@@carliebeau5329 Yes, of course. And, she did get a taste of happiness after her mother died, in the final 20+ years of her life. But, if she’d been alive & still in her prime (which for her continued until her 50s & beyond) as reality star/ social media influencer nowadays she would’ve enjoyed being a major star!
I thought that was pretty hateful for the mother to insult her daughter like that. The only family member who put her life on the back burner to take care of her. Poor Edie.
IMO, Big Edie was a narcissistic lunatic. Glad Little Edie had some happier years after she left Grey Gardens. The slide into squalor can be sooo short when mental and physical ill-health and poverty come to stay. Abandoned by family for the most part. Heartbreaking.
I think the cause of this is that their relationship (when Little Edie was a young adult) was more like sisters ( Big E being the older sister and Little E, youngest) and not mother-daughter. When Big Edie needed a caregiver, Little E couldn't abandon her. Due to the culture she comes from and the relationship she had with her mother she was forced to be her mother's caregiver; even if that means storing yourself away with your elderly mother in a decaying home, no money, isolated, etc. It's an impossible situation to be in when they are the parent and you are the child.
5:23..."I think Mr, Torre thinks that.........I think that he thinks that we're................fast." What a complex, confusing, intricately woven beautiful creature Little Edie was. I'll never get her out of my head.
@@taraalan1131 The Marble Faun of Grey Gardens is the name of Jerry Torres book during his time there as a teenager and care taker/Friend of little Edie
For sure, she's an entertainer 24/7. She was always on. I can't believe she is close to 60. She was a sun lover who had no Botox, plastic surgery or any kind cosmetic work done to her. A true beauty.
So am I. That was the best ending for her. After New York, she moved to Florida and spent her days swimming and her nights in a gay bar where she had many fans.
I think people who are afraid to understand are doubly afraid to just be themselves. Big Edie and Little Edie represent rugged individualism. Sadly, many people would rather die than have their real selves revealed.
Poor Little Edy, she didn't have a chance being tied to her mother. She was really an attractive woman and could have had a good life if she weren't emotionally blackmailed by her mother
It's not just that. It's not just her mother that created issues in her life. I think she was probably on the spectrum, so that was the main issue. The high level of anxiety, the difficult of communication or at understand how communication works and many other things that are in common with people on the spectrum. Also her mum looked on the spectrum but not in the same level of the daughter. She was lovely anyway. 💓
Yeah, plus the ONLY guy Little Edie wanted to marry, was that Italian count, which her Mother 'ran off in 15 minutes"!!!!! All because Big Edie (selfishly) didn't want to be alone.
@@mikekitchens9658 thats another thought. And or brothers. Not one mention of them and grandfather just cuts them off because they dress differently omg the shame
@@vaderstar If you meant in what respect was my comment? That was so long ago now that I'm not sure, lol. I think I meant that she's dressed like Janis Joplin or Madonna or Cindi Lauper, you know what I mean? Ahead of that time.
A beautiful, refined, proper English dialect that’s sadly extinct and wished this film was part of school curriculum,,, would open young eyes to American culture, history & significant ways people lived, spoke, communicated and what can happen when your cut off from rest of the world and forever stunted in the by gone days. Of all the ways progression and innovation has changed our world,,,, I miss most how people relied on one another, had conversations, had to leave the house to buy everything that wasn’t in Sears or Montgomery Wards catalog, was the peak of great living in human history!!
Perhaps she meant both, in the doc she stated how her daughter started developing lines on her face and that it was time to come back. That's narcissistic abuse. Her mother was a life thief! Thank God when she passed, Little Edie was able to live her dream back in NYC
i love how this guy hangs out with two crazy old ladies. sure they're adorable, but i never thought a teenage boy would be patient enough to spend time with them.
I hung out with the older ladies that lived next to my father. He was too busy. They were a treasure trove of stories, wisdom and personality, just like Edith and Edie. They were called Mrs. Hill and Sally and they were fantastic. People should value older people more.
@@guyincognito741 Bed Bradlee and Sally Quinn restored Grey Gardens back to being a center of Hamptons social life. In February 2017, the property was listed for $19,995,000 by the most recent owner, writer Sally Quinn, who bought the property with her late husband (and onetime Washington Post Executive Editor Ben Bradlee) in 1979. Now (2021) occupied by designer, Liz Lange and her husband Jeff (they have two children)
Furthermore, you can see the angst when Big Edie calls Edie ugly. truth be told, she was NOT ugly. Even here at 56 without any cosmetic enhancements, she was still a very attractive woman. Both of them were beautiful women too when they were younger.
artwaif lol. and the fact that she was concerned that his sneeze had spread germs all over the place. I mean, really, could that place get any nastier? SMH
Or like, like, like ! Did you ever notice how many people today use the word “like”, alllll tooo much in sentences. Like IS a great and positive word, “but” surely NOT a word to use after every word, “like” you know what I mean ! Lol.
Jessica Lange was so great during the party scene, when she sang and Barrymore had joined her during their duet softshoe dance number. Barrymore was fine. She was a bit much at times. But Jessica Lange shined during the song and dance number. She was obviously the natural dancer out of the two. Barrymore just kind of stumbled along.
@@musicaltheatergeek79 Lange deserved all three awards. Her performance as Big Edie was so much better than Barrymore 's Little Edie. Also I wished we could have seen more of Jeanne Tripplehorn. Her Jackie Kennedy Onassis was on point.
I have a friend who is six months older than I (we are both fifty-five), and he looks young enough to be my son. Naturally auburn hair, clear eyes and the skin of a fourteen-year old. He drinks gin likes it's going out of style and hasn't eaten fresh vegetables or a piece of fruit in decades, and he's gorgeous. Some people are just blessed that way.
