Joyce Carol Oates: A Body in the Service of Mind

Released Sep 8, 2023

1 hr. 33 min.

Documentary

Biography

TRAILER

for Joyce Carol Oates: A Body in the Service of Mind: Trailer 1

List

83%

6 Reviews

Tomatometer

Author Joyce Carol Oates provides rare insight into her life, creative process, and the events that have shaped her writings, including the 1967 Detroit Riot, the Chappaquiddick incident, and the tragic life of Marilyn Monroe.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Nov 03

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Apple TV

Rent Joyce Carol Oates: A Body in the Service of Mind on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Brent M

Telling the story of a talented and prolific artist can be quite a challenge: What should be included? What should be excluded? And how should the narrative effectively fuse the personal and professional sides of the artist's life? It's a task that's easy to get wrong (and, unfortunately, it happens far too often in many contemporary film biographies). So it's indeed comforting to see one that gets things right, as is the case with this well-crafted documentary about writer Joyce Carol Oates, author of more than 100 books (many of them award winners) in multiple genres, both under her own name and several pseudonyms. On top of that, though, she has also developed a renowned reputation as a professor and as an outspoken and eloquent liberal social and political critic, both through her writings and social media posts. Writer-director Stig Björkman's latest presents a comprehensive, articulate and skillfully organized profile of Oates, showing how her meager beginnings played a role in her love of writing and the views she embraced upon coming of age, themes repeatedly reflected in her prose. The film accomplishes all this in a clear, concise, balanced, economically packaged offering, making its points about her public and personal lives without unduly belaboring them and backing them up with voice-over readings from her books by Laura Dern. If I had any complaint about this release, it would be that its ending seems a bit abrupt and truncated, almost as if the filmmaker didn't quite know how to suitably wrap up the project. There's really no need for this, either, given that the picture's efficient 1:34:00 runtime is far from excessive. That aside, however, this is an otherwise-excellent overview of a writer whose works truly deserve all the gracious attention and praise that they receive, providing Oates's fans with a fitting tribute of the author and viewers unfamiliar with her books plenty of good reason to give them a serious look.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/13/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Stig Björkman

Director

Joyce Carol Oates

Self

Laura Dern

Voice

Stig Björkman

Writer

Dominika Daubenbüchel

Writer

Stina Gardell

Writer

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

97%

77%

Being Mary Tyler Moore

TRAILER

for Being Mary Tyler Moore

100%

100%

The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks

89%

%

Ever Deadly

TRAILER

for Ever Deadly

94%

84%

Lucy and Desi

TRAILER

for Lucy and Desi

83%

61%

The Insurrectionist Next Door

TRAILER

for The Insurrectionist Next Door

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Joyce Carol Oates: A Body in the Service of Mind: Trailer 1

2:06

View more videos

View more photos

Maxwell Rabb

Chicago Reader

An affectionate, delicately composed portrait of one of America’s most fascinating, impactful writers.

Sep 8, 2023

Full Review

Beatrice Loayza

New York Times

This documentary is so fixated on enshrining Oates within the canon of American literary giants that it skirts around the peculiarity and provocation of her ideas.

Sep 7, 2023

Full Review

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality & Practice

A wide-ranging documentary on the life and work of the prolific writer, outspoken political activist, and dedicated educator.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 24, 2023

Full Review

Lael Loewenstein

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

A beautifully rendered documentary of someone whose work has been undeniably influential.

Oct 4, 2023

Full Review

Josh Goller

Spectrum Culture

Oates may not be a performer, but throughout Björkman’s film, she’s nevertheless enthralling to watch.

Rated: 3.75/5

Sep 13, 2023

Full Review

Benjamin Franz

Film Threat

Joyce Carol Oates: A Body in Service of the Mind is simply a beautiful portrait of a great American writer and personality.

Rated: 9/10

Sep 8, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Author Joyce Carol Oates provides rare insight into her life, creative process, and the events that have shaped her writings, including the 1967 Detroit Riot, the Chappaquiddick incident, and the tragic life of Marilyn Monroe.

Director: Stig Björkman
Executive Producer: Diana Holtzberg
Screenwriter: Stig Björkman, Dominika Daubenbüchel, Stina Gardell
Distributor: Greenwich Entertainment
Production Co: Mantaray Film
Genre: Documentary, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 8, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 8, 2023

Most Popular at Home Now