Uninitiated audiences — and film critics far and wide — see in “Melania,” the feature-length documentary about America’s tight-lipped first lady, 100-plus minutes of tone-deaf moments. The movie is intended to at least soften the first lady’s image as glittering arm candy to the world’s most powerful man, if not establish her as a humanitarian and consequential figure in her own right. Its many discussions of clothing and White House decor will cement some viewers’ perceptions of the first lady as a shallow mannequin, interested mainly in fashion and design.
But MAGA nation is loving it.
“Melania” pulled in $7 million during its opening weekend — a notably high haul for a non-concert documentary.
“Melania” pulled in $7 million during its opening weekend — a notably high haul for a non-concert documentary. Although there were only about a dozen people in the Boca Raton, Florida, theater where I watched it (roughly 24 miles south of the Trumps’ Mar-a-Lago residence), I know from my study of conservative media that the film targeted a specific audience — and appears to have found it.
For the past eight years, I’ve been analyzing right-wing media for my website TheRighting. And if there’s one subject that’s unassailable in those circles, it’s Melania Trump as an object of respect, admiration and even awe. Last October, the Washington Free Beacon called her “the most attractive and intelligent First Lady in American history.” (I have yet to read any pundit on the right dispute that claim.)
The right-leaning RedState gushed over the film on Friday. The headline on Bob Hoge’s review? “Priceless Moments in Gripping Behind the Scenes Look at a Return to the White House.” Admirers of the first lady probably agree. Some 98% of audience scores submitted by verified theatergoers to Rotten Tomatoes, the movie review aggregator site, on “Melania” were positive.
If there’s one subject that’s unassailable in MAGA circles, it’s Melania Trump as an object of respect, admiration and even awe.
For hardcore citizens of MAGA nation, “Melania” seems designed to position the first lady as an enduring icon of sophistication, class and superior taste. An underlying vibe — “Move over Jackie, there’s a new first lady finally getting her due” — targets the large segments of the Trump base who viewed recent Democratic first ladies with disdain. Michelle Obama, for instance, is a constant target of right-wing ire.
Melania Trump’s fashion obsession that dominates so much of the film will probably appeal greatly to the Trump base. From my observations of the political right, Trump-friendly audiences see Melania as a figure of regal grace and femininity. Trump, they would argue, needs to dress the part.
Another mission of the film was arguably to demonstrate the popularity of both Trumps. A dismal turnout opening weekend would have reflected poorly on the administration and perhaps been interpreted as a referendum on the immigration enforcement activities in Minneapolis. But “Melania” notched the highest non-concert documentary revenue in more than a decade, the Associated Press reported.
As its box-office take shows, the film was essentially critic-proof, which was a good thing for the first lady as most professional movie reviewers skewered it. “It’s one of those rare, unicorn films that doesn’t have a single redeeming quality,” hissed The Guardian.
It’s fair to wonder why Melania Trump would subject herself to the potential for such a media beatdown. Perhaps the first lady’s ego was insulated by the $40 million fee her production company received from Amazon MGM Studios for the project. The film also had a $35 million marketing campaign. Ads that promoted the movie — and by extension, Trump herself — popped up in settings as varied as NFL playoff games, billboards in major global cities and some of the right-wing news sites I scour every morning.
Trump’s attempt at an image upgrade is made clear in two scenes.
Trump’s attempt at an image upgrade is made clear in two scenes. Viewers see a Zoom call about limiting children’s screen time with Brigitte Macron, the first lady of France, and see Melania in a face-to-face meeting with Jordan’s Queen Rania in which they discuss efforts to aid children around the world. These felt like perfunctory, tick-the-boxes moments trying to show Trump as a figure of consequence on the world stage and a forceful advocate for the well-being of children.
“Melania” also sheds no light on the Trumps’ marriage. She goes mostly mute every time the president enters the frame and inevitably dominates a scene. While several times he is seen holding her hand, in one scene in which Melania receives a call from her husband, she addresses him as Mr. President, and not in an ironic or playful way. Arguably, many first ladies might have complicated relationships with their husbands, but no previous first lady has been the focus of a multimillion-dollar global marketing campaign for a project she directly profited from.
In a remarkably unrevealing portrait, there are a few accidental insights.
In a remarkably unrevealing portrait, there are a few accidental insights, such as when the first lady exhibits obvious delight when the Michael Jackson hit “Billie Jean” plays in the car in which she is being driven. Melania says, in a film that seeks to present her as a champion of children, that Michael Jackson is her favorite recording artist, with no mention of the many accusations he abused children.
A human side of Melania emerges ever so slightly with the film’s repeated references to the January 2024 death of her mother. There are also short scenes with her father and her camera-shy son, Barron, that point to some humanity lurking beneath the designer clothes and expertly applied makeup.
Ultimately, the film’s emphasis on fashion — and astonishing amount of screen time for her towering stiletto heels — overwhelms the help-the-children points. There’s a moment just before the inauguration when one of the fashion minions orbiting the first lady painstakingly affixes Melania’s broad-rimmed hat on her head, obscuring half of her face. If only her husband would spend that much time and attention to detail articulating the justification for, well, anything.
