Martha, Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart (2003 TV Movie) User Reviews

Not as negative a portrayal as people think

[Into_The_West · 7/10 · 6 March 2005]

This film has a reputation of being an endless slam job on Martha Stewart. This is partly true. But I don't think it's been that much of a secret Martha Stewart sometimes berates staff. So did Charlie Chaplin. So did Milton Berle. So did Gustav Mahler. So did Johnny Carson. The latter four are generally beloved to many people, because of comparisons between misery inflicted and joy provided.

What I think measures a film's point of view is what it shows the person accomplished. Ms. Stewart's brilliance at pioneering a new kind of TV and making a billion dollars in the process is part of that. But also, at the end, when her reputation is supposedly crumbling (actually, it never seems to have), the fact that when she visits an agricultural fair and literally everybody there mobs her with their admiration says the rest. Compare the misery she's inflicted on a few to the happiness she's brought her viewers. This film's end says there's no comparison. And if you don't agree, you can make the same argument about Chaplin, Berle, Mahler, and Carson.

A morality Tale

[roedyg · 6/10 · 1 November 2006]

This is a fairly simple morality tale about what happens when you become an overachiever, when vaulting ambition demands ever higher achievement.

Martha in her demand to make a splash, ignores her husband and child.

If Martha were male, she might be looked on as a heroic figure who sacrificed personal happiness.

I have always been amazed at how effortlessly Martha creates domestic perfection. Here, you see behind the covers at the panic and stress to create that illusion.

The movie points out Martha was once a stock broker, so when she was nailed on insider trading, she could not very well claim naiveté.

Homemakers Gone Wild

[MichaelMovieLoft · 5/10 · 19 May 2003]

That should've been the title to this May sweeps movie. I just finished this and I think it was a little one sided to Martha's bad rep. Now I know that much of the stuff about her are true. She is not well liked in the town she lives in and not well liked by other she works with. But this seemed more like a cheesy exploitation flick tailor made for May. With this, the facts are there, but they seem magnified to the highest power. I have never met Martha Stewart and usually turn away when she is doing interviews, so I don't know anything straight from her mouth. With that, it's really not easy to take this as gospel. I think the way Cybil Shepard played her was convincing. As the movie portrayed her, Martha keeps trying to hard and never wants to stop. She wants to be the queen of them all, and will walk over anyone to get her way. Even if it means that person is a business partner or her own husband. If this is actually true (and I dont know either way if it was or not), then that is a sad way of life.

(possible spoilers) There are two scenes in the film that are funny but also disturbing. The first is when she is in K-mart demonstrating one of her recipes, she snaps at a customer because the customer tried the recipe and it didnt come out the way Martha had shown it to be. But in reality, that just doesn't happen with Martha's recipes. The movie didn't really give any detail to why everything she does comes out perfect, while we all are lousy when we try it. The second scene that was disturbing was when Martha is having a dream about talking about her success in her trademark clothes, and the camera zooms out showing her behind prison bars. When one prisoner has had enough she replies "Shut up, B%$ch". That scene was kind of funny though (ok, possible spoilers done).

In closing, this film really doesn't do Stewart justice. It is one sided and only shows the one side we get tired of hearing about (Perhaps there is only one side to Martha?). Shepard is definately game for the role, and Tim Matheson does a good job as Stewart's long suffering husband. But in the end, it's just another film made for May sweeps.

Painfully bad hit piece. What's the thread count??

[Eric-1226 · 4 June 2003]

First of all, let me say right out that I don't love Martha Stewart. I'm not a MS apologist. Hell, I don't even watch her show, because even I, half-brained cynic that I am, can discern that MS is essentially a product of the Wall Street/Madison Avenue/Corporate America hype-world. She's an invented hype-machine that gets people all excited about the infinite wonders of perfecting the "home living experience", and then... (drum roll please)... Corporate America is right there to sell all those many many products just to make that dream of perfection come true. The Martha Stewart line of products at K-Mart is one of the more obvious manifestations of this reality.

Be that as it may, I didn't like this heavy-handed "hit piece" of a film. It seems each and every scene was capped off with an emphatic little clincher to ensure the viewer was left with the thought: "Oh_My_Gawd!!! What a horrid stinker of a person that Martha Stewart really is!!! Ewwwww!!!"

Anyway, I thought the movie was a non-stop stream of hitting below the belt. I thought Cybill Shepherd looked and talked NOT AT ALL like the (real) Martha Stewart I've seen on t.v. (what little I've seen of her, that is...). As such, I thought the movie was unintentionally funny. I couldn't stop laughing at how absurd Cybill Shepherd looked, trying to make MS look absurd.

