Edie Sedgewick and Factory Girl
Film Captures 15-Minute Affair Between Socialite and Andy Warhol
Factory Girl, a biopic directed by George Hickenlooper, documents the tumultous life of Edie Sedgwick, the Superstar actress of Andy Warhol's Factory
In 1965, wealthy socialite Edie Sedgwick (Sienna Miller) drops out of art school, moves to New York City, and meets Andy Warhol (Guy Pearce). Andy falls for Edie and she becomes his Muse. Edie stars in his Factory films (“Poor Little Rich Girl”, "Vinyl" and others), and becomes an internationally famous Factory celebrity, the shining light in Andy's entourage. Warhol calls her a “Superstar”.
When Edie meets folk singer Billy Quinn (a character based on Bob Dylan and played by Hayden Christensen), she begins seeing the Factory scene differently. Billy tells her that Andy and his followers are vampires who steal ideas and souls. Andy, jealous of Edie and Billy’s romantic involvement, gives Edie the silent treatment. The other Factory members follow his lead, and collectively ban Edie from the Factory’s hallowed inner circle. Unfortunately Edie has no coping skills or support system to deal with the boot from Andy and her life spirals out of control. Meanwhile, Andy obsessively watches her Factory movies AND goes to confession and talks about her to a priest! WOW, that’s true love, Andy Warhol style!
Billy Quinn offers to take Edie away from the Factory madness, but Edie’s speed/heroin addiction and constant need for approval affect her judgment. She feels loyal to Andy, and stays with the Factory, only to discover that Ingrid Superstar (Andy’s new protégée) has replaced her! Even worse, Edie is bankrupt and penniless. Her rich father refuses to support her lifestyle and withholds financial assistance. Thus begins her downfall from the unholy heights of Warholian superstardom and the dreadful realization that it was all a fantasy, a creation between her and Andy. Without him, she doesn’t exist.
Can Warhol be held accountable for Edie’s demise? The makers of this film imply he is guilty even though Edie’s life was already a war zone before she and Warhol met. She endured sexual abuse, hospitalizations, drug addiction, and a family history of suicide, mental dysfunction and instability. Did Warhol only love Sedgwick’s beautiful outer shell or did he see something deeper, an inner vulnerability similar to his own? He suffered from health problems, social phobia, and depended on his mother’s support and care. Both Sedgwick and Warhol were needy people, and for a short, stellar period, they resembled royal twins, but as Andy once said: "Fantasy love is much better than reality love….The most exciting attractions are between two opposites that never meet."
