Grey Gardens
[ 13 June 2007 ]
Yesterday, I finally watched Grey Gardens, a documentary about two eccentric women — mother & daughter — living in absolute squalor in East Hampton, New York. This wouldn’t be remarkable in & of itself if not for the fact that Big & Little Edie were the aunt & first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, & they lived in a dilapidated 28-room mansion. It is said that the Edies remained independent by selling off their Tiffany pieces one at a time.
Filmed in 1975, it is basically a series of vignettes depicting the women’s “everyday lives”. Little Edie wears a scarf over her head at all times, fastened with a huge brooch, & either a full fur coat or a swimsuit. Big Edie seems to do everything from bed, propped up against the wall in a huge sun hat, singing along to records she made in her youth. They argue constantly — Little Edie blames Big Edie for ruining her life, & Big Edie screeches about how she shouldn’t have to live alone. Little Edie feeds Big Edie cat food & calls it “pâté”. Wild racoons live in the attic (Little Edie leaves out loaves of Wonderbread & Purina cat chow for them to eat). When they don’t argue, they’re either sunbathing or eating ice-cream.
It is a truly bizarre movie but very aesthetically inspiring. While I wouldn’t actually want to do it, the fantasy of living in a crumbling mansion, eating ice-cream all day & swanning around in a full fur coat is quite appealing. Its influence is strong. Rufus Wainwright wrote a song called Grey Gardens on his album Poses, ZOOZOOM magazine shot a fashion editorial (which I LOVE) based around the movie (& Vogue has featured two as well), & Todd Oldham, John Bartlett, Marc Jacobs & Laurie Foon (NZ) have all cited the influence of Little Edie on their clothing designs. Drew Barrymore is playing Little Edie in a fictionalised adaptation of the documentary this year, & last year Grey Gardens hit Broadway in musical form.
“This is the best thing to wear for the day, you understand, because I don’t like women in skirts, & the best thing is to wear pantyhose or some pants under a short skirt I think, then you have the pants under the skirt, & then you pull the stockings up over the pants underneath the skirt, & you can always take off the skirt & use it as a cape, so I think this is the best costume for the day. ...I have to think these things up, you know? ...Mother wanted me to come out in a kimono so we had quite a fight.” — Little Edie
I have to wonder what made them both so weird. Was it the isolation? (They had practically no contact with the outside world for about 25 years.) Big Edie’s husband divorced her by telegram after running off with a Mexican woman, which could make anyone go a little mad. Did Little Edie end up that way too after prolonged exposure to her nutty mother?
Anyway, as I was watching it, I had an idea. I should have a Grey Gardens party! Everyone has to wear fake fur & heels & speak in an accent which sounds half-British & half-New York. Grey Gardens will play (with no sound) & we will listen to Chopin, drink gin cocktails & colour in pages from the Grey Gardens colouring book (for sale here, but does anyone know another way of obtaining it?). Ice-cream will, of course, be BYO, as will flea repellant. Want to come along?
Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala 
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Devine, insightful and inspirational.
A story of how powerful outside influences can cut away at the REAL us. They seem so free!
Thanks Gala. I love the idea of the party, it will be a hit for sure. We are moving to a new place with a chandelier…I think just the place to have the Tokyo version of a Grey Gardens party. Look forward to your party report!
Oh and the cocktail rings you featured would make the perfect accessory…
Whoa. I love that she retains the option to switch up her skirt for a cape. That’s pretty cool. I like her even more because she dances just like I do when I’ve had a few vodkas. I like her very much somehow. She has no idea how intense she is – she’s just really transparent.
Listen to Rufus Wainwright’s ‘Grey Gardens’.
Ta Ta
I love th Beales!
GREY GARDENS IS THE BEST MOVIE EVER!!! i read about it in lula and ran out to buy it right away. little edie is my hero because she is herself, nothing more, nothing less.
i wish i could attend your grey gardens party. :( most of my friends are boys and would not be very interested in the idea. however, i am hosting a superhero costumed rock-paper-scissors tournament party next month and i’m confident it will be a hit.
I saw the musical Grey Gardens on Broadway a few months ago and it was the most amazing show I’ve ever seen. The lead Christine Ebersole who played both Edies (Big Edie in the first act and Little Edie in the second) was phenomenal.
If you come to NYC in the next few months, definately make a point of catching the show.
p.s. i wonder how the movie will turn out…‘specially if drew barrymore is playing little edie. although i think the musical was an excellent idea, i’m not so sure about a fictional adaptation of an already awesome documentary.
That’s an awesome movie. I also like that Grey Gardens Rufun Wainwright song, like someone above me pointed out. He has such a theatrical, dramatic voice.
Hey Gala, thanks so much for linking www.julieinjapan.com to your site! I am getting a lot of people visiting because of your referral and I’m making money when people click on the ads on my site… this is my first website, so it’s weird but also awesome. Thanks!!
You’re a really positive person and your great personality really shines through your site. I like the podcasts, too! I knew you were Australian, but I was still surprised at the cute accent when I first heard them. Ha.
xox
Did you post this because of the Tony awards? Because Grey Gardens won several the other night- Christine Ebersol won best Leading Actress in a Musical, Mary Louise Wilson won best Featured Actress in a Musical, and William Ivey Long won best Costume Design in a Musical (of course!). Thanks for the post, it helped me decide to put this on my “list” of movies to watch.
What would I do without your blog. It is widening my education on popular and cult icons and ideas. I am beginning to realise that I am living a very singular and unexposed life, even though I love SBS. Thankyou so much. Today we are loosing our lovely daughter cat (Kanobi) and my hubby and I are devistated. She herself is a little Eddie, an unusual grey, ginger & white, fluffy tortishell who lived life her own way, we have moved around alot too like Little Eddie but have never lived in squaller.
tokyomade cuties — Oh, I would LOVE to see a Japanese spin on a Grey Gardens party! A chandelier sounds very swank; I once lived in a house with a chandelier in every room! There are no such luxuries in modern-day apartments over here, though!
NoirMuse — Remind me to feed you vodka & put on a Jackson 5 record! HEE HEE! I’d love to see that!
‘tine — Actually, I do plan to be in NYC before the year is out, so I’ll definitely try to see it. I didn’t know it was still playing, so thank you!
Julie — Aww! My pleasure. I think the stuff you’re writing is really interesting & I think YOU are fascinating. I hope you get a bit of cash through Adsense. It might not be heaps to start with, but it’ll build up. & I’m not Australian!!!!! I’m from New Zealand!!!! But I forgive you ;> xx
Beth — Nope, I had no idea! But it’s definitely worth watching, I hope you enjoy it.
cupcaketastic — Oh, well, I’m happy to help! Hopefully I will be able to introduce you to new things in the future :>
clearly i need to rent this movie
also
lets have this party!
it would have to be in new york of course
which just so happens to be where i live ;)
I have a coat and heels just waiting for a time and place! Such a great film…
Oh, I borrowed this movie a fortnight ago from the library and I STILL haven’t gotten around to watching it. Maybe I shall tonight….
But I think I can safely predict that I will want to be involved in a Grey Gardens party. :)
Watch it watch it watch it!
add another to my list of must see movies! i have never heard of this before, but it sounds so very interesting. thank you for reviewing it here!