I would have appreciated more of the negative emphasis be put on the corporate hypsters that invent the Martha Stewarts in the first place. Also, I would have liked more negative bias towards mindless home-makers who get so damned obsessive about all those frilly, frivolous things in the first place. (I recently saw a PBS program entitled "Affluenza". That would make for an excellent follow-on viewing after seeing this film about Martha Stewart and the MS way of living.)

Anyway, a couple of years ago at K-Mart I bought a mattress pad for my bed. The Martha Stewart line. Don't know what the thread count is, but it is the most comfortable darned thing I've ever slept on. Thanks, Martha Stewart!

She's Nuts!

[tfar2000 · 4/10 · 31 May 2003]

What better actress to play Martha than Cybill. I think they're both nuts! I have always wondered why Martha is so popular, and to be honest, I'm still trying to figure it out. Most of the things she comes up with are just common sense, but so many people think she is so brilliant. She is an excellent con woman. That's her claim to fame.

Like a Train Wreck - You can't keep from watching it.

[Fledrinnian · 2/10 · 20 May 2003]

OK, I'll admit it.

Back in the 60's and early 70's I had a crush on Cybill Shepherd. She was a beautiful young girl who had her face on the cover of nearly every magazine published. The problem is that somewhere along the line since then she got the idea she could act and sing. (Her nightclub act of several years ago quickly came and disappeared.)

Martha Inc. Is a testament to the fact that most crossover entertainment careers don't work.

The story here is compelling since our basic human nature loves to watch the mighty fall, especially when we see them as nasty and vindictive. The movie is a sprint through Martha Stewart's life with heavy emphasis on her ruthless actions and efforts to claw her way to the top at the expense of everyone, including her family. Its hard to believe that anyone could not have a soft side and the only redeeming moment of the movie is when Martha and her father share a hug in a moment of acceptance and reconciliation. The rest is painful and I had to keep watching to see how far Shepherd could push her tendency to over-act.

This film is typical TV sweeps fodder with no redeeming value. Thumbs down from me.

Awful!!!

[fitter · 1/10 · 21 May 2003]

In my opinion, Martha, Inc. was terrible. Martha is not that homely. What in the world did they do to Cybill's mouth? It didn't look like Martha's mouth to me. If Martha is as awful as people portray her she must be a very sad, lonely person. Why not leave her alone. There are so many worse people in the world.

You go, girl.

[Sylviastel · 8/10 · 26 May 2003]

Martha Inc. is actually worth watching to see Cybill Shepherd's take on the character. She really delves into the role and begins to show a sympathetic and vulnerable side to her. Sure, she's pretty and definitely intelligent, perhaps a genius. She worked Wall Street and modeled her way through College. She got married and had a daughter but domestic bliss was never enough for Martha. She wanted more and more in time. She became a successful Connecticut caterer. Even though she won't admit it, she is born and bred in New Jersey to Polish born Parents who immigrated to America. She was brought up in a large ethnic family rather than the small waspy family in Connecticut. Maybe Martha was no great wife or mother but she is creative and brilliant enough to succeed in a man's world. She has done it with class and brilliance. This movie does portray the messy divorce and the affair that broke up this longtime union. Martha may not have best people personilaty but just compare her to Barbra Streisand who is far more difficult. Martha is a perfectionist but brilliant and creative enough to establish herself as a household name. This success always comes with such sacrifice like a marriage and an estranged relationship with her daughter. Most men have often done this but why does it bother people when it is a woman? You go girl, Martha.

The real Martha is far more entertaining.

[bilahn · 4/10 · 20 May 2003]

So was the E! True Hollywood Story. As with the Lucy biopic, the life of Martha Stewart does not lend itself to dramatic presentation, as interesting as her life may have been.

Also, she is a character that lends herself more to caricature than real imitation. It's impossible. Cybill Sheperd gives it a try, but all she manages to do is look passably like her.

If one of the Martha Stewart reruns had been on the Home and Garden channel, I would have changed channels and watched that. It would have been a lot more entertaining!

Its a CAMP thing...

[hilljayne · 8/10 · 24 June 2004]

When I first heard about a year and a half ago that Cybill was going to play Martha I was excited for Cybill and Martha. I thought Cybill's career would get back on track and Martha might enjoy having such a glamour girl play her...however, as Cybill ages she becomes more and more campier--she hardly EVER lost her southern accent in her portrayal of Ms. Martha. Martha would never say "beauuutifullll" she would say "BEAU-TI-FUL". There are moments where Cybill actually does resemble Martha but then there are moments where she looks like she is about to have her gallbladder removed. Hey Cyb--there is such a thing as under eye concealer! Don't even get me started on TURKEY HILL (the name of Martha's home), it doesn't even resemble the real Turkey Hill. The score is a great supporting player in the film. Classic line--HEY S**T! Not bad--but Cyb should have worked with a dialect coach. Also, has ANYONE remembered the GOOD and POSITIVE things Martha has done?

