Tuesday, March 13, 2007
the story not told
One of the aspects I liked about "Grey Gardens" was that it was not exactly about what I expected. Because of the big-name ties to the Kennedys, I thought there would be more focus on Jackie and Aristotle stepping in to clean up the property, or to dig up dirt on the Kennedys. And the Beales' mental states suggested to me that they could easily have been manipulated into doing the latter. Either there were solid ground rules going in, or these filmmakers showed taste and restraint by leaving the famous family ties in the background. Or, of course, in time spent with the Beales, they recognized they had a better story to tell.
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Yes, when I first heard about the movie, I expected there would be more Kennedy stuff. I'd like to think the filmmakers just were interested in the Edies in their own right and that that explains the dearth.
I do wonder, though, now that you mention it, whether there was a rule to that effect.
I also found it very interesting that the filmmakers never asked them questions that could be construed as judgmental, like "how do you feel about sleeping in a room full of cat excrement?" or "shouldn't you be eating more than corn and liver pate and ice cream?" We never heard much of what the filmmakers were saying, but they never appeared to say anything that might make the women feel like they were not "normal." I liked that. Of course, you could read that as self-serving — how could they get into their lives if they appeared anything other than friendly? — but I don't think they saw this as a freakshow in any way or used them in a way that was detrimental.
The approach is like a bit of anthropology, isn’t it? Besides not asking judgmental questions, they showed no signs of pitying the women either. At least as edited, they come off as completely neutral.
The Maysleses supposedly had originally planned to do a film about Jackie and her sister's youth. They stumbled upon the Edies during the filming and decided that they would make a much better movie.
I liked the moments when Albert and David talked to the Edies. Like during the scene when Edie is saying "The Marble Faun is moving in" after Jerry gave them a washing machine. And she says she's not going to spend the rest of her life washing clothes, and Albert says, "I don't blame you!" as if what she was saying was completely reasonable.
You're right about how they didn't ask any questions that might seem mean. Not even if the answer was interesting. For example, they never ask Little Edie about her unique sense of fashion, even when she's describing her "costume." I have since read somewhere that she wore her skirts upside-down and tied and pinned together like that because they were all hand-me-downs from Jackie, who was quite a bit smaller than Edie.
Oh, good example, Erin, with the clothing. It says a lot about them that they didn't inquire about that. It also says a lot about Jackie! She, one of the most well-to-do women in the world, was giving them hand-me-downs that didn't fit!
That's interesting concerning the origins of the film. I just read this: Mrs. Radziwill (Jackie's princess sister) was inadvertently responsible for the "Grey Gardens" documentary. She had called Albert and David Maysles with an idea of making a film about her childhood and the set of upper-class families who summered in East Hampton. Agreeing, the Maysles eventually showed Mrs. Radziwill an hour and a half of footage, mainly of her eccentric aunt and cousin, which she confiscated immediately. They had, however, won the Beales' confidence and were invited back.
And on Little Edie's fashion sense: "Grey Gardens" quickly became a cult classic, in part because of Little Edie's costumes, which, as recently as 1997, inspired an eight-page layout in Harper's Bazaar. Aware that what she wore was unusual, in the film she describes the best way to dress for daytime. For the most part, she wrapped sweaters around her waist as skirts and also covered her head with sweaters, the sleeves flowing down her back. Perry Ellis and Todd Oldham were among her fans and gave "Grey Gardens" fancy dress parties.
Oh, I saw that spread in Harper's Bazaar. Very strange.
You did? Is it online?
Erin, you should wear your cashmere sweater knotted around your head, with some fishnet stockings. Hehe
(Wouldn't it be annoying to have a bunch of Jackie O's ungodly expensive haute couture that wasn't your size? Probably all that stuff was handmade out of the finest materials ... no wonder Edie wore it in whatever way "worked.")
It's online somewhere, but I can't find it now, of course.
Dressing up as the Edies would be fun. hehe
Speaking of which, there is apparently a "remake" being made for next year starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange. Why?
A "remake" of this documentary, starring actors? That's worse than the Broadway show.
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