SnoopyStyle Ruby Lee Gissing (Ashley Judd) leaves behind her man in Tennessee to start anew in Panama City, Florida. It's off-season and she pleads for a sales clerk job from Mildred Chambers. She's befriended by Rochelle Bridges. Mildred forbids her to go out with her arrogant womanizing son Ricky. She secretly sleeps with him nevertheless. She struggles to figure out life. She gets involved with opinionated liberal greenhouse grower Mike McCaslin (Todd Field) while Ricky keeps hounding her.It's a great understated performance from Ashley Judd. Ruby is searching for meaning and her place in the world. There is a loneliness in her life that she's trying to fill. The movie is effectively laid back. The narration adds to the feeling of searching. It puts in words her internal struggles as defined by her relationships to men.

george.schmidt RUBY IN PARADISE (1993) ***1/2 Ashley Judd, Todd Field, Dorothy Lyman, Bentley Mitchum. Delightful coming of age story about a young woman discovering her independence in a small Florida resort town. Outstanding breakthrough performance by newcomer Judd and heart-felt narrative that never loses interest.

traveler7575 First, let me state that I am a big fan of Ashley Judd; that's why I was curious to check out this, her debut role. No argument that her talent is apparent and her performance excellent. I guess I can also see how the professional critics liked the aesthetic content of the story. However, I like to think that movies are meant to entertain us and that is where this movie fails.By the halfway point, I found myself thinking, "How much longer do we have to watch a bored shop girl, idly standing around a deserted souvenir shop, rearranging the merchandise?" It seemed to go on forever!Then, I thought, maybe this is one of those movies where the director tries to lull the audience into a relaxed state before hitting them with some dynamic event. No such luck. The movie continues it's bland, boring, uneventful story all the way to the end.I'm not saying this because I'm an action-junkie. I like all kinds of movies, especially romantic-comedies. But I expect to be entertained.Add the fact that the cinematography and sound quality are comparable to your neighbor's bad home movies. Depressing!I just don't get how anyone could like this movie. Zero-entertainment value. The longest 114 minutes of my life.

Rodion15 This is an intimate movie of a sincere girl in the real world out of Hollywood's cheap fantasy is a very good piece of its class, and Ashley Judd fills the role impeccably. It may appear slow for thrill seekers though. Cool movie for a calm night.