The Edies, in better days, played by Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange in HBO's "Grey Gardens."
The tagline on the poster for HBO’s original film “Grey Gardens” reads, “True Glamour Never Fades.” In the context of the movie’s plot, and the real life story of Big Edie and Little Edie Bouvier Beale, this is a pleasant way of putting to words the Edies’ stubborn refusal to let go of a dream long past drifted out of reach. It’s less of a tagline, really, than it is a distorted view of reality, considering the trash, vermin and decrepitude surrounding these women in Grey Gardens’ bedraggled later years.
Rather, we invite you to think of that fabulous line as a sliver of sparkle on two-plus hours of riveting television. Indeed, “Grey Gardens” dances us from the lush illusion of wealth in the Edies’ early years through the dirty, ramshackle era during which the world was introduced to them.
Big Edie and Little Edie, the aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, achieved cult fame after filmmakers Albert and David Maysles filmed their day-to-day lives in their rotting 28-room mansion over the course of six weeks. The resulting documentary never showed us what happened before the Maysles arrived on Grey Gardens’ doorstep; the audience was left to piece that part of the tale together through their arguments onscreen or perhaps with a little research at the local library.
This rendition of their backstory, as illustrated through emotionally shattering performances by Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore, comes together as a weird, codependent love affair. Lange and Barrymore show us that it’s the ferocity of the Edies’ relationship that never fades; daughter and mother cling to one another, snarling, scratching and kicking all the while, as the ceiling crumbles and cats and racoons take over the place.
But there is a lot of heart in this story, no question. For every scene in which Lange’s Big Edie emotionally manipulates Barrymore’s compliant Little Edie into giving up on her dreams, or each shot of grand rooms piled high with trash or cat filth, “Grey Gardens” grants the audience a touch of emotional warmth and even a smile or two. The same song and dance that makes the Edies glow at a raucous party near the film’s beginning are what get them through the years that saw their grand house slump into a filthy hellhole.
When “Grey Gardens” makes its debut at 8 ET/PT Saturday night, anyone looking for a reason to hang on to their premium cable subscription should tune in. And if you had to let HBO go, be sure to add this one to the Netflix queue.
“Grey Gardens” premieres Saturday night on HBO
The Edies, in better days, played by Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange in HBO's "Grey Gardens."
The tagline on the poster for HBO’s original film “Grey Gardens” reads, “True Glamour Never Fades.” In the context of the movie’s plot, and the real life story of Big Edie and Little Edie Bouvier Beale, this is a pleasant way of putting to words the Edies’ stubborn refusal to let go of a dream long past drifted out of reach. It’s less of a tagline, really, than it is a distorted view of reality, considering the trash, vermin and decrepitude surrounding these women in Grey Gardens’ bedraggled later years.
Rather, we invite you to think of that fabulous line as a sliver of sparkle on two-plus hours of riveting television. Indeed, “Grey Gardens” dances us from the lush illusion of wealth in the Edies’ early years through the dirty, ramshackle era during which the world was introduced to them.
Big Edie and Little Edie, the aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, achieved cult fame after filmmakers Albert and David Maysles filmed their day-to-day lives in their rotting 28-room mansion over the course of six weeks. The resulting documentary never showed us what happened before the Maysles arrived on Grey Gardens’ doorstep; the audience was left to piece that part of the tale together through their arguments onscreen or perhaps with a little research at the local library.
This rendition of their backstory, as illustrated through emotionally shattering performances by Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore, comes together as a weird, codependent love affair. Lange and Barrymore show us that it’s the ferocity of the Edies’ relationship that never fades; daughter and mother cling to one another, snarling, scratching and kicking all the while, as the ceiling crumbles and cats and racoons take over the place.
But there is a lot of heart in this story, no question. For every scene in which Lange’s Big Edie emotionally manipulates Barrymore’s compliant Little Edie into giving up on her dreams, or each shot of grand rooms piled high with trash or cat filth, “Grey Gardens” grants the audience a touch of emotional warmth and even a smile or two. The same song and dance that makes the Edies glow at a raucous party near the film’s beginning are what get them through the years that saw their grand house slump into a filthy hellhole.
When “Grey Gardens” makes its debut at 8 ET/PT Saturday night, anyone looking for a reason to hang on to their premium cable subscription should tune in. And if you had to let HBO go, be sure to add this one to the Netflix queue.
This entry was posted on Saturday, April 18th, 2009, 12:02 am and is filed under Commentary, Tune In Info. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.