Okay, hands in the air,
I’d never heard of “Grey Gardens” until Anna came around telling me that I HAD to see this documentary.
“You HAVE to see this!” she said.
I was sucked right into this film from the start and I’ve been reading up on the history for 2 weeks now.
It maybe has something to do with the fact that I live alone and can be a bit of a shut-away at times but folks,
I am fascinated by this story.
Grey Gardens is a crumbling estate in the Hampton Hills of Long Island occupied by Aunt of Jackie Onassis,
Edith Bouvier Beale (Big Edie) and her Daughter Edith Bouvier Beale (Little Edie).
Once part of New York’s High Society, this documentary catches them in the 1970′s as their money gradually runs out and the once grand mansion is now a crumbling, overgrown ruin filled with tin cans, cats and wild raccoons.
It’s a tragic watch as we see the squalor these two Ladies live in.
Their days consist of sitting on their twin beds beside each other, reminiscing, bickering, talking about missed opportunities and eating ice cream with knives.
Little Edie is nothing short of haunting as we see her wear upside down skirts, turbans and big fur coats as she dances around Grey Gardens like a banshee.
We see Big Edie sing “Tea For Two” in her sweet childlike pitch and can’t help but think of “Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?“
Oh yeah, and cats.
They have lots and lots of cats.
With the two Edie’s living off of $300 a Month,
Jackie Onassis eventually steps in with the cash to bring the Grey Gardens Mansion back up to it’s original grand standards but it’s not long before Big Edie and Little Edie neglect it again and it’s soon worse than ever.
With cats peeing everywhere, no running water and Little Edie feeding the wild raccoons in the house, you can only wonder how these Ladies got to this stage.
It’s easy to watch this documentary and write both Women off as crazy but you know what I think?
I think they’re just eccentric and labelled crazy because they’re not like most people.
It’s hard not to love Big Edie and Little Edie.
It’s hard not to feel really sad for them too.
This is one of the most interesting films I’ve seen and I recommend it to you!
Some links:
The Original 1975 “Grey Gardens” Trailer.
The HBO 2009 Film “Grey Gardens” Trailer.
The Grey Gardens Website.
