Grey Gardens
True Glamour Never Fades
Inside the Incredible World of Jackie O's Relatives
Thirty-five years after the Maysles brothers' famed documentary of the same name, Grey Gardens offers awry, behind-the-scenes look at "Big Edie" and "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale, two charming eccentrics who were relatives of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis and inhabitants of a decaying mansion in the Hamptons. Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange star as the reclusive mother and daughter whose unconventional tastes and social rebellion transcended public opinion and forged a unique and unbreakable bond. Told over a span of four decades, the film, directed by Michael Sucsy from a script written by Sucsy and Patricia Rozema, focuses on their glamorous and well-heeled lives long before the making of the documentary and on the circumstances behind their riches-to-rags story.
Member Reviews
Loved It - bbryon1
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Based on the life stories of the eccentric aunt and first cousin of Jackie Onassis (both named Edith Bouvier Beale aka "Big and Little Edie") raised as Park Avenue débutantes but who withdrew from New York society, taking shelter at their Long Island summer home, "Grey Gardens." As their wealth and contact with the outside world dwindled, so did their grasp on reality. They were reintroduced to the world when international tabloids learned of a health department raid on their home, and Jackie swooped in to save her relatives.Great performances - eoguy
Since the 1975 documentary directed by the Maysles brothers is a favorite of mine, I was very hesitant to even bother to watch this version of Grey Gardens. I just didn’t see the point.
Casting Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange is what drew me and both of their performances are dead on impersonations of Edie and Edith Beal Sr. A co-dependant eccentric mother and daughter living in a filthy condemned home called Grey Gardens. Through re-creations of the documentary footage, flash backs to their younger years, and the after affects of the documentary this version gives visual content to these women’s stories where the original documentary could not.
Jessica Lange portrayal of Edith is real yet subtle and doesn’t get to shine until the last half as the mother who can't live alone who has her regrets of what could have been. Surprisingly Drew steals the whole first hour as Edie, a woman in her own little world trying to escape the clutches of her mother. To a fault, scenes are often short and secondary characters just sort of pass through, but really it is only a less than two hour made for HBO movie so not a big deal.
By no means is this better than the documentary, but the re-creation of the younger years and the sets are amazing and found myself enraptured once again by the lives of the two Edith Beales and their home Grey Gardens.Beautiful Girls - pezliz
Having seen the original "Grey Gardens" documentary several times, I was quite pleased to see the story of these two women play out in this movie. Both Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange shine as Big and Little Edie, and age as disgracefully as the two did in real life.
The research, time and love put into this movie shines through.
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Loved It - bbryon1
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Based on the life stories of the eccentric aunt and first cousin of Jackie Onassis (both named Edith Bouvier Beale aka "Big and Little Edie") raised as Park Avenue débutantes but who withdrew from New York society, taking shelter at their ...Great performances - eoguy
Since the 1975 documentary directed by the Maysles brothers is a favorite of mine, I was very hesitant to even bother to watch this version of Grey Gardens. I just didn’t see the point.
Casting Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange is what drew me and both ...Beautiful Girls - pezliz
Having seen the original "Grey Gardens" documentary several times, I was quite pleased to see the story of these two women play out in this movie. Both Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange shine as Big and Little Edie, and age as disgracefully as the two did ...