Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World

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Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World

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1h 31m

Documentary

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97%

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29 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it. Celebrated best-selling poet, Pulitzer Prize-winner, lover of dogs and long walks in the woods, openly queer but intensely private, Oliver was America's unlikely contemporary mystic, stalking the ponds and forests of Cape Cod for nearly fifty years in order to open herself -- and her readers -- to the known and unknowable world. From a lonely childhood to literary fame, Oliver's life was shaped by devotion to nature, paying attention, and the long journey toward learning to love and to be loved. Her poems inspire liberals and conservatives, atheists and believers, naturalists and urbanites, speaking directly to contemporary anxieties about attention, presence, and the human relationship with the natural world -- issues that feel especially pressing in an era of climate crisis, digital distraction, and social fragmentation. Featuring interviews with her close friends, including John Waters, never-before-seen personal photos, notebooks, and correspondence from her archive, and recitations of her work by Stephen Colbert, Lucy Dacus, Steve Buscemi, and Oprah Winfrey, Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World considers the poet's long lifetime of work in context, capturing the uniqueness of her world and the natural beauty that inspired her.

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Odie Henderson

Boston Globe

Jul 18

3.5/4

Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World" is a documentary about a great poet that feels like a great poem.

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Guy Lodge

Variety

Jul 14

Waters’ film tells Oliver’s life story from a respectful distance... Still, abetted by archival photos and video, a poignant picture emerges of a life lived stringently on Oliver’s own terms.

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Thelma Adams

AARP Movies for Grownups

Jul 10

5/5

In an era when arts and humanities are on the back foot, Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World shows the power of literature and nature to save our souls, one grasshopper, one great love, one poem at a time.

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Andrew Parker

The Gate

1d

6/10

Waters breezes by some of the more interesting and tantalizing stuff, but few films offer such a deep appreciation for the art, function, and meaning of poetry that this one does.

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Kim Hughes

Original Cin

1d

B+

Sasha Waters’ lovely, understated film is a fitting tribute to a singular talent with an compelling legacy.

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Alisha Mughal

Exclaim!

2d

8/10

The documentary at once honours and explicates Mary Oliver's philosophy.

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Sasha Waters

Director

Mary Oliver

Self

Helena Bonham Carter

Self

Steve Buscemi

Self

Stephen Colbert

Self

Lucy Dacus

Self

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Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it. Celebrated best-selling poet, Pulitzer Prize-winner, lover of dogs and long walks in the woods, openly queer but intensely private, Oliver was America's unlikely contemporary mystic, stalking the ponds and forests of Cape Cod for nearly fifty years in order to open herself -- and her readers -- to the known and unknowable world. From a lonely childhood to literary fame, Oliver's life was shaped by devotion to nature, paying attention, and the long journey toward learning to love and to be loved. Her poems inspire liberals and conservatives, atheists and believers, naturalists and urbanites, speaking directly to contemporary anxieties about attention, presence, and the human relationship with the natural world -- issues that feel especially pressing in an era of climate crisis, digital distraction, and social fragmentation. Featuring interviews with her close friends, including John Waters, never-before-seen personal photos, notebooks, and correspondence from her archive, and recitations of her work by Stephen Colbert, Lucy Dacus, Steve Buscemi, and Oprah Winfrey, Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World considers the poet's long lifetime of work in context, capturing the uniqueness of her world and the natural beauty that inspired her.

Director: Sasha Waters
Producer: Sasha Waters
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Production Co: American Masters Pictures
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 3, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 28, 2026
Runtime: 1h 31m