A joyous, kaleidoscopic journey to Oz and back alongside its legendary heroine, It’s Dorothy is an all-encompassing documentary that takes us down the yellowbrick road for iconic depictions of the timeless tale. As a personal Oz-obsessive since I was a child, this was one of my most anticipated movies of the festival. Thankfully, it does not disappoint. Everything from the short-lived (and criminally underrated) Emerald City to Muppets Wizard of Oz and even the animated content are given a spotlight through immaculately-edited video essays that intersperse footage from every depiction of L. Frank Baum’s story. Gorgeously made, heartfelt, and long overdue, It’s Dorothy is the ultimate documentary on all things Oz.
What makes It’s Dorothy feel special is that we revisit so many of these films and shows through the fresh perspective of their Dorothys. In voiceover, they recount their takes on what they were asked to play, sometimes appearing onscreen to fill in the blanks. Even folks like John Waters and the Rufus Wainwright chime in for their Ozian thoughts. Yes, this thankfully includes an extensive in-depth take from Judy Garland, who left behind a number of recordings chronicling her life as it neared its end. She becomes the major emotional anchor of the whole thing—ask nearly anyone, and they would say that Judy Garland is basically synonymous with Dorothy. Her audition tapes, her signature song (“Somewhere Over the Rainbow”), and her lifelong connection to Dorothy are explored in depth. Garland’s story is told with brutal honesty, from studio manipulations to pep pills and body shaming.
Baum’s original text gave no physical description of Dorothy. She was able to be idolized as any version, any ethnicity or race. This may also be part of her staying power. In almost every version of Oz, a take on Dorothy exists. The film explores the enduring image of Dorothy, from the imprint left on the queer community to the black Dorothy of The Wiz that brought an American classic to black culture for the very first time. Baum’s own contradictions are not ignored: while progressive in many ways, he once published a horrifying editorial calling for the extermination of Indigenous people. I appreciated the doc calling attention to this detail; though the 1800s were obviously an entirely different time, this was an inexcusable viewpoint of the wildly successful author. Acknowledging his shortcomings is an important part of the larger Oz legacy.
Personally, my favorite aspect of this documentary was the inclusion of Return to Oz, which features quite heavily. For a time, this was my preferred version of Oz, complete with Tik Tok and Jack Pumpkinhead. Its lead, Fairuza Balk, shares stories, such as assuming when the semi-sequel bombed at the box office that it would fade into obscurity. Instead, it has endured over the years, with more people than ever approaching her at conventions about the impact it held over them growing up. For a certain generation, Fairuza was their Dorothy. Fairuza seems appreciative of the whole experience, and It’s Dorothy never shies away from regularly sampling clips from her film. The Wheelers and that Mombi screaming head sequence caused the nightmares of countless Disney kids in the late 80s and early 90s. A whole other segment of people will know Diana Ross as their Dorothy, tapping her toes alongside Michael Jackson in a riveting urban spin on the story, The Wiz. “Brand New Day,” a song about liberation, and “Home,” the emotional culmination of everything Dorothy has experienced, are highlighted as enduring elements of that stage musical and subsequent film adaptation.
An observation that had not crossed my mind before was about the enduring power of The Wizard of Oz. One person described it as the rare pop culture property that has been around for every single generation currently alive on Earth. This means that each generation has their own familiarity with the tale, be it through The Wizard of Oz, through The Wiz, through Return to Oz, through Wicked, or through any of the innumerable further takes on the story. Even back in the 30s, Judy Garland’s casting was frowned upon, as she did not meet either the age or the general physical description that most people had in their head from Baum’s book. Similarly, the recent Wicked live action version had people up in arms over Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande being cast as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. Some people will never be happy, no matter what take is being attempted. It should be said that the expansive nature of this documentary may put off some viewers, yet director Jeffrey McHale really only scratches the surface. Expanding the material to the length of a full series would allow for an even deeper dive into the separate projects. Ultimately, It’s Dorothy celebrates Dorothy as an icon, Judy as a martyr, and Oz as queer mythology. There’s truly no place like home.
It’s Dorothy world premiered at 2025’s Tribeca Film Festival.
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