A new documentary examining the life and work of Mary Oliver, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who achieved the unusual distinction of becoming a bestselling author, is beginning its theatrical release this week. Directed by Sasha Waters and titled 'Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World,' the film opens July 3 at IFC Center in New York and July 11 at Laemmle in Los Angeles before expanding to additional cities. The documentary explores how Oliver attracted admirers across cultural boundaries, from Oprah and Stephen Colbert to Helena Bonham Carter and Steve Buscemi.

Oliver's widespread appeal stems from her distinctive poetic approach, which departs from the allusive complexity of modernist poets like T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound. Instead, she wrote in direct, accessible language that addresses readers in the second person, inviting audiences into conversation with her work. Her most celebrated poem, 'The Summer Day,' exemplifies this style with its direct question about how readers will spend their lives. The documentary emphasises how her work resonates differently across audiences and life stages, with director Waters noting that Oliver's poetry welcomes readers at every level of literary experience.