Indigo Girls: It's Only Life After All

"Life After All" has plenty of music, but the film is more interested in celebrating optimism and bringing viewers one step closer to fine.

If you don't know, if you want to learn more, “It’s Only Life After All" doesn't get the job done, even at 2 hours long.

Existing fans will be mesmerized, but non-fans like me should also get a kick out of “It’s Only Life After All.”

Emily Saliers and Amy Ray of indie folk rockers Indigo Girls convey what they want the audience to experience from their music: self-esteem, a shared experience, and healing, likening it almost to a warm hug... exactly what the film provides.

Emily shares her journey to sobriety, and the duo share many facets of their lives that will delight longtime fans as well as those just discovering their legacy.

Bombach is lucky to have a massive archive of material from their entire career from which to construct a film, but that can be a curse too as “It’s Only Life After All” wears out its welcome at close to two hours, often repeating itself as it unfolds.

The benefit of It’s Only Life After All is in its dedication to including as much of that ephemera as possible. But there’s a bigger, more rewarding story here, too. One of acceptance.

The story is uplifting and I found myself moved by the wonderful contributions they have made not only to the music scene but also the LGBTQ+ community and their environmental activism work.

As is the case in most documentaries about famous women from the 1990s, there’s lots of footage of talk show hosts being absolute dicks to them. But yes, you’ll hear a lot of their excellent music.

Director Bombach captured the appreciation the duo have for each other, in a collaboration tempered through mutual respect, unconditional love and a poignant/life-affirming evolution ... and even though tested, it remains connective. Amy & Emily rule!