The Girls' Group I am in is studying the Book of Ruth right now, so I was very excited when I found this movie on Netflix. However, it was a huge disappointment! The actors' make-up was far too prominent, and the costumes garish. Naomi even had a french manicure, and Ruth was wearing flip-flops! Boaz's plastic Mardi-Gras necklace was not much better. Overall, this movie showed a neglect towards accuracy. The Jewish customs and their view of God were misinterpreted- Naomi spoke of God as a Christian would, not a Jew. The conversation was casual and modern. There were also quality issues. When Ruth, Orpah, and Naomi were setting out, the wind was so loud you could hardly hear the dialogue. Also, the physical attraction between Boaz and Ruth highly disturbed me. And the fact that Boaz fired his workers simply because they could not tell him the name of ONE gleaner. In the book, Boaz treats Ruth well because of the kindness of his heart, not her beauty. In fact, her looks are never mentioned in the bible. His remarks are pointed and shmoozy- not appropriate for the times. Ruth's mother-in-law was a case. It made it rather obvious why Ruth went with Naomi! She had nothing to go back to but an over-controlling pagan mother with serious gossip issues. Long story short, I would not recommend this movie to anyone who has read the book of Ruth or who knows anything about ancient Israel.
