The current world of Martha Stewart is as perfect as you might imagine: the sprawling East Coast estate with champion horses galloping in a field and gardens that rival Versailles in Paris. But the woman surrounded by perfection is deeply flawed.
The new documentary, “Martha,” on Netflix, is a powerful and intimate portrait of Stewart, the media mogul and lifestyle icon who built an empire from the ground up.
Directed by R.J. Cutler, the film offers a deep dive into the complexities of Stewart’s life, touching on both her rise to fame and the controversies that punctuated her career.
Cutler digs into her childhood to explain how and why she is who she is. Her brothers speak to her strength and perfection as a child, and she talks about her father with reverence. Even though he was a man who started the day with a cup of coffee AND a glass of red wine, who never met his full potential and demanded perfection from his children.
The family was short on affection, but long on affliction. She supported her family as a teenager by modeling and married her first husband at 19 and had her daughter, Alexis, shortly thereafter. She wasn’t winning at motherhood as told by her daughter and friends. Like many women, she preferred working to mothering.
Stewart’s intimate relationships suffered, while her professional life soared. She has long been an emblem of the American dream, an individual who combined business savvy with an impeccable sense of style to revolutionize the world of home décor, cooking, and domesticity.
Through a combination of archival footage, super cool graphics, interviews with her most intimate friends and family and direct reflections from Stewart herself, the film provides a nuanced look at a woman who achieved it all, but in the end wants to be loved and is aching to be understood.
One of the film's strengths is its exploration of Stewart’s complicated relationship with the media. As both a victim and a master manipulator of her own image, Stewart’s ability to navigate the media landscape is presented as both her greatest strength and a source of constant tension.
The documentary doesn't shy away from her 2004 conviction and prison sentence for insider trading. Spoiler Alert! James Comey makes a star appearance as New York’s District Attorney, who led the case against Stewart, and the way Cutler tells the story it was a true witch hunt. She was the first self-made woman to make a billion dollars and had everything going for her. It seemed only natural that it was time to see her fall.
But in true Stewart style, the time in prison became a source of inspiration rather than her true fall from grace. Sure, she lost her empire, her reputation, her boyfriend, but like strong women do, she picked up the pieces, saw where she could continue to change, and kept going.
At 83, she’s got a best friend and business partner with the rapper Snoop Dogg, and a social media presence that has made her more relevant and possibly richer than ever.
Whether you admire Stewart or have long been critical of her, “Martha” provides a thoughtful and compelling look at one of the most iconic figures in modern American culture.
The O.G. influencer is back and may she never be discredited again.