I can't find this question on the board - Grey Gardens (2009) Discussion

[–] mikeoak840 15 years ago

They just lived as things declined, and I'm sure, felt they were doing the best they could, AND they're both from an era & culture of "never say die, keep a stiff upper lip." They clearly sunk into a codependent depression and felt they only had each other to rely upon.

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[–] Realisticbound 15 years ago

Thank you for your great response!

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[–] fiveforme 15 years ago

Bear in mind that the Maysles' started their 1975 documentary AFTER the house had already been cleaned up, so what we saw in both the original and the HBO versions was 100 times better than what they had been living in. There was a tree growing through a wall into the house! And they didn't like having that cleaned up. When Little Edie finally sold the house she told the new owner that the house just needed a coat of paint. So no, I don't think they thought their living conditions were abnormal. I've watched both the HBO and original documentary too many times to count, and every time I find something I hadn't seen or heard before. Although this is off topic, both Lange and Barrymore nailed their roles.

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[–] lilypad183 15 years ago

"Bear in mind that the Maysles' started their 1975 documentary AFTER the house had already been cleaned up, so what we saw in both the original and the HBO versions was 100 times better than what they had been living in."

the doc was filmed 3 year after mr. onassis paid to have the house cleaned up, jackie did nothing. it was said that gg was almost as bad three years later as it had been before the cleaning.

what was seen in the doc was real, the hbo version was was fabricated.

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[–] Carolcan42 15 years ago

"what was seen in the doc was real, the hbo version was was fabricated."

I agree Lilypad, The HBO movie didn't show how bad that house REALLY looked , and they also didn't show how bad BE looked in that filthy bed, BE didn't wear nice bed jackets like Jessica Lange did when portraying her.

...Grace beats Karma

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[–] lilypad183 15 years ago

"BE didn't wear nice bed jackets like Jessica Lange did when portraying her."

big edie was usually dressed in a man's flannel shirt or a sweater. there were no bed jackets for sure!

when she was admitted to the hospital just prior to her death, they wouldn't allow her to be taken to her room until she had a bath. i imagine it had been years since she had a bath.

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] fiveforme 15 years ago

what was seen in the doc was real, the hbo version was was fabricated.

I just watched both the doc and HBO version, and fast-forwarded the latter to the Maysles' filming portions. It certainly wasn't as filthy, but Lange and Barrymore sure did nail the roles, especially Lange in the Tea for Two song. Even the cough was included. While I do agree that what we see in the 30's, and the parts that weren't covered by the Maysles', like Jackie O's visit, may be fictionalized, it does a great job of portraying the two of them. And kudos to HBO for doing it. Not many had heard about GG prior to this, now it seems every one has heard of it!

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[–] hbdelux 15 years ago

"mr. onassis paid to have the house cleaned up, jackie did nothing" -

Jackie did nothing...it was Mr. Onassis...? I don't understand this statement. He obviously did it on Jackie's behalf at her request. What do you mean Jackie did nothing? Why else would Mr. Onassis have a personel interest in these women's well being?

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[–] Angel_of_Isis 15 years ago

That's easy:

1/ Onassis had the money.
2/ Jackie didn't want bad publicity.

Some create happiness wherever they go - some whenever they go.

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[–] Anniston 15 years ago

You had stated that "jackie onassis and other friends helped out with maintenance and daily living expenses."

So, which is it? Did she help or not?

I won't debate the motivation for the financial help. Was it love and compassion or the want to save public ridicule and embarrassment? I don't know and never will know. But Mr. Onassis would have not likely stepped in had his wife not had a familial tie to the two. Therefore, secondary or not, Jackie did help.

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[–] JaysonT 14 years ago

Jackie did nothing? Not according to the HBO version. And why would HBO fabricate such an important detail?

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[–] lilypad183 14 years ago

"Jackie did nothing? Not according to the HBO version. And why would HBO fabricate such an important detail?"

this is the hollywood version, it's not the doc with the real truth. i hope you don't believe everything that comes out of hollywood!

do you really think jackie showed up all the time and pitched in with the work?
the truth is that jackie's husband aristotle onassis paid for all the work. jackie was a notorious tightwad with her own money so she got him to pay for everything.

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[–] JaysonT 14 years ago

The movie has her show up one time, not several. And tightwad? Where's that evidence? Obviously this was family she was helping.

Damn I love this imac keyboard!

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[–] jazzfan1964 15 years ago

The Maysles started filming in the fall of 1973. This was after the cleanup.........The house was returning to its former condition........but not nearly as bad as is was prior to the 1971 raid/cleanup.

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[–] jamesabutler44 14 years ago

You're correct. According to information available on greygardens.com, when the Suffolk County Health Inspectors raided the property, the toilets were inoperable and one of the bedrooms was being used as latrine (it contained human waste). There were raccoons and 30 some odd cats with no litter boxes defacating and urinating all over the house. There were mounds of trash 6 feet high. Jackie paid to have the house brought up to code, but the Beales were back to their slovenly ways by the time the Maysles came to film the documentary. It's alledged that the fleas were so bad they had to wear flea collars around their ankles!

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[–] lilypad183 14 years ago

"........but not nearly as bad as is was prior to the 1971 raid/cleanup."

jazzfan,
it was very close to being as bad as it was before the cleanup. the toilets, water, furnace and electric only worked sporadically and the trash was piling up.

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[–] jamesabutler44 14 years ago

I think it's clear they both suffered from mental illness. According to the real life documentary, when the Suffolk County Health Department raided the home, they found that the toilets were not working and they were using one of the bedrooms as a latrine. Meaning they were literally using the bathroom on the floor. Little Edie also stated that her mother didn't approve of litter boxes and allowed the cats (close to 40 of them) to pee and poo all over the house. There were even dead cat and racoon carcasses in the home which had to have been an almost unbearable smell. If trash was being piled in the bath tubs, that means they didn't wash themselves either. Clearly, this was proof of serious mental illness. There are cases like this appearing in the media all the time. They probably got used to it as the years went on.

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[–] cmashieldscapting 13 years ago

It was good how the movie showed people entering the house immediately covering their faces and gagging.

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[–] jcb-nyc 12 years ago

"If trash was being piled in the bath tubs, that means they didn't wash themselves either."

No, it means they didn't take baths. You can wash yourself with a washcloth. That's how people used to do it back in the old days, when they thought baths were dangerous.

And here we sit, thinking people must have been filthy if they didn't bathe. How stupid we are!

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[–] lilypad183 12 years ago

"And here we sit, thinking people must have been filthy if they didn't bathe. How stupid we are!"

jcb,
a sponge bath cannot be compared to taking a regular bath in the tub.

as i said above, when big edie was admitted to the hospital, they had to put her in the tub before giving her a room because she smelled so bad.

let's be honest, she spent all her time in that disgusting bed with cats all over it, do you think she was giving herself little sponge baths daily?

the bed didn't have sheets, the mattress was stained all the way to the bottom edges, she had newspapers, etc all over the bed, she must have smelled to high heaven.

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[–] mikeyjj418 12 years ago

Big Edie was proud, in a perverse way, of her home, but Little Edie vocalized her disdain for the conditions often.

" 'Tis very strange Men should be so fond of being thought wickeder than they are."

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