Another side of a Good Thing

[kamster52 · 8/10 · 20 May 2003]

I have heard many stories about Martha's work ethics and can be bossy and demanding, but what celebrity isn't? I think to be where she is at she needs to be demanding and goal oriented, you have to sacrifice and step on some toes. I felt she also lost a lot with her family, i was kind of curious on her relationship with her daughter, which the movie did not explain in details, if there were at all close? The movie was i would think pretty accurate? The writers must of done some interviews to get the inside scoop. Cybill Shepherd was awesome in this film! She really was Martha. That was some very good acting! But no matter i am still an avid reader and watcher of Martha Stewart. She is the queen of entertaining.

See this movie if your thinking of starting your own business.

[modius · 7 May 2004]

Cybill Shepherd plays in this very easy to watch movie which charts the rise and fall of Martha Stewart.

Whilst I don't know Martha Stewart or what she represents to today's American Society, I do know that I enjoyed this movie and I often take time out from my busy schedule to watch it.

Sure its not the best movie in the world, but I watch it because it's sometimes funny and sometimes realistic about the world of business. And I think its a good movie if you want to know what it takes to become an entreprenuer or start your own business.

Sometimes it re-invigorates my own ideals and my own personal goals. So that's why I like this movie.

Overall: 6/10.

Cybill Shepherd is very believable

[MarieGabrielle · 9/10 · 22 June 2006]

in this part factual, part camp portrayal of Martha Stewart. This movie is actually preferable to last years barrage of reports and tabloid rumors re: Stewart.

The movie first focuses on Stewart's upbringing, in Nutley, New Jersey. Jude Cicolella portrays her disapproving, perfectionist father. Of modest means, Martha is driven to overcome this, and believes that her father's outlook is correct. First modeling, then Barnard college, then to finally marrying Tim Matheson, and buying a "handyman's special" in Connecticut. There is an amusing scene where Martha (Shepherd) yields a pick-ax; attempting to renovate the house herself.

Initially, she starts a small catering company with her girlfriend, and it develops into a larger project, taking over her life. The scenes between Shepherd and Matheson are believable; he eventually tires of her drive and they separate. While Shepherd can sometimes project a shrill harpy ..."I wanted the Merlot!"... the fact remains that she did not have her way paved for her, when creating her TV show she apparently utilized creative marketing, and perhaps is due some credit for being able to stand up to ruthless TV executives.

You will enjoy this movie, even if you are not a fan of Martha Stewart. Cybill Shepherd gives an excellent performance, and at the end of the film, we see Martha's fans gravitating toward her, sympathizing, thus begging the question, how can anyone predict the tastes and opinions of the public?.

dribble

[KatharineFanatic · 5 June 2003]

I'm not a big fan of Martha Stewart. I'm undecided on the insider trading issue, and I don't buy her stuff anyway. But this film was just this side of slander, portraying her as a self-obsessed jerk who bullies everyone around her into doing what SHE wants. Forget the fact that she's an exceptional salesmen. Forget the fact she's one of the most popular icons in media. Forget all that and... well, you still can't accept the movie. The acting royally sucked (Martha doesn't sound anything like that!) and they went out of their way to get ugly people to portray her, whereas in reality Martha is quite an attractive woman. Slander. Sue 'em, Martha!

Cybill Shepherd gave an Excellent Performance!

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 20 May 2003]

If you are a fan of Cybill Shepherd like I am, she portrayed Martha Stewart perfectly, no actress could have done a better job. Cybill put her heart and soul into this performanc which made this hard to produce film possible. I have a great deal of respect for Martha Stewart and knowing that we all make mistakes in life, I feel sorry for her, but not Cybill Shepherd and her great Martha Steward on TV!

Entertaining, but to be taken with a grain of salt.

[DrCharlesMontague · 8/10 · 1 August 2020]

This is a very entertaining movie and I think it offers a interesting view into Martha's past, but it was definitely like Mommie Dearest with inflated drama. I'm sure Martha is no picnic to live with (I have a cousin JUST like her who is outwardly sweet and does her thing at work extremely well, but it's eggshells eggshells eggshells at her house!), but most good TV personalities are like this. Jeremy Clarkson is a fabulous host on TV and I watch everything he does, but I know he's not a nice man in reality.

The fact is some people were meant to be wonderful spouses/parents/homemakers, and others were meant to be wonderful in their work. Martha found an interesting niche where she could pretend to be the first and truly excel at the latter. Martha does make cooking, gardening, etc. less intimidating for many people because she offers tons of practical hints that work for average people.

Watch this movie, but don't take it 100% seriously. I would say take it 80% seriously (meaning, most of it is probably true but it's likely safe to dial the crassness down).

