STORYLINE: Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver, a quiet queer icon, captivated readers everywhere with her accessible celebration of nature, dogs, and life itself.  (IMDb)

   How does the saying go? ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’?  The Oscar nominated documentary Come See Me in the Good Lignt (2025), Capote (2005) starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and  1950’s peak into Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard all make a strong case in bringing that saying to reality.  In the new documentary , Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World, poet Mary Oliver gets her fifteen minutes of cinematic fame.  (Yes, I am aware of her celebrity status, as a poet.)

    Documentaries on people, celebrities, in particular, typically, f it into one of two boxes. The first, and most common box, are fluff pieces. These movies are basically fan fare.  If you are a Liza Minnelli fan, check out the documentary Liza, from 2025.  Box two are a 180, and tend to dive deep into the lesser qualities of the subject.  Leaving Neverland (2019), for instance would be placed here. Very rarely does a film, like Janis Ian: Beeaking Silence (2024) split the difference. 

    Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World is, pretty much, fan fare.  The documentary primarily consists of celebrities, talking of their enjoyment of her poetry, and reading excerpts of these poems.  Supplemental interviews, consist. Of other poets, speaking about how her poetry influenced their work.  Sprinkled throughout the motion  picture is back ground on the life of Mary Oliver.  

    When I saw this film was playing, I was unfamiliar with her work.  As the movie played, I realized I didn’t care for it, and didn’t care about her trajectory to success.  After the 90minutes were up, take the remnants of my snacks to the trash, and exit the auditorium.

      My lack of interest in her work is irrelevant to my lack of interest in the film.   I personally do not enjoy the music of Amy Winehouse, but often sight how incredible the 2015 documentary, Amy, ended up being.  The point is you can enjoy the movie about the artist, while not enjoying the work the artist creates. 

    Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World, is a ninety feature, that is just fan fare to the poet.

   Until next time, I will see you at the movies!