Red and I discovered an amazing documentary called Grey Gardens today. It is the story of the aunt and cousin of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. They were two very eccentric woman..mother and daughter...(both named Edie, Big Edie and Little Edie) who lived in a 28 room dilapidated mansion in the Hampton's with their 52 cats, raccoons in the attic, (that Edie would feed with bags of wonderbread and cat food) mountains of garbage...and a flea problem so bad ..the filmmakers wore flea collars on their ankles. Big Edie was a trained singer in her youth...and throughout the film she sings along to instrumental records from her bed; her voice is still beautiful and able to hit some of the high notes. Little Edie, ( who reminds me alot of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard..without the money or fame) Sings and Dances, lounges on the beach....and has the most incredible fashion sense EVER.
ie:
They never have any visitors..except for the gardener...and a local boy naemd Jerry who does odd jobs around the house.. ( who Edie refers to as the marble faun ).
The two woman bicker on and off constantly in the film...Little Edie upset that she never married, wishing she could move to New York City. Her mother constantly reminding her how she did move to new york for several years but came back and how she never married because she was never satisfied with any of her suitors.
Its just mind blowing to watch.
The New York times site has a more in depth article about them here:
Today is the anniversary of the passing of Little Edie....which is kinda spooky since we just happened to discover the film on the day of her death.
We absolutely love this film...it is hilarious, horrifying, sad and sweet all at the same time. It's one of those films that your life is incomplete if you haven't seen it.
She actually died 4-5 days earlier. You discovered her on the day she was discovered!
ReplyDeleteWant to know more about the Edies? Check out the yahoo groups dedicated to them. There are a couple, each containing TONS of information. Welcome to the rabbit hole! L
Fascinating.
ReplyDeleteSomething so achingly appealing about the whole concept in today's really nasty world.
I confess that I see something of myself in both of them.
This huge house and the longing that I have to be here and not have to go even when I enjoy going to the university and going to restaurants.
What kind of an insect was crawling on the books on the bed when the old Edie was talking?
When I get all the computer attachments piled up beside the hard drive on the program I will be able to hear what they said.
All that I could hear were the fly-like voices(you know ....help me ......help me)and the faintest music as if from several rooms away.
Thanks for finding these two wonderful recluses.