Grey Gardens - Drew Barrymore Ascends Throne

What a delightfully strange and well acted biographyThe mother and daughter pair continue to live an
of the Bouvier clan. The lead characters played byextravagant and theatrical life until Phelan Beale dies
Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange are fodder forand they are left with little money. Big Edie and Little
rich and layered performances.Edie live a symbiotic life with both dependant on each
The writers Michael Sucsy and Patricia Rozemaother emotionally. Grey Gardens becomes shabby and
deliver a complex story with interesting and odd ballin ill repair over the years. The pair continue to live their
characters. Director Michael Sucsy (Katherine) doesodd life style and the house is overrun with cats,
an excellent job of bringing us up close and personalraccoons and fleas and they are without running water
view of these off the wall characters.or electricity. They have no money. The interior of the
The story is about the residents of Grey Gardens, ahouse now is as shabby as the outside and they live in
house built around the turn of the century, and thesqualid conditions. The conditions are brought to
Beale's who lived there for decades.national attention by an article in the National Enquirer.
Edith "Big Edie" Ewing Bouvier Beale, Jessica Lange,This event brings the Suffolk County Health
and her daughter Edith "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale,Department to inspect and they condemn Grey
Drew Barrymore, were the aunt and first cousin ofGardens. Fortunately, Jacqueline Onassis and her sister
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. The story is toldLee Radziwill provided the necessary funds to
in the cinema verite style with characters telling theirrefurbish and repair the dilapidated house.
own story. Grey Gardens is a place full of music andThe attention brings two documentary film makers
dance with Big Edie and Little Edie putting onAlbert and David Maysles who are interested in their
performances for all their family and friends. Thisstory and they film a documentary about the women.
Bohemian lifestyle is too much for Big Edie's husbandBoth Big Edie and Little Edie tell their own stories for
Phelan Beale and he leaves his wife with the housethe camera. This documentary was released in 1976
and a modest allowance to live on.and received many accolades.