Grey Gardens Overfloweth
Several years ago, my friend Juggsy told me that I needed to watch the documentary "Grey Gardens" as it was all about these two crazy relatives of Jackie O living in a dilapidated old mansion and it was hilarious. Grey Gardens, the documentary, centers on Edith Bouvier Beale and Edie Beale - the deliciously eccentric aunt and cousin of Jackie O. Once famous socialites in the Hamptons, the Beales have deteriorated into East Hampton's most notorious recluses, living in their 28-room dilapidated mansion.
Crazy and eccentric doesn't even begin to describe these two ladies. First, little Edie, for a reason never explained, constantly wears a variety of shirts, scarves, towels, and skirts on her head. At no point in the movie is little Edie's head uncovered. There are fabulous song and dance numbers, gorgeous fashions akin to costuming, and some of the best dialogue imaginable. Here is the Grey Gardens fan site.
Entertainment Weekly named it one of the top cult favorites and had this to say: "Proof positive that when an aristocratic American family gets big enough, some relatives will wind up shut-ins at an overgrown, feline-infested East Hampton mansion belting out shrill show tunes and feeding wild raccoons whole bags of Wonder bread in the attic. This bizarre, sad and touching portrait of elderly Edith Bouvier Beale (Jackie Kennedy's aunt) and her middle-aged ex-model daughter "Little" Edie, instantly became one of the most talked-about documentaries of all time."
Here's a site devoted to little Edie. Here are some of the fantastic quotes from the movie. I wish I could find a link to little Edie's big dance number. Sometimes even though the internet seems to offer you everything you've ever wanted, it denies you think you seek most.
The biggest push at reviving interest in Grey Gardens is two-fold.
First, it is now an off-Broadway musical. Here is a brief interview piece on the show. Originally, Grey Gardens was slated to close the day before I got to NYC for a spot of vacation. So, I was forced to buy tickets to other productions which promised to be neither as interesting nor intriguing. After filling up my vacation with shows, Grey Gardens announces that the run has been extended. I'm seriously thinking of forfeiting a ticket in order to see this.
Second, Grey Gardens is slated to be made into a fictionalized movie starring Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore. I think the casting is horrible and they are both too young for the roles. Little Edie, despite her moniker, is in her fifties and big Edie is in her seventies. There is no way that Jessica Lange can pull off seventy, especially with all of that hatchety face work she's been having lately.
If you haven't seen Grey Gardens, you must see it now. By next year it will have been a documentary, a musical, and a motion picture. Personally, I can't wait for the video game.
Crazy and eccentric doesn't even begin to describe these two ladies. First, little Edie, for a reason never explained, constantly wears a variety of shirts, scarves, towels, and skirts on her head. At no point in the movie is little Edie's head uncovered. There are fabulous song and dance numbers, gorgeous fashions akin to costuming, and some of the best dialogue imaginable. Here is the Grey Gardens fan site.
Entertainment Weekly named it one of the top cult favorites and had this to say: "Proof positive that when an aristocratic American family gets big enough, some relatives will wind up shut-ins at an overgrown, feline-infested East Hampton mansion belting out shrill show tunes and feeding wild raccoons whole bags of Wonder bread in the attic. This bizarre, sad and touching portrait of elderly Edith Bouvier Beale (Jackie Kennedy's aunt) and her middle-aged ex-model daughter "Little" Edie, instantly became one of the most talked-about documentaries of all time."
Here's a site devoted to little Edie. Here are some of the fantastic quotes from the movie. I wish I could find a link to little Edie's big dance number. Sometimes even though the internet seems to offer you everything you've ever wanted, it denies you think you seek most.
The biggest push at reviving interest in Grey Gardens is two-fold.
First, it is now an off-Broadway musical. Here is a brief interview piece on the show. Originally, Grey Gardens was slated to close the day before I got to NYC for a spot of vacation. So, I was forced to buy tickets to other productions which promised to be neither as interesting nor intriguing. After filling up my vacation with shows, Grey Gardens announces that the run has been extended. I'm seriously thinking of forfeiting a ticket in order to see this.
Second, Grey Gardens is slated to be made into a fictionalized movie starring Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore. I think the casting is horrible and they are both too young for the roles. Little Edie, despite her moniker, is in her fifties and big Edie is in her seventies. There is no way that Jessica Lange can pull off seventy, especially with all of that hatchety face work she's been having lately.
If you haven't seen Grey Gardens, you must see it now. By next year it will have been a documentary, a musical, and a motion picture. Personally, I can't wait for the video game.
posted by Happy Chicken at 12:20 PM
1 Comments:
Ooh, I was just reading something about this (NY mag? Newsweek?) and was absolutely fascinated! Thanks for the review - it's now on the list. I love stuff like this.
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