JOYCE CAROL OATES: A BODY IN SERVICE OF MIND – Documentary Review
Filmmaker Stig Bjorkman. a longstanding friend of Joyce Carol Oates. gives us a respectful and intimate documentary that spends its hour and a half on current interviews with Oates, as well as clips from her past interviews with Dick Cavitt and other broadcast presenters and select readings from her writings that are voiced by Laura Dern over footage of Oates at work, or hiking through the countryside. Oates’ strongly liberal political stance against Donald Trump and her campaign of very pointed anti-Trump posts on Twitter are also covered.
Joyce Carol Oates: A Body in Service of Mind is a delightful documentary delve into the persona and personal opinions of the notoriously self effacing and non-stop prolific literary goddess known as Joyce Carol Oates.
Oates is now in her 80s and she looks a bit frail, but she is still going strong. Recent on camera interviews reveal her very dynamic and engaging personality. She is funny. She is profound. She is enlightening. And, she still Tweets profusely.
These elements all add up to an entirely authentic and soulful profile that focuses on and pays tribute to Oates’ character without one iota of the pandering, self-promotion and inherent marketing intentions of many celebrity biodocs. The approach is fresh and refreshing — and entirely engaging.
If you’re a Joyce Carol Oates devotee, this documentary will give you insights that enhance your appreciation. If haven’t read any of the 58 novels written by Oates since 1963 or any of her poetry, memoirs, plays, essays and novellas written under pseudonyms, you’ll want to do so after meeting her in Joyce Carol Oates: A Body in Service of Mind.
FILM DETAILS:
Title: Joyce Carol Oates: A Body in Service of Mind
Director: Stig Björkman
Release Date: September 8, 2023
Running Time: 94 minutes
Language: English
Screenwriters: Stig Björkman, Dominika Daubenbüchel, Stina Gardell (Documentary)
Distribution Company: Greenwich Entertainment