The Beales of Grey Gardens (Albert and David Maysles, 2006): USA

Reviewed by Kathleen Amboy.  Viewed on DVD.

  The Beales of Grey Gardens  return, in Albert Maysles’ 2006 release of previous unseen footage from the 1975 cult classic documentary Grey Gardens.

While Grey Gardens takes a voyeuristic look into the degraded lives of the notorious co-enablers (it’s sort of a pre-cursor to present day reality shows), The Beales of Grey Gardens instead pays homage to the iconic socialites of East Hampton.

The Beales rose to fame when the community of East Hampton attempted to have the ladies evicted from their filthy and dilapidated multi-room mansion back in the early 1970’s, after having lived there for over four decades.  What made these ladies so newsworthy is that they were aunt and first cousin to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and everyone seemed to wonder how she could allow her family to live in such sqaulor.

Existing on a limited income, and sharing their house with wild animals, surrounded by feces and decay, Big Edie and her daughter Little Edie were oblivious to their plight and called Grey Gardens home.  Once the press got ahold of the story,  Jackie O appeared on the scene and helped to clean up and repair the Beale home.  The brother team of Albert and David Maysles originally intended to make a documentary on Jackie’s roots in East Hampton, but switched the focus onto the Beales and Grey Gardens.

The Maysles camera follows Little Edie around, recording her song and dance numbers as well as numerous costume changes and her verbal sparring with mom.  As a bevy of felines cluster around Big Edie’s twin beds,  it’s the filth and disarray, the cat vomit and feces, which inebriate the senses and induce guilt in the viewer, making one want to turn away in disgust, yet drawing your attention back – to Little Edie in her headgarb and mink coat with the loose stitching,  and Big Edie with her Coke-bottle glasses and ever present pint of ice cream.

The two films are bookends, whereas Grey Gardens is a bit of a trainwreck, The Beales of Grey Gardens has more verbal sparring, more song and dance routines, but a reflective glance into the strengths and weaknesses of these two women.  Once beautiful women, they turned frumpy, each strong enough to endure the humiliation of the loss of financial independence, yet too weak to part company.

While it is difficult to imagine anyone living in these conditions, it’s mesmerizing to witness these two gallant women, who were born into high society and lost everything, but managed to hold onto their own ideals and co-exist for years on very little sustenance.

Grey Gardens and the Beales ultimately inspired a Broadway musical, a fashion trend, and a cable (HBO) film.  With both Beales and Jackie O long departed, along with David Maysles,  Albert was free to edit in tidbits of info regarding Jackie’s handling of  the restoration of Grey Gardens and Little Edie’s dismissal of it.  The updated footage shares Little Edie’s thoughts on faith, astrology and her struggles to flee as well, turning it into a tribute and a lesson in empathy.

 “The harsh weather ruined the gardens of the previous owner and horticulturist Mrs. Robert C. Hill, and that’s why they named this place Grey Gardens.” – Little Edie Beale.