Kernel Rating (out of 5): 
MPAA Rating: PG-13 Length: 93 minutes
Age Appropriate for: 13+. There’s some sexually themed language that pushes the film into PG-13 territory, but otherwise, there’s nothing else that’s questionable. Except for a bunch of consumerism.
Want to feel like your wardrobe and finances are both inadequate? If so, watch the documentary ‘Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s,’ about the 111-year-old department store in New York City that can charge thousands of dollars for pretty much anything. Full of talking heads and celebrities, the documentary offers very little substance—even though it’s all about material goods.
By Roxana Hadadi
Not every documentary can change the world; they can’t all be “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry” or “How to Survive a Plague.” But they should explore a trend, like “First Position,” or a phenomenon, like “Sound City.” They, perhaps more than straightforward dramatic or comedic or romantic films, should matter, should educate. From that perspective, then, it’s tough to figure out “Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s.” An overly long commercial masquerading as a documentary, it will only be enjoyable if you happen to be super-rich or super-materialistic. One or the other.
