An independent theater in Lake Oswego, Oregon, found itself embroiled in a dispute with corporate giant Amazon after the company withdrew the documentary “Melania” from its listings due to humorous marquee messages.
The Lake Theater & Cafe, situated in a suburb of Portland, had advertised the documentary about the first lady using lighthearted marquee messages. One message quoted Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War,” saying, “To defeat your enemy you must know them,” while another teased, “Does Melania wear Prada? Find out Friday.”
On January 26, the theater received a call from Amazon expressing dissatisfaction with the marquee. Theater manager Jordan Perry informed The Oregonian that Amazon contacted the booker associated with the theater, stating that the studio was not pleased with the theater’s public promotional strategy. By Sunday, Amazon requested that the theater cease the film’s screening altogether.
The theater relayed the situation via Instagram, notifying patrons that the documentary would no longer be shown.
Following Amazon’s decision to withdraw the film, the theater updated its marquee to read: “Amazon called our marquee, made them mad.” The marquee further suggested patrons “Show your support at Whole Foods instead,” alluding to Amazon’s ownership of the grocery chain.
The documentary, which accounts the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025, was procured by Amazon MGM Studios for $40 million, with an additional $35 million spent on marketing. “Melania” earned $7 million during its opening weekend in over 1,500 North American theaters.
Despite finishing third at the domestic box office behind horror films “Send Help” and “Iron Lung,” the documentary registered the highest opening for a non-music documentary in over ten years, outperforming 2023’s “After Death,” which made $5 million.
At the Lake Theater & Cafe, however, the documentary’s performance was less than stellar, selling only $196 worth of tickets during its single weekend screening. Perry had requested to reduce the booking duration from two weeks to one even before Amazon’s intervention, attributing the decision to weak attendance by non-regulars.
Perry stated that the booking was intended to be humorous and noted that there were few programming options during that time due to a lack of film releases. He characterized the documentary as a meticulously orchestrated representation of the first lady, “Melania as she wants to be known.”
The theater’s humorous marquee messages are a key part of its identity. The Lake Theater & Cafe is recognized for its clever film promotions, which gained widespread attention during the 2020 COVID shutdown. The New York Times even highlighted the theater’s creative marquee during that period.
Even before Amazon’s decision to withdraw the film, the theater had faced significant criticism from local patrons. Perry reported that the venue received numerous emails and voicemails from disgruntled individuals, some questioning the theater’s decision to screen “Melania,” while others were upset by the marquee’s mocking tone. Negative reviews targeting the theater during the controversy were removed from Google and Yelp.
Lake Oswego is home to a diverse political community served by the theater. However, the general response from regular customers was lukewarm at best.
Amazon’s substantial financial commitment to acquire and promote the film underscores the company’s dedication to the project, making its swift response to the marquee controversy somewhat less surprising.
The incident has sparked discussions about creative freedom in local-level film marketing. While major studios undertake significant nationwide campaigns, they generally permit individual theaters a degree of freedom in tailoring promotions to their specific audiences. However, Amazon’s intervention indicates a lesser tolerance for marketing deviations from approved messaging, particularly for a project as personal as a first lady documentary.
Despite the controversy, the theater will continue its operations as usual. “Wuthering Heights,” distributed by Warner Bros., is scheduled to start on Thursday, February 12, 2026. Whether this studio will be more accepting of the theater’s unique marquee style remains to be seen.
The incident at the Lake Theater & Cafe has become a minor point of interest in the broader cultural discourse about the “Melania” documentary, which has been contentious since its release. The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics, garnering between 6-11% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer. However, verified audience members gave it a 99% score, marking the largest critic-audience disparity in Rotten Tomatoes’ history.
Despite outperforming most documentaries in the national box office, the film prompted considerable debate about the role of political documentaries in mainstream entertainment.
Perry now suspects that the theater might be blacklisted by Amazon for a period following the incident, but the attention garnered by the controversy may ultimately enhance the theater’s reputation for bold, humorous marketing.
As corporate consolidation continues to influence the entertainment industry, small theaters that strive for distinctiveness face increasing pressure to conform.
