This weekend, my obsession will be unveiled on HBO.
Yes, I am talking about the much-anticipated premiere of the HBO Film “Grey Gardens,” starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange. “Grey Gardens” focuses on the Beale family, namely Big Edie (Lange) and Little Edie (Barrymore), who were the relatives of Jackie O famously chronicled in a 1975 Maysles brothers documentary that showed the world how these two women spiraled from fortune and fame into a rundown home in the Hamptons full of cats, garbage and wasted dreams.
I have been following the Beale women throughout their Hollywood journey. I stumbled onto the documentary after learning that one of my favorite musical theater actresses, Christine Ebersole, was going to headline a Broadway musical version of “Grey Gardens” in 2006 (saw it, LOVED it). The documentary is truly a revelation—the first “reality TV” of its kind. For almost two hours, I was transfixed as both Edies told me their emotional stories, the journey they took to destroy each other, and the unbelievable bond they share while the world crashes down around them.
The original documentary, to be fair, is like watching a train wreck. You can’t look away, but at the same time, you feel for these women. What role did society play in their downfall? Did they do it to themselves? How could they live in such squalor? The Maysles were careful not to insert themselves into the documentary, instead letting the narrative unfold through conversations between the two women and powerful monologues from each Edie.
Much has been said about the iconic nature of the original film within the LGBT community, especially among gay men. While I can’t speak for all gay men (although wouldn’t that be a great superpower?!?), I can tell you this: Little Edie represents the ultimate gay man. She has big dreams. She has no boundaries. She has a fashion sense all her own (reference the black bathing suit with a sweater wrapped around her head, pinned by a broach). She wants to live life to the fullest and not be pigeonholed by others’ expectations of her and her own limitations. She is judged by society, ridiculed for her individuality, but does she care? No. What matters most to her is her mother’s approval, because that is a grasp she cannot escape. It is the only love she will ever know.
HBO has smartly recognized how much the Edies appeal to the LGBT community, and has gone on a promotional rampage to get us to tune in. Even Ms. Drew is fearful of what her gay friends, who frequently quote the movie and impersonate Edie, will think of her star turn. Some studios do not embrace camp/cult following and try to market a movie the same way to all audiences, which does not make good business sense at the end of the day. HBO is doing the right thing by getting the LGBT community to take notice and watch.
Watch a preview of the movie here. Then, come back to tell us what you thought of the film.
And by the way, who am I watching the movie with? As Little Edie would say, “mother, darling.”
(Photo Courtesy of "Grey Gardens" 1975 documentary)
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