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Grey Gardens (1975)
Released By: Criterion Collection   Rating: Not Rated   In Theaters: N/A
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Studio: Criterion Collection
Genre: Documentary
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Albert Maysles
Language: English
Official Website: N/A
Theatrical Release: N/A
Home Video Release: N/A
Cast: David Maysles, Edith Bouvier Beale, Edith B. Beale
Published ID: 421700
UPC: 037429159125, 715515017923,
Plot: Albert and David Maysles, pioneers in the cinéma vérité movement of documentary filmmaking, chose for their subjects of this film a mother and daughter with celebrity connections. Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter, Edie (or, as they are called by the brothers, Big Edie and Little Edie), are aunt and cousin to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. In the early '70s, their 28-room mansion in Long Island's tony community of East Hampton was found to be a health hazard, and the two women, in their seventies and fifties, were threatened with eviction. Jacqueline Onassis paid for the house to be put in good order, and two years later, the Maysles paid the ladies a series of follow-up visits. This is not fly-on-the-wall filmmaking; the brothers are sometimes shown on-camera, and both women talk directly to them. Big Edie reminisces about her husband (from whom she has long been separated) and her youthful singing career; Little Edie ruminates over memories of her thwarted romances and confides that she has to get out of Grey Gardens (the name of their estate), although she has been living there since 1952; and the two women pick at each other for transgressions past and present. The women share their home with at least five cats and several raccoons, for whom Little Edie leaves out food in the attic. They are not recluses; they host a modest 79th birthday party for Big Edie, they employ a gardener, and they are often visited by Jerry, a young handyman/lost soul whom Little Edie calls the Marble Faun, after the Nathaniel Hawthorne story. It's very difficult to keep the line between the past and the present, Little Edie says near the beginning of the film, and it becomes clear that both women are much more comfortable reliving their respective youths (in some ways, Little Edie has never left hers) than facing their rather bleak old and middle age. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide
IDDateTimeTitleReviewHelpfulVotesTotalVotes
It is just two crazy old women
Added 10/28/2009
Frankly I enjoyed the movie better. I realize this was a "documentary" but in the movie, things were explained. The documentary just portrayed them as two crazy old women, "which they were"! The only reason the documentary was made is because they had famous relatives. Had this been my relatives, or your relatives, it would just be two crazy old women living in a rundown house with too many cats and too many raccoons. Don't spend one dime on the documentary.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
Grey Gardens
Added 10/25/2009


My wife rented the DVD Grey Gardens, she became so interisted that she wanted to find out more. We, I say we because my wife does not do the computer, looked for the best possible price. Found it at Amazon.com.

My wife and I watched the Grey Gardens/The Beales of Grey Gardens - Critenion Collection ( 2-disc set) which we both found very interisting. I watched the frist time, but my wife has watched it several times, the number I am not sure, more the three times. It has been seen with her friends and some of the family members. She has been telling every one about Grey Gardens, that they should watch it.

It is unbelevable how many people have never heard of Grey Gardnes and never knew it was on or made for HBO. We do watch HBO. Never saw it advertised or even a promo for it.

I am glad we were able to fined the Documintry thru Amazon.com

Thank You
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
amazing...intriguing
Added 10/12/2009
I ordered this through Amazon after seeing the HBO special, and it is absolutely fascinating. While watching the HBO account, I assumed they were exaggerating some things to make them a bit more interesting, but the real thing is MUST-see if Big and Little Edie interest you.

I write this before I have even finished it, because I only give myself the gift of watching for a few minutes at a time...and find that I continue to << so I can make sure I don't miss any of the words or inferences of these women who often talk over each other. What a treat to have this documentary in it's original form.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
Depressing Family
Added 10/7/2009
I had seen this film years ago,and so fasinated by the way they choose to live their lives amid such squalor,yet their hearts were so beautiful.Each moment of this film is captavating. i,m very glad i purchased it. Now i can share this with family and friends, so more can learn of these very interesting people.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
Disturbing At Best
Added 10/5/2009
While it seemed amusing and benign at the onset, it was extremely difficult to watch this movie. Seeing obiously mentally ill people being so blantantly expoited
for profit was very unsettling. Watching the competition between mother and daughter really hurt.
Also, watching them eat in those conditions. It was worse than watching a family in a third world country. Why, you might ask? This should not be happening in the United States of America.
For artistic purposes, I'd like to purchase the the made for tv movie, but I'd first make sure the younger Ms. Beale is entitled to part of the profit from these purchases.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
It is just two crazy old women
Added 10/28/2009
Frankly I enjoyed the movie better. I realize this was a "documentary" but in the movie, things were explained. The documentary just portrayed them as two crazy old women, "which they were"! The only reason the documentary was made is because they had famous relatives. Had this been my relatives, or your relatives, it would just be two crazy old women living in a rundown house with too many cats and too many raccoons. Don't spend one dime on the documentary.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
Grey Gardens
Added 10/25/2009


My wife rented the DVD Grey Gardens, she became so interisted that she wanted to find out more. We, I say we because my wife does not do the computer, looked for the best possible price. Found it at Amazon.com.

My wife and I watched the Grey Gardens/The Beales of Grey Gardens - Critenion Collection ( 2-disc set) which we both found very interisting. I watched the frist time, but my wife has watched it several times, the number I am not sure, more the three times. It has been seen with her friends and some of the family members. She has been telling every one about Grey Gardens, that they should watch it.

It is unbelevable how many people have never heard of Grey Gardnes and never knew it was on or made for HBO. We do watch HBO. Never saw it advertised or even a promo for it.

I am glad we were able to fined the Documintry thru Amazon.com

Thank You
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
amazing...intriguing
Added 10/12/2009
I ordered this through Amazon after seeing the HBO special, and it is absolutely fascinating. While watching the HBO account, I assumed they were exaggerating some things to make them a bit more interesting, but the real thing is MUST-see if Big and Little Edie interest you.

I write this before I have even finished it, because I only give myself the gift of watching for a few minutes at a time...and find that I continue to << so I can make sure I don't miss any of the words or inferences of these women who often talk over each other. What a treat to have this documentary in it's original form.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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