Grey Gardens (2009)

The lives of Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edith, aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Director:

Michael Sucsy

Writers:

Michael Sucsy (teleplay), Patricia Rozema (teleplay)

Stars:

Drew Barrymore, Jessica Lange, Jeanne Tripplehorn

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 31 wins & 30 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Drew Barrymore	...	Little Edie
Jessica Lange	...	Big Edie
Jeanne Tripplehorn	...	Jackie O.
Ken Howard	...	Phelan Beale
Kenneth Welsh	...	Max Gordon
Arye Gross	...	Albert Maysles
Louis Ferreira	...	David Maysles (as Justin Louis)
Daniel Baldwin	...	Julius 'Cap' Krug
Malcolm Gets	...	George 'Gould' Strong
Louis Grise	...	Young Buddy (as Louis Grisé)
Joshua Peace	...	Adult Buddy
Neil Babcock	...	Young Phelan Jr.
Ben Carlson	...	Adult Phelan Jr.
Olivia Waldriff	...	Young Jackie
Neil Girvan	...	Concierge

Storyline

In 1973, documentary filmmaking brothers Albert Maysles and David Maysles decide to change the focus of their latest project from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to her aunt and older cousin, mother and daughter Edith Bouvier Beale - called Big Edie - and Edith 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale, who were found living in squalor and isolation in the longtime family mansion, Grey Gardens, in East Hampton, New York. Through flashbacks starting in 1936, the path mother and daughter take from their socialite past to the time that the Mayles brothers show their completed film is shown. Big Edie's husband/Little Edie's father, Phelan Beale, controlled the family money, which included providing singing lessons to Big Edie with musician Gould Strong, with who she had more than a musical interest. Big Edie saw herself as a singer, first and foremost. Mother and father also controlled Little Edie's life, they who wanted her to stay at Grey Gardens rather than pursue her dream of becoming a professional ...

---

Plot Keywords:

new york city | singing | filmmaking | eccentric | documentary filmmaking | 

---

Taglines:

True glamour never fades

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama

---

Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

HBO

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 April 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Grey Gardens

Filming Locations:

Centre Island, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films, Specialty Films (II), Locomotive

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In interviews, Drew Barrymore said she stayed very close to Little Edie's character throughout filming, shutting herself off from friends and the outside world.

---

Quotes

Phelan Beale: Damn Ganymede.
George 'Gould' Strong: I'm right here Phelan, I can hear you!

---

Crazy Credits

At the end of the credits, where the American Humane Society's traditional credit is displayed, Little Edie's voice adds "No animals were harmed in the making of this movie."

---

Connections

Referenced in 30 Rock: Mrs. Donaghy (2011)

---

Soundtracks

Life Upon the Wicked Stage
from the musical "Show Boat"
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Performed by Malcolm Gets

User Reviews

Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange are so good it is SCARY!

I have NEVER publicly commented on a feature performance until now. Having seen the 1975 documentary about Edith and Edie Beale, I was absolutely blown away by the exacting performances--especially Drew Barrymore. I noticed a few comments dissing the film and it's rather obvious these people don't know the storyline. Jessica and Drew WERE their characters to perfection--a not-so-trivial accomplishment. I knew Lange could act but Drew perhaps has certainly lived up to her family lineage!!! ! Take it for what it's worth: this is a non-fiction account of a most dysfunctional family, parental control, character disorders, being a victim, and reluctant realization of unfulfilled dreams. Little Edie, with all her psychiatric shades, is accurately portrayed by Drew Barrymore. Jessica Lange as the spoiled, controlling mother, sort of sums it all up by telling her daughter that she's not easily likable or attractive with "...Edie ... you are more of an acquired taste". Yet, the bizarre paradox of their relationship is simple. Edie is filled with too much fear to go out into the world and the two really need each other. Call it pathological complementarity. This film works at every level!