Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do / with your one wild and precious life?” This memorable line from one of Mary Oliver’s most beloved poems sums up her gift for expressing profound philosophical questions and insights in language that is simple, accessible, and musical all at once. America doesn’t get excited about poetry as a rule, not unless it’s dressed up in guitars and cowboy hats, but Oliver spoke to people in a way they could not help responding to, because her truths were heartfelt and real.

Sasha Waters’ documentary takes us through the life of the country’s best-selling late twentieth century poet, a private woman who shared her innermost thoughts and made them indispensable. We learn about her love life (she was a lesbian), her penchant for smoking and drinking, and her deep spiritual connection with the natural world. “We have forgotten ecstasy,” she says… She found it in clouds, in rocks, and birds, especially in the environs of Provincetown, Mass, where she lived longest. Oddly, the filmmaker John Waters was a close lifelong friend. So too was literary bruiser Norman Mailer. Like one of her heroes, Walt Whitman, Mary Oliver contained multitudes.

The fuller context a film like this brings can result in more appreciation, for new readers and longtime fans alike.

Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times

Pays eloquent tribute to its subject, delving into the depths of her work’s accomplished purity and the private life from which it came. Waters’ documentary will set one pondering, then reaching for the bookshelf, or perhaps walking out into the woods.

Zachery Barnes, Wall Street Journal