Review of Ruby in Paradise (1993) by Jacobturner — 09 Jun 2021

Victor Nunez’s 1993 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize-winner is a recontextualization of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey which puts Ashley Judd’s protagonist in a position of great disadvantage.

However, Ruby In Paradise proves that a woman who has the courage to believe in herself and the women around her may not achieve all of her dreams, but can still find paradise nonetheless. The contemporary themes of self-reliance in this film are a necessary invocation for Ruby, who finds herself in a dead-end, out of season beach town in Northwest Florida.

Through the relationships she creates, Ruby finds that she can be independent and powerful, while also appreciating the simplicity of small-time success. For its persistent anti-consumerism and feminist undertones, Ruby In Paradise is one of 1993’s best films, and should not be forgotten.