Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Docu on retail giant has lots of cursing, drugs.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Maddman: The Steve Madden Story
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
MADDMAN: THE STEVE MADDEN STORY is a documentary about the life and times of the man behind the brand. It begins with his Long Island upbringing as a class clown with undiagnosed ADD and continues through his "party years" in the Miami and NYC of the late '70s and early '80s. The documentary then shows how Madden, after getting sober, took a shoe business that he started with $1,100 and transformed it into a billion-dollar company that revolutionized the fashion industry. It also discusses how Madden, who had done business with the man known in movies as The Wolf of Wall Street, is found guilty of stock manipulation and money and securities fraud, and sent to prison. He speaks of this experience, and of what he learned from serving out his sentence. Upon release, Madden works to revitalize his brand, and once more takes it to the top of the industry, in innovation and profit, expanding into international markets.
Is It Any Good?
This documentary presents a full picture of the man behind the brand. Even as many of the negatives of his life -- such as drug and alcohol addiction and prison time -- are turned into positives, the overall portrait is of a driven, hands-on, no-nonsense shoe visionary who became successful through hard work, creativity, and persistence.
Maddman: The Steve Madden Story is a documentary that's probably best enjoyed by the fashionistas of the family, or even for those who wore his shoes while reading Sassy in their '90s tween and teen years. Outside of that world, the documentary doesn't hold enough interest on the strength of its story alone.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about documentaries. How does Maddman: The Steve Madden Story compare to other documentaries you've seen?
How was drug and alcohol use shown in the documentary? Was it glamorized, shown to have negative consequences, or a bit of both?
What impression of Steve Madden does this documentary leave you with?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : December 1, 2017
- Cast : Steve Madden
- Director : Ben Patterson
- Studio : OnSlot Films
- Genre : Documentary
- Character Strengths : Perseverance
- Run time : 77 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
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