I Am Divine

"The true story of the most beautiful woman in the world"

2014 1h 30m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 96

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Harris Glenn Milstead, aka Divine (1945-1988) was the ultimate outsider turned underground hero. Spitting in the face of the status quos of body image, gender identity, sexuality, and preconceived notions of beauty, Divine succeeded in becoming an internationally recognized icon, recording artist, and character actor of stage and screen. Glenn went from the often-mocked, schoolyard fat kid to underdog royalty, standing up for millions of gay men and women, drag queens and punk rockers, and countless other socially ostracized misfits and freaks. With a completely committed in-your-face style, he blurred the line between performer and personality, and revolutionized pop culture.

“The true story of the most beautiful woman in the world”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

MUBISubscription

MUBI Amazon ChannelSubscription

Cast

Divine
Self (archive)
John Waters
Self
Ricki Lake
Self
Lisa Jane Persky
Self
Bruce Vilanch
Self
Mink Stole
Self
Tab Hunter
Self
Helen Hanft
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jeffrey Schwarz
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 12 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jeffrey Schwarz, shot by Marsha Kahm. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Michael Cudahy. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Phillip J. Bartell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Divine and John Waters and Ricki Lake carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The true story of the most beautiful woman in the world".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1356790 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jeffrey Schwarz directs. Marsha Kahm behind the camera. Michael Cudahy scores. Phillip J. Bartell cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 12 years ago.
3Directed by Jeffrey Schwarz, shot by Marsha Kahm. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Michael Cudahy. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Phillip J. Bartell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Divine and John Waters and Ricki Lake carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The true story of the most beautiful woman in the world".
8IMDB entry: tt1356790 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 96 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.