Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
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.
I Am Divine is a well-crafted documentary portrait of one of underground cinema's most singular figures. The film's greatest strength is its subject: Divine's life and persona are genuinely extraordinary, giving the documentary an inherently high Novelty score — there is simply no one else like Harris Glenn Milstead, and the film captures that iconoclastic spirit effectively. The narrative arc (from bullied outsider to countercultural icon) is compelling and well-assembled through archival footage and interviews, earning a solid Plot score. Acting is rated as documentary performance — talking heads are candid and affectionate, though nothing technically standout. Cinematography is functional documentary work, leaning heavily on archival material with competent but unremarkable framing of contemporary interviews. The ending lands satisfyingly, honoring Divine's legacy without feeling overblown, though it doesn't transcend the conventions of the form.