Martha Stewart Netflix documentary reveals surprising side to American icon
Martha Stewart Netflix documentary review and star rating: ★★★★
Netflix have teamed up with a media mogul for the documentary Martha, chronicling the life and times of Martha Stewart. Coming from humble beginnings, the TV cook and personality would go on to become a national icon in the US before a criminal conviction forced her reputation into question.
RJ Cutler’s documentary is, in some ways, very straight forward. Archive footage is commented on by Stewart herself, following her childhood, then her remarkable rise to success first as a model, then a stockbroker, then as the Delia Smith of America, monetising home living with a billion-dollar media empire of shows, books and magazines.
Her imprisonment for lying to the federal government is also focused on, as the media delighted in seeing a seemingly perfect pin-up fail. What’s remarkable is the dichotomy that arises when we study the woman herself.
The Martha Stewart Netflix documentary reveals cold side to TV personality
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Stewart comes across as not particularly kind. She’s shown several times being rude to staff, admits to not finding value in her emotions, and is rare to ever admit fault. In one sequence, she describes her first husband as a “piece of shit” for being unfaithful, then immediately dismisses her own earlier affair as “nothing”.
The filmmakers and Stewart herself all dismiss these flaws, arguing that they wouldn’t be focused on if she were a man in business. This may be partly true: her financial success seemed to irk the male-dominated establishment, and there was some glee from the press seeing her fall.
However, it’s also fascinating to watch someone who for years had a warm, maternal persona on screen be revealed to be so cold. It’s a truly unique journey that reveals the mindset that it takes to make it in corporate America, even if you’ve made your name selling domestic bliss.
Martha won’t make you want to invite Stewart to tea, but there is some respect earned from such an unguarded portrait. Stewart could easily have demanded a manicured fluff piece on her success, but ultimately the truth is far more fascinating.