Martha Stewart is a real powerhouse of a woman. As the founder of Martha Stewart Living, her name has been on many business ventures, including her media and publishing success, product brands, and stunning 2023 Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover. After the 2024 Netflix release based on her life, Martha, hit the streaming service, the homemaking business mogul got real about certain scenes she hates about the documentary. She did not hold back.
Filmmaker R.J. Cutler, who’s made documentaries on Billie Eilish, Elton John, and John Belushi, decided to take on Martha Stewart’s rise, sudden fall, and comeback of the American businesswoman’s life. The new movie, Martha, recently hit streaming, and according to the NY Times, Stewart got real about what she didn't like in the second half of the documentary, calling it "lazy" and sharing the sequences she could have done without.
Those last scenes with me looking like a lonely old lady walking hunched over in the garden? Boy, I told him to get rid of those. And he refused. I hate those last scenes. Hate them.
The retail tycoon had other things to say about Martha in her negative review of the documentary, like wishing the musical score came from rap stars like Dr. Dre, Fredwreck, or Snoop Dogg (whom she has an adorable friendship with). Martha Stewart also said she would have liked it if the Netflix documentary touched on more about what made her magazine “Martha Stewart Living” so special like its photography, food glossaries, the special touch she put in her food, and more. Not to mention, the television personality also felt Martha focused “way too much time” on her 2004 trial and prison time which Stewart said was a very small chapter of her 83 years of living.
It appears that Martha Stewart wished R.J. Cutler’s Netflix documentary could have had a stronger emphasis on how the challenges she went through didn’t stop her from keeping up her many ventures. Further touching on Martha’s final scenes, Stewart explained why specifically she had a problem with the film showing her limping in her garden:
I had ruptured my Achilles’ tendon. I had to have this hideous operation. And so I was limping a little. But again, he doesn’t even mention why — that I can live through that and still work seven days a week.
Despite the setbacks Martha Stewart went through, she has still made amazing comebacks in her eventful life. After her five-month prison sentence (related to insider trading), Stewart still launched new ventures like The Martha Stewart Show and Martha Stewart’s Cooking School. She also reinvented her brand to appeal to younger audiences, partnering up with Snoop Dogg to create their new show Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner. When print media transitioned to digital, the Golden Plate Award winner partnered with eBay to create the American Made Martha Stewart online store to help grow the businesses of over 400 American vendors.
After Martha Stewart was a bit of a hater about the second half of Martha, Netflix reportedly wasn’t too pleased with her critiques. Especially considering the streaming service flew her out to the Telluride Film Festival through a private jet. This certainly raises the question of whether a future collaboration between the two will ever happen again.
Even though Martha Stewart wanted R.J. Cutler “to get rid” of certain scenes in Martha, she said she still liked the first half of the documentary. She liked it showed events in her life that people may not have known about and she enjoyed the positive reactions she got from young women in response.
Feel free to add Martha to your streaming list as it’s available to watch now with your Netflix subscription.
