Saturday, April 18, 2009, was a momentous event for fans of the 1975 documentary on Big Edie and Little Edie Beale. The two eccentrics were further immortalized in an HBO movie also titled Grey Gardens.
While the Grey Gardens documentary, shot by David and Albert Maysles, has enjoyed a cult following over the past few decades, it only offered a deliciously entertaining morsel of the very large lives of the Edies.
The HBO film tackles the history of the Beale women—from the time Little Edie Beale is a young women at her debut to after the documentary.
Grey Gardens Characters
Actress Drew Barrymore superbly depicts the character of Little Edie in perhaps her best performance yet. Barrymore reportedly withdrew from society in an effort to get into the head of Little Edie Beale—and it translates well on the big screen. Her mastery of Little Edie’s New York accent and mannerisms is nothing short of amazing. As the young Edie, Barrymore is radiant.
Screen legend Jessica Lange tackled Big Edie Beale with equal fervor and to equal success. Lange’s upper crust New York lilt as a young mother appropriately progresses into the high-pitched warble as she ages.
The third main character in the film is, of course, Grey Gardens—like the Edies it was once vibrant and filled with grandeur. But then, money ran out. The house began to deteriorate, sticking out like a sore thumb among the East Hampton mansions that dot the shoreline.
The set designers did a masterful job recreating Grey Gardens, both in its heyday and in its later life. The attention to detail—from the wallpaper and furniture to the landscaped garden—is impeccable.
As the niece of Big Edie and the cousin of Little Edie, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, played by Jean Tripplehorn, makes a brief appearance in the movie. And while no one can fully recreate the grace of the former first lady, Tripplehorn does a great job.
Grey Gardens: Brought to Life
Grey Gardens was again brought to life by Michael Sucsy, who produced, directed and cowrote the film.
Little Edie Beale, who craved fame throughout her life would be most pleased. In a way the film seems to be a form of redemption for the Beales, who many wrote off as crazy and unstable. It shows two very normal women with an incredible zest for life who let the years creep up on them as they slowly become hermits.
The movie has not yet been released on DVD, but is available for preorder on Amazon.com.
Read more about the original documentary.