Cybill Shepherd sizzles as Martha Stewart

[Barry-44 · 10/10 · 19 May 2003]

I found the movie most believable. Cybill Shepherd does an outstanding job as Martha Stewart. It shows the complexities of business, but also shows the woman behind the businesswoman. I give this movie the highest rating.

Campy Indulgence to the last! It's a good Thing.

[daltonmania · 10/10 · 19 May 2003]

Being a lover of all things camp, ala John Waters etc, I loved this movie!

Cybill Sheperd in a role only few could pull off! It's doubtful if all the details are accurate, or that the real Ms. Stewart would appreciate this overview of her life so far, but either way, the portrait it projects of a woman bent on success which goes awry is very entertaining!

It shows the shrewdness it takes to succeed in the oversaturated world of business men. It also shows how constantly wanting and searching for the best, can leave one blind to the "good thing"s under one's nose.

Oh and the screaming! Wonderful Stuff! I laughed out loud!

Weather you love her or hate her, Martha Stewart is undoubtedly popular no matter how the media portrays her. However, women in scandal aren't the only ones that have every media outlet attack, talk, or make jokes and publicly prosecute you. It does happen to men too!

NBC should release this on DVD! I would Buy it!

Leona Helmsley, She's Not!

[dgordon-1 · 9/10 · 20 May 2003]

I saw this movie last night on NBC, and I was expecting it to trash the reputation of everyone's favourite "Kitchen Commando": Martha Stewart. What it did was bring to light the background of this fascinating, and business savvy woman. She wasn't portrayed as a tyrant, and she wasn't firing people for having water on the lettuce like the "Queen of Mean"-Leona Helmsley did during her heyday in the '80s. The movie starts off on the set of her "Martha Stewart Living" show, where she learns of the news of the insider information scandal on Wall Street. From there, the movie flashes back to a young Martha, and the budding of her entrepreneurial spirit-somewhat ruthless for a kid, then onto her relationship with her perfectionist father and modeling career. Cybill Danning plays Martha Stewart, and really shines in this role as always. Cybill has Martha's mannerisms and facial expressions down to a 'T'! Throughout the movie, it doesn't try to pass judgement on Martha Stewart for the sake of dramatizing her life events. Instead, it seemed to take a middle of the road approach, but it was still entertaining. For a made for TV movie, it's an interesting look into the life of a woman who has changed homemaking from a humdrum existence into a trendy art form!

She wasn't perfect after all; Cybill Shepherd came close

[vchimpanzee · 2 June 2003]

As the movie opens, Martha Stewart is cheerfully entering the studio where her TV series is filmed, behaving exactly like the charming, sickeningly perfect Martha we all know. Then she gets angry because things aren't exactly as the should be. Once on camera, she returns to the familiar calm, serene personality--until something else goes wrong!

Then comes the scandal that ruined Martha's reputation in the eyes of many, but not all. I remember the scene on the CBS morning show going a little differently, but then I only saw a partial clip. It was a little more exciting and dramatic here.

Then we see flashbacks. I find it hard to believe Martha would have sabotaged a competitor as a young child, but not everything has to be the truth in movies such as these. Then we see the teenage Martha and we begin to understand why she turned out the way she did. Her father was also a perfectionist, and nothing was ever good enough for him. Meanwhile, Martha has a hard time making friends because of her need to be perfect and better than everyone else.

Martha goes to college and begins a modeling career, and she meets her future husband. We see the events that led to her becoming the icon she is today. In short, even when it finally happened, she was not content to be a suburban housewife. She saw the opportunity to make her housewife status into something much more, and she risked a friendship and her marriage to become famous.

I thought Cybill Shepherd did a wonderful job. She did the on-screen perfect Martha very nicely, even to the point of being almost satirical. She could be perky as well, but when she was, she seemed like Cybill. But she was mostly the determined, confident and generally intolerant Martha that we have never seen. And she did that quite nicely. When she had to make the big business deals herself, rather than depending on others, it was quite exciting to watch. The actors playing Martha's father (who was demanding but occasionally tender) and the teenage Martha (charming and actually adorable) also made quite an impression.

It wasn't pleasant, but this may very well have been the way it happened. As is true of many movies like this, it presented mostly the negative side, but there is only so much that can be done in two hours. I wasn't expecting nearly as much from her early years, but we needed to see that background. At least we got to see that Martha wasn't as perfect as we may have thought. A good job by everyone. Not a masterpiece, but a good TV-movie.

Finally a good made for TV movie

[westsidedude2001 · 27 May 2003]

This show was good and actually kind of funny. The show displayed her temper and that's kinda fun to watch. Cybill did a good job portraying Martha but I find it hard to think ill of Martha because she is actually a hard worker, driven by her need to be successful. This is the American way these days. Keep up the good work Martha and Cybill.