Martha Stewart has expressed her interest in a revamped documentary chronicling her life.
The 83-year-old businesswoman recently told Jimmy Fallon during a guest appearance on “The Tonight Show” that R.J. Cutler’s “Martha” documentary “left out a lot.” Stewart added: “I’m going to go talk to them about maybe doing version two. There’s a lot more to my life. I mean, I’ve lived a long time and I just thought maybe we’ve left out some stuff … good stuff.”
During an interview with the New York Times in October, Stewart detailed her surprise over how little footage from her archive Cutler chose to use in the Netflix documentary about her.
She also said the filmmaker kept three cameras on his subject while shooting and that she was displeased with his production choices.
“He chooses to use the ugliest angle,” Stewart told the New York Times. “And I told him, ‘Don’t use that angle! That’s not the nicest angle. You had three cameras. Use the other angle.’ He would not change that.”
Other aspects of the Netflix documentary that incited disapproval from Stewart were the classical score Cutler chose to include and the director’s focus on the lifestyle mogul’s 2004 trial.
“It was not that important,” Stewart said. “The trial and the actual incarceration was less than two years out of an 83-year life.”
“The Martha Rules” author, however, did concede her enjoyment of the film’s first half and explained the documentary explores topics many viewers may not be familiar with.
“So many girls have already told me that watching it gave them a strength that they didn’t know they had,” Stewart said. “It really shows a strong woman standing up for herself and living through horror as well as some huge success…It should be about showing that you can get through life and still be yourself.”
Cutler responded to Stewart’s criticisms of the Netflix doc, telling Variety, “I teased her that she’s the only one who’s really given us a bad review.” The “Martha” filmmaker added, “And so I think it takes a tremendous amount of courage to trust someone to tell your story. Martha – she fully committed, not only to an interview, but also her vast archives. She might have ended the film differently, or made the film differently. So, bless her, she’s entitled to her critique.”
“Martha” is available to stream on Netflix.
