Ruby in Paradise (1993)

Ruby, a young woman, arrives in a Florida resort town during the off season to make a fresh start. She gets work as a sales clerk in a souvineer shop run by Mildred Chambers. She dates, and... See full summary »

Director:

Victor Nunez

Writer:

Victor Nunez

Stars:

Ashley Judd, Todd Field, Bentley Mitchum

5 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ashley Judd	...	Ruby Lee Gissing
Todd Field	...	Mike McCaslin
Bentley Mitchum	...	Ricky Chambers
Allison Dean	...	Rochelle Bridges
Dorothy Lyman	...	Mildred Chambers
Betsy Douds	...	Debrah Ann
Felicia Hernández	...	Persefina
Divya Satia	...	Indian Singer
Bobby Barnes	...	Wanda
Sharon Lewis	...	TV Weather Anchor (as Sharon M. Lewis)
Paul E. Mills	...	TV Evangelist
Brik Berkes	...	Jimmy
Abigail McKelvey	...	Canadian Tourist
Kristina Daman	...	Bar Manager
Mark Limmer	...	Spinnaker D.J.

Storyline

Ruby, a young woman, arrives in a Florida resort town during the off season to make a fresh start. She gets work as a sales clerk in a souvineer shop run by Mildred Chambers. She dates, and sleeps with, Ricky Chambers, Mildred's conceited son, but breaks off with him when she finds she's just another conquest. She gets involved with Mike, a left-wing greenhouse worker. As the seasons change, Ruby's relationships with others and herself go through metamorphoses as she makes choices and discoveries establishing her own identity. A character study.

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Plot Keywords:

sales | florida | heart shaped box of candy | attempted rape | tennessee | 

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Taglines:

A woman's search for herself

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexuality and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

November 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Sol do Paraíso

Filming Locations:

Panama City, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$800,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$1,001,437 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Full Crew/Say Yea, Ruby in Paradise

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Ricky Chambers: You know most people are only two paychecks away from the streets. Did you know that?

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Connections

References A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

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Soundtracks

"Meal Ticket"
Performed by The Casual T's
Written by Murphy, Pucket, Anthony & Friedemann
(BMI)

User Reviews

And what a woman she is...

Ruby Gissing is a twenty-something young woman who makes her escape from what we assume is an unfulfilling existence in small-town Tennessee. As a child she holidayed once in Panmana City Beach, Florida, and from that time has dreamt of that idyllic experience, and longed to translate those childhood memories into her contemporary adult life. It's obvious from the moment she arrives that PC is no paradise but just another seedy beachside resort of souvenir shops and sleazy topless bars. Kids have a tendency to see the good side of everything. But Ruby has made a commitment to a new life and sets about establishing some sort of meaningful life in her own brand of ‘paradise'. And what a woman Ruby is. She's prepared to give life a go and chance her arm. Sure, she occasionally does foolish things but she's no fool and she learns from her mistakes. Ruby's journey is a rocky one at times and when the film reaches its conclusion the journey is nowhere near over, but you get the impression that Ruby has turned the corner and taken control of her own life. Ruby in Paradise is a meditation on one woman's path to self-realization. It's the story of a woman and not just a woman's film. Ashley Judd's performance as Ruby is very understated but from that restraint emerges a tremendously powerful characterisation. She gets into the role of Ruby and makes her a believable person, not some Hollywood creation. This is her best performance and should have established her a star in the first rank. But it takes more than just talent to get ahead in this world. Although the recent Double Jeopardy will no doubt bring Judd more fame and better parts, she'll not play a more complex and rewarding role than Ruby Gissing. By IMDb's system of rating, 9 out of 10.