Grey Gardens, The Last Word

Well I loved it. And I promise you this is the last post about it ha ha. If you were not able to see it leave a comment and email me, and I will take care of you.


Like many things one loves, and one digs deeper looking for things to use in a post, one goes down a delightful rabbit hole. One of the sites I found is Grey Gardens Online.
It is filled with so many wonderful articles. The exclusive interviews are the best. Please spend some enjoyable time there.



One of the things on my wish list is this book: Edith Bouvier Beale, A Life In Pictures. The Gray Gardens Online site will tell you where to get it. It's limited to an edition of 2000, so I hope Alberto is doing some early shopping for my birthday ha ha.



I want to thank Alberto for arranging the viewing of the movie for me at the home of our friends Jessica and Jon. Not only did they give up their evening, not talk during the movie, provide cocktails, etc., they also had the most delish crawfish boil for us for dinner. Thank you J & J!


The movie was all I hoped it would be. Some surprises regarding the sets, like the bedroom with the art deco bed turning out to be Edie's room at the Barbizon Hotel (and not her bedroom at Grey Gardens). I once considered living at the Barbizon! But I found a cheaper apartment on St. Marks Place on the Lower East Side.


I loved the scene when the two Edies dressed for JFK's funeral.
I loved Drew Barrymore's perfect patrician Bouvier accent.
I loved Jessica Lange - she was a perfect Big Edie. I think this rivals the role when she played Francis Farmer in "Francis".



I think the Maysles looked too clean cut in the HBO movie. They were definitely more hippie dippie looking, actually more hippie geek.
I also loved the scenes when Jackie came to visit. I almost howled with laughter when they offered her pate and ice cream.
I was reminded of a story my friend Michael Pelkey told me.
He was then a personal chef on for a wealthy important person. They were on the WIPs yacht anchored in Spain. Michael went to the local market to get the ingredients to prepare Salad Nicoise. He did not speak Spanish. The salad was declared delicious by the Spanish royalty attending the luncheon. The day help hired to do kitchen chores were hysterical. Michael had served them cat food! He thought he was buying tuna!
So I could imagine the Beales confusing all that cat food for pate and serving it to Jackie.
Oh how the mind goes off on tangents ha ha.



I'm showing some photos I've found of Little Edie as a young person. They are just enchanting. I also think Little Edie was enchanting as we saw her later in life.











Here are some family jewels.


After seeing the movie, I felt a sense of determination and hope. I'm so glad I spent my first summer in East Hampton with the Cat Ladies. Funny how in life we attract people like ourselves, how we find role models and mentors in the most unlikely of places.
Thank you all for indulging me in this Grey Gardens blitz.