Grey Gardens

Grey Gardens is a 2009 American television movie directed by Michael Sucsy, written by Michael Cunningham and Patrick McCormick, and based on the 1975 documentary film of the same name. The film stars Drew Barrymore as Edith 'Big Edie' Bouvier Beale and Jeffrey Mummerton as Lee Bouvier, while Jessica Lange plays the lead role of Jacqueline 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale. The movie tells the poignant and captivating story of the lives of Edith 'Big Edie' and her daughter Edith's sister's daughter, Jacqueline 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale, cousins of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Their lives of luxury, social status and refinement eventually gave way to a world of isolation, decay and neglect, as their grip on reality began to slip. The film begins with Jacqueline 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale (played by Jessica Lange), a woman in her late sixties, being evicted from her dilapidated mansion, Grey Gardens, in Amagansett, Long Island. 'Little Edie' is forced to confront her own squalid living conditions as she faces eviction. She turns to her cousin and former friend, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (played by a voice-only character), a former President's wife, who visits Edith 'Big Edie' (played by Drew Barrymore) in an attempt to get Little Edie out of the way of the court-ordered eviction. However, Jacqueline Onassis discovers her own cousin's miserable plight and eventually gets involved in helping Little Edie. Jackie Onassis begins sending people to Grey Gardens to help Little Edie sort out her affairs and get her life back on track. Among these individuals is Jerry Morales, a handyman who tries to assist the ailing Edith 'Big Edie.' His efforts are, however, met with resentment and hostility from 'Big Edie', who is deeply resistant to change. The movie portrays an eccentric and flamboyant 'Big Edie', as well as her eccentric daughter who harbors intense resentment towards the outside world and the changing lives that it presents. The dynamic between the two women highlights the strong bond between them, but it also reveals a deep rooted dysfunction in their relationship. They have turned in on themselves, with each contributing to the growing degeneration of their once-great lives. Grey Gardens is an extraordinary film that skillfully crafts an immersive, and hauntingly beautiful portrayal of two women, Jacqueline 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale and Edith 'Big Edie' Bouvier Beale, two women born into lives of opulence, yet their experiences reveal the darker side of human existence. Their story delves deep into the fragility of the human condition and highlights how quickly fortunes can change for even the most refined and polished among us. As the story unfolds, we observe how 'Big Edie' and 'Little Edie' are forced to face their lives in full. Their isolation has left them with no escape from the reality of their squalid living conditions as well as a deep-seated anger and resentment towards the world that has wronged them. The tension between the cousins escalates as they become aware that they need to change their lives but the fear of facing the 'real world' holds them back. The contrast between the world as it was and as it now is creates an incredibly poignant and heart-wrenching account of how one's life can spiral out of control. Grey Gardens is a masterful film that brings a haunting look at the crumbling lives of two women once so well-to-do, their story becomes a compelling exploration of identity, dignity, and what it means to be human. The portrayal of their struggle in trying to maintain their independence and self-respect as the years go by is poignantly captured. Their decline from lives of wealth and status into the abyss of despair reveals the fragility and the powerlessness of the human condition. It makes us question what happens to those around us who once possessed everything and how do we, as society, interact and react to those on the fringes of our communities. As their wealth declines so do their chances of regaining control over their lives. The tragic downfall of these two women ultimately highlights the fragility of human existence, revealing the darkest corners of the human experience and serves as a poignant reminder that our lives can spiral out of control, especially when we cling to the past, resist the present and fail to adapt to the inevitable changes that life presents.