I Am Divine (2013)

I Am Divine (2013)

TOMATOMETER

Average Rating: 7.4/10

Reviews Counted: 50

Fresh: 48

Rotten: 2

Critics Consensus: With warmth and affection, I Am Divine offers an engaging portrait of the complex personality behind a trailblazing cinematic figure.

Average Rating: 7.5/10

Reviews Counted: 13

Fresh: 12

Rotten: 1

Critics Consensus: With warmth and affection, I Am Divine offers an engaging portrait of the complex personality behind a trailblazing cinematic figure.

AUDIENCE SCORE

Average Rating: 3.9/5

User Ratings: 2,925

Critic Consensus: With warmth and affection, I Am Divine offers an engaging portrait of the complex personality behind a trailblazing cinematic figure.

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Movie Info

Young, chubby Harris Glenn Milstead liked musicals, was drawn to feminine pursuits, and was bullied. He was privately playing "dress-up games" in his mother's clothes. By 1963, Glenn was brave enough to show up at a party with his then girlfriend dressed as an astonishingly passable Elizabeth Taylor, among the many glamorous stars he openly idolized. (c) Official Site

Rating:

NR

Genre:

Documentary , Special Interest

Directed By:

Jeffrey Schwarz

In Theaters:

Oct 25, 2013 limited

On DVD:

Apr 8, 2014

Runtime:

90 minutes

Studio:

Wolfe Releasing

Watch it now

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Cast

Joshua Grannell

Frances Milstead

Mary Vivian Pearce

Vincent Peranio

Frances Milstead

News & Interviews for I Am Divine

Critics Consensus: The Counselor is Eccentric but Uneven

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Critic Reviews for I Am Divine

All Critics (50) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (2)

A glimpse of a surprisingly shy and gentle soul who longed to be a star.

Full Review… | January 9, 2014

Toronto Star

Top Critic

It's hard to go wrong with a movie about famed drag queen Divine, and director Jeffrey Schwarz certainly doesn't in "I Am Divine," a serious documentary about this gloriously trashy trailblazer.

Full Review… | December 26, 2013

San Francisco Chronicle

Top Critic

In "I Am Divine," bolstered by plentiful interviews with Waters and other collaborators, Schwarz effectively turns Milstead into the life of a party that didn't really end with his death in 1988.

November 14, 2013

Seattle Times

Top Critic

Filled with heady outrageousness at the same time it continuously skirts the apparent emptiness in the man wearing those crazy wigs.

Full Review… | November 8, 2013

Detroit News

Top Critic

Schwarz understands Divine, a heroine to outsiders, and Glenn, who took the persona as far as he could and was ready for new roles. His film's celebratory pizazz suits them both.

Full Review… | October 31, 2013

Los Angeles Times

Top Critic

The Pink Flamingos star Divine gets her own well-deserved spotlight.

Full Review… | October 25, 2013

Variety

Top Critic

A fascinating larger-than-life portrait of its larger-than-life subject, I Am Divine is a beguiling blend of poignancy, humor and glorious excess.

Full Review… | August 9, 2014

We Got This Covered

It's surprisingly moving stuff - dressed up with just enough archival outrage to remind you how scandalous Divine once seemed.

Full Review… | July 20, 2014

Observer (UK)

The interviewees and even his mother, with whom he was reconciled late in his life, all portray him as a generous and very sweet-natured man.

Full Review… | July 18, 2014

Geoffrey Macnab

Independent (UK)

This is, for the most part, a celebration of Divine's life unencumbered by guilt or oppression.

Full Review… | July 18, 2014

Irish Times

Schwarz interviews friends and fans, piecing together a picture of a gentle, perhaps surprisingly shy man who channelled his family's rejection and his anger at society into his outrageous alter-ego.

Full Review… | July 18, 2014

Radio Times

Despite the sadness, we are reminded of what an influential figure Divine was, and how his very presence continues to bring comfort to others who identify as outsiders.

Full Review… | July 17, 2014

Electric Sheep

View All Critic Reviews (50)

Audience Reviews for I Am Divine

½

An efficient and enjoyable documentary about the life and career of John Waters' muse of filth, even though it feels excessively reverential and is also a bit too conventional in structure - which seems pretty ironic, considering the subject in question.

Carlos MagalhÃ£es

Carlos MagalhÃ£es

Super Reviewer

A thorough and compassionate exploration of an enigmatic yet wonderfully eccentric individual, I Am Divine has plenty to say about identity, fame, and self-respect.

Sam Barnett

Super Reviewer

The life of Glen Milstead, from a chunky effeminate nerd who got beat up at school to the iconic, outrageous and obscene 300 lb drag queen Divine, the main attraction in John Waters' transgressive early comedies. The reverential interviews and clips meet, but don't exceed, your expectations for a documentary about Divine.

Greg S

Greg S

Super Reviewer

½

Very good documentary on famed drag queen Divine, featuring well conducted interview with those who knew him and worked with him, this is an entertaining film, one that is quite different than your normal documentary because of its subject, and it's quite refreshing as well. For its run time, I Am Divine is quite entertaining and it's a documentary that is entertaining from start to finish. Although good, I found the film a bit lacking because it's for me a bit too short for a documentary and it feels like it rushes too fast with its subject. Despite this, I Am Divine is good for what it is, and for viewers interested in the Divine, I guess that this will surely appeal to viewers who have enjoyed John Waters' work as well As fans of Divine. For what it is, it's a good documentary, but to be honest, I expected a bit more as well. The film manages to go into its subject well enough to establish who is Divine, but you are left wanting a bit more as well. Nonetheless, the interviews are well done, and there are enough effective moments in this documentary to warrant a recommendation, but for those interested in the famed drag queen, this may or may not offer what you're looking for. I Am Divine is entertaining, bizarre and well crafted, but at times it could have been better than what is presented here. I enjoyed the film, but I wanted more as well. But as a whole, for fans of Divine, this is well worth seeing despite its shortcomings.

Alex roy

Alex roy

Super Reviewer

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