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One of the main critics of Martha Stewart's new documentary is Martha herself. The media mogul chastised R.J. Cutler, the director of the self-titled movie, for several editing decisions she didn't agree with after Martha was released on Netflix on October 30.
"The last times I walked stooped in the garden, looking like a lonely old lady? In an interview that was published the same day, she told the New York Times, "Boy, I told him to get rid of those." And he declined. Those final scenes are awful. Hate them.
According to the cookbook author, she also objected to the project's score, saying it didn't represent her preferences.
“I said to R.J., ‘An essential part of the film is that you play rap music,’” Martha recalled. “Dr. Dre will probably score it, or [Snoop Dogg] or Fredwreck. I said, ‘I want that music.’ And then he gets some lousy classical score in there, which has nothing to do with me.”
The 83-year-old said the filmmaker "used very little" footage from her personal archive, pointing out that her two grandchildren were "not even mentioned." She also said the documentary focused too much on her 2004 obstruction of justice trial, which resulted in her spending almost five months in federal prison.
Martha stated, "It wasn't that important." Out of an 83-year life, the trial and the actual incarceration lasted less than two years. To be honest, I thought of it as a vacation because the trial itself was so dull.
"Even the judge dozed off," she added. "That wasn't even mentioned by R.J. At the bench, the judge was dozing off. Every day I jotted it down in my diary.
Martha acknowledged to the publication that, in spite of her critical remarks, she enjoyed the first part of the movie. She added that she is especially proud of the comments she has gotten from female audiences.
She said, "I've already heard from a lot of girls—young women—that watching it gave them a strength they didn't know they had." And that's the aspect of the documentary that I enjoy the most. It demonstrates how a strong woman can stand up for herself, endure horror, and achieve great success.
R.J. has not publicly addressed Martha's comments, but he has talked about relishing the opportunity to contribute to her life story.
He said to Tudum, "I began reading about Martha, and the more I read, the more I realized that she was a complicated individual with a lot of contradictions and conflicts. And my excitement about the prospect of learning more about her story grew as I gained more knowledge about her.
The movie's release was also celebrated on social media by the director.
On October 30, he posted on Instagram, saying, "MARTHA is currently available on Netflix." "I'm incredibly proud of this movie and thankful to the incredible crew that made it!"
