Documentary ‘Melania’ earns $8 million at box office in opening weekend

The film “Melania,” a documentary about first lady Melania Trump, grossed nearly $8 million in its opening weekend, making it the highest-grossing documentary in a decade. It’s a huge victory for the first lady and a crushing defeat for those who oppose her.

‘Melania’ director Brett Ratner has previously directed Hollywood blockbusters such as ‘Rush Hour’ and ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’. The fact that Ratner is already an established brand in Hollywood is remarkable. During the first Trump term, it was unlikely that a Hollywood director would take a chance on a documentary about Melania Trump. Ratner still took a risk in making the film, because Hollywood traditionally keeps an eye on politics and is quick to cut anyone who steps out of line. It’s easier to make a movie like this in 2026 than it is in 2017, but only marginally.

A soft-focus look at Melania Trump’s life as first lady, the film offers a glossy, feel-good look at what people don’t normally get to see in the private first lady’s life. Still, it wouldn’t have mattered what was in the movie; the media would have hated it anyway.

OLDER WOMEN DRIVE ‘MELANIA’ DOCUMENTARY TO BOX OFFICE SUCCESS WITH $7M OPENING WEEKEND

The reviews in the mainstream press are not so much scathing as personal. Variety called the film a “cheeseball infomercial of dizzying slowness,” while The Guardian noted that the film was “daunting, deadly and unrevealing” and “irredeemable.”

In the film we see Melania in her beautiful outfits and flawless makeup, but we also see her as the woman behind the man.

In one scene in the film, Melania advises the president to include the word “unifier” in his inaugural address. On January 20, when he said the words: “My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and a unifier. That’s what I want to be: a peacemaker and a unifier,” the president turned to look at his wife. Of course, Melania wants her man to be both a peacemaker and a unifier. She hopes he succeeds because it helps us all. A vicious media refuses to admit that it may want the best for the country.

The film portrays a marriage in which the first lady cares for her husband, worries for his safety on Inauguration Day, and expresses relief when the festivities are moved indoors. This image goes against the frequent commentary that claims marriage is in name only. Why would the first lady care about her husband’s safety if she only joined the union for glory or money? The New York Times counted how many days Melania spent in the White House during this term, and Trump biographer Michael Wolff has claimed without evidence that they are divorced. This film directly answers those accusations and rumors, in Melania’s own words.

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In a 2018 interview with ABC, Melania was asked about her marriage and said, “I know people like to speculate and the media likes to speculate about our marriage. Of course, it’s not always pleasant. But I know what’s right and what’s wrong and what’s true or not true.”

She does that, and she shows it in this film.

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On the review site Rotten Tomatoes, the film “Melania” sets a different kind of record: the largest discrepancy between the scores of film critics and film goers in the site’s history. That makes sense, as most reviewers went into the film with a rating in mind, whether or not they liked the film. The people who spend their money to watch their first lady on screen would be more honest, even if some were swayed by their enthusiasm for their president.

The media has three more years of the Trump administration and Melania Trump. They can stop making outbursts about the first lady and give her fair treatment — something more than half the country would praise. Or they can continue to slide into irrelevance, as everyone knows, even panning a movie will be political. The choice is theirs.

CLICK HERE TO BY KAROL MARKOWICZ