HBO Grey Gardens covers a 40 year span
Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange portray real life eccentric women
Jul 19, 2009
Grey Gardens is an original HBO film starring Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore as an eccentric mother - daughter pair. The characters are based on the real life socialites with riches to rags story, “Big Edie’ (Lange) and “Little Edie” (Barrymore) Bouvier Beale. The two were the aunt and the cousin of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (Jeanne Tripplehorn). Grey Gardens, which was directed by Michael Sucsy, has been nominated for 17 Emmy Awards.
"Big Edie" and "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale
The mother and daughter duo were born into wealth and privilege, but a turn of fortune left them destitute. They isolated themselves in their 28 room mansion in East Hampton and refused to leave. The mansion deteriorated and was in danger of being condemned when Jackie Kennedy paid to have the building brought up to code in 1973.
Grey Gardens is based upon a documentary, by the Maysles brothers, filmed about the women in 1973, when the Beales were 77 and 56.
The movie by Michael Sucsy begins in the mid 1930’s, when 18 year old “Little Edie” was a beautiful debutante with dreams of becoming a dancer and an actress. Mother “Big Edie” was a beautiful socialite who enjoyed a luxurious East Hampton lifestyle. “Big Edie” was a somewhat scandalous figure, who threw decadent parties and sang in public; behavior nor accepted in her social circle.
The story progresses to the 1950’s, when “Little Edie” lives in New York and attempts to launch her acting career. “Little Edie” has an affair with a married man, Julius “Cap” Krug (Daniel Baldwin), and her father (Ken Howard) forces her to return home.
Grey Gardens is a movie that spans a 40 year period, from 1936 to 1973. The styles of the different eras were meticulously researched for the costuming for the actresses and the sets. There was also a huge challenge in aging the two beautiful actresses over 40 year time span.
In addition to the clothing styles and makeup, the Hamptons house that they lived in had to be recreated in its splendor and later to look squalid and run down. The East Hampton mansion that the Beales refused to part with is almost like a third character in the movie and had to be changed to reflect the times.
Cast of Grey Gardens
- Drew Barrymore as “Little Edie” Bouvier Beale
- Jessica Lange as “Big Edie” Bouvier Beale
- Ken Howard as Phelan Beale
- Jeanne Tripplehorn as Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy
- Daniel Baldwin as Julius “Cap” Krug
- Malcolm Gets as George “Gould” Strong
- Michael Sucsy Director and Writer
- Patricia Rozema Writer
Emmy Nominations for Grey Gardens
Grey Gardens has been nominated for 17 Emmy Awards including Outstanding Made for TV Movie, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for Drew Barrymore and for Jessica Lange; Outstanding Supporting Actor for Ken Howard; Outstanding Supporting Actress for Jeanne Tripplehorn, Outstanding Directing for Michael Sucsy and Outstanding Writing for Michael Sucsy and Patricia Rozema.
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