, even when discovering some long buried secrets, or visiting childhood friends. She is Dr. Ruth, the sparky, perky dynamo we see on television, and one of the most important voices for women who avoids the feminist tag. What's not to love?

Dr. Ruth will be at the upcoming October 21st screening at the venerable Mayfair Theatre. Maybe she'll answer some saucy questions.

I grew up watching Dr. Ruth on PBS specials as she was encouraging sex education and self acceptance in young people. When I heard this documentary was premiering at Sundance it was the first ticket I bought, and it did not disappoint. The narrative shifts between Dr Ruth's childhood as an orphan of the holocaust and a playful retelling of her career highlights. Her quick wit keeps you laughing throughout the film, but there are many tender moments to be found as she reflects on the loss and upheaval she endured as a young woman in 1940's Europe. And of course, there's plenty of advice about sex.

This is definitely one of the better biographical documentaries I've seen. Even if you have no previous knowledge of Dr. Ruth and her glory days as a TV and radio personality, I promise this film will delight.