Martha Stewart may have been all smiles at the New York premiere of her Netflix documentary last week, but she says the second half of the film left a bad taste in her mouth.
The domesticity diva – who participated in the production – gave a scathing review of the documentary in a New York Times interview published on Wednesday, the day of its release.
Stewart said that while she loved “the first half of the documentary,” her reaction to the finished product was “shocking” – especially since director RJ Cutler “used very little” of the archival material she referred to. granted “full access”.
“Martha” chronicles the rise, fall and return of the New Jersey-born business mogul, who describes herself in the doc as the “first self-made female billionaire in American history.”
One particular part of the film that Stewart took issue with was the final segment, which she pressured Cutler to change.
“Those last scenes where I look like a lonely old lady walking hunched in the garden? Hell, I told him to get rid of it. And he refused,” the 83-year-old told the Times.
“I hate those last scenes. I hate them,” she added. “I had ruptured my Achilles tendon. I had to undergo this horrible operation. And so I limped a little. But again, he doesn’t even mention why: I can experience this while working seven days a week.”
One of Stewart’s other major criticisms was the focus on her insider trading investigation, for which she was tried and ultimately served five months behind bars after being convicted of felony obstruction of business. justice.
“It wasn’t that important. The trial and actual incarceration lasted less than two years out of a life of 83 years,” she said. “The trial itself was extremely boring. Even the judge fell asleep. RJ didn’t even put that on. The judge was sleeping on the bench. I wrote it in my journal every day.
Stewart also criticized things that were not included in the film, including his international travels and his relationships with his grandchildren.
The film’s music also did not meet his expectations.
“I told RJ, ‘An essential part of the movie is that you play rap.’ Dr. Dre will probably score it, or Snoop or Fredwreck,'” she explained. “Then he gets a bad classical score in there, which has nothing to do with me.”
In response to Stewart’s less-than-positive review, Cutler said he was “really proud of this film”.
“I’m not surprised that it’s difficult for her to see some aspects of it,” he said, but denied comment on her specific criticisms.
