I Am Divine

2013 film by Jeffrey Schwarz

March 9, 2013 (2013-03-09) (SXSW)

Running time

90 minutes^[1]CountryUnited StatesBox office$81,497^[2]

I Am Divine is a 2013 American documentary film produced and directed by Jeffrey Schwarz of the Los Angeles-based production company Automat Pictures. The documentary focuses on the American actor, singer and drag performer Divine (October 19, 1945 – March 7, 1988), born Harris Glenn Milstead, a lifelong friend and collaborator of filmmaker John Waters.

The film features extensive contemporary interviews with Waters, as well as Divine's mother Frances Milstead, and surviving members of the Dreamlanders.

Participants

John Waters
Tab Hunter
Ricki Lake
Mink Stole
George Figgs
Bruce Vilanch
Lisa Jane Persky
David DeCoteau
Susan Lowe
Mary Vivian Pearce
Jackie Beat
Peaches Christ
Tammie Brown
Michael Musto
Holly Woodlawn

Archive footage

Harris Glenn Milstead/Divine
Edith Massey
David Lochary
Leo Ford
George Masters
Tally Brown
Van Smith

Release

I Am Divine premiered at South by Southwest 2013, and had its premiere in Divine's hometown of Baltimore, Maryland as part of the Maryland Film Festival 2013.

Reception

The film garnered critical acclaim, holding a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 54 reviews; the general consensus states: "With warmth and affection, I Am Divine offers an engaging portrait of the complex personality behind a trailblazing cinematic figure."^[3] On Metacritic, the film has a 70 out of 100 rating, based on 13 critics..^[4]

References

^ "I AM DIVINE (15)". Peccadillo Pictures. British Board of Film Classification. July 1, 2014. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
^ "I Am Divine (2013)". Box Office Mojo. March 27, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
^ "I Am Divine". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
^ "I Am Divine Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved August 18, 2021.