Jerry was a homeless runaway teen, if I am correct. He made a living by doing yard work and gardening. He ended up staying at Grey Gardens for a while during the filming on and off to help the Beale woman out, like go Grocery shopping and give them company. He is only seen briefly in the film and didn't talk much. Edie named him' The Marble Faun' which is still his nickname to this very day. He also has his own website dedicated to the Edies.
@@ursousa is this the marble faun himself? I just adore you Jerry for not judging these women & accepting them for themselves when even their own family didn't.
William Salters- Ha! My sister and I know this backwards and forward..My sister and I watch the Boxset of the 2 films by the Maysles! I never get tired of it..Be well,
I think this film shows just how different and individual some people are. The majority of people are too concerned by conforming and the desire to fit in or be judged, these women chose to isolate themselves because they loved the location (particularly Big Edie) but detested the snobbish, shallow elitism of most of the locals and didn't care to mix with them.
I love the bond between them. If they were around today they could have made a fortune with their film, or even in form of a reality show. The women could have made mint from EBay selling some of that old furniture or heirlooms which I'm sure some we're Antiques. Little Edie could have easily sold some of her fashion creations online with some help in setting things up. Little Edie is wonderful I can see why so many people relate to and adore her. I think she just got sort of stuck in a time warp mentally where her life was filled with more activities and she had dreams. Does anyone know how old Little Edie was when she came back ho e to live with her mother?
i think her wiki page said she was 35 and starting to lose her hair by then. I think her mom's selfish for not selling the house so they can live better elsewhere, and give her daughter a chance at life instead of keeping her there, getting old , taking care of her.
Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange did one hell of a fantastic job in the remake. My God, they completely transformed themselves into these characters... On another note, Lil Edie's mattress... Jesus...
Jerry Torre gave an interview for the podcast Everything is Stories, which i how I came to learn about Grey Gardens. His story is every bit as haunting as the Beales'. Sad, beautiful, fascinating people.
What ever happened to Jerry? I love listening to Little Edie talk. She still carried the 30's & 40's era in her way of talking & thinking. Plus, for a sun worshiper & ice cream lover, she looked amazing at 56! She would have fit right in with today's world. She could have even started her own fashion line if she wanted to. They were the last of a great era that was cast aside, but thanks to the Maysles brothers, they were respectably recognized, validated & will never be forgotten. I would have liked to have known them. ♥️
Oh How beautiful these two are inside and out. What bravery. The reason why big Edie wanted little Edie to come home was because she couldnt support her anymore and YES she needed her to help take care of her. “ Life is very difficult” but “You know kitty’s”.
I'm thinking: What did they eat/drink? How often did they go to dentists/doctors if they were recluses? Where did they bathe? Where's the laundry room? They survived but seems an awful existence to me. Little Edie is a lovable doll, tho.😊
Even though Little Edie couldn't do what she wanted with her life as she dreamed, at least this film got her name out, and now she has that fanbase she wanted. Even if it's a cult-fanbase, it's still more than she had before the film.
i love edie,she made and payed the most for her time,life,aristrocrasy is the definition of responsibility PAA!!... her ma is a mean old lady,who took her daughters life away from her...she didnt stand a chance of a life living there with mother!!
***** aaw that is so lovly..i dont get her mum at all..i wud never take my childs life,i want my chilren to do,go be anywhere,and fill ther potential,mostly to b HAPPY!
Omg her mother Edith is so mean, cAlling her daughter ugly because she is wipped on a little boy. That's wrong that old lady emotionally abused her, and verbally abused her. She was not ugly at all, and she kept bring up her age all the time cAlling her old and saying stuff like " Edie you're getting up there now" like what's up with all the ageism stuff, I think she was jealous of her daughter because she was vibrant and young looking and can walk and move around and she hated that. That mother was a miserable old lady. Poor little Edie always at the end of her mother's tyraids and anger of jealousy. She knew that Edie was smart enough to make it big in this world and do something great and she was jealous and would emotionally hurt her and put her down and make her feel worthless and guilt her into staying. Its sad to see the bombardment of put downs that she endured.
Little did Big Edie & Little Edie know that Jerry is gay & would be quite popular in the Bathhouses of New York shortly after this was filmed.🤦♀️😆 Jerry (last name Torre) recently wrote a book about his time w/ the Beale's called The Marble Faun of Grey Gardens. It's a great read for anyone interested in the story of Grey Gardens. ♥
Lil Edie was gorgeous and SO full of life! For people that haven't been through it...the mental criticism and emotional abuse daily from your very own mother, the one who is supposed to love you like no other on this earth,...can be very debilitating. It will make you doubt your own worth.
Edie says at one point Jerry's family is Rich, but she hints that the problem is they want to control him and he basically wasn't having it, so he stayed w the Beales, but his family or brother was coming to pick him up because they didn't want him just wandering around. It was nice of Lil Edie and Big Edie to take him in. IMO I wonder what his problem was at home w his family?
Jana Murph perhaps they were expecting him to marry and he didn’t even want to breach the subject of his sexuality, especially if his parents were fairly wealthy. They brought up in the film something about a particular girl who he was involved with who loved him and he clearly was not about it
He ran away from home because he was being sexually abused. He was in brooklyn and went to south Hampton bc he had an uncle that worked for the families in that area and stayed with him getting jobs maintaining the homes in the neighborhood. He stated that he was out every night at the gay bars when they shot the film despite big Edie thinking he was into girls. He is cab driver in New York and also a sculptor.
May 2019: To: Jon Runnfeldt, the AUTHOR of this video: THANK YOU, SO MUCH for this video. I cannot tell you how many times that I have viewed it, IT IS GREAT. Honestly, God bless you because I have 'shared' it to others and I'm sure THEY have gotten joy out of this. BUT, TRULY: This is the best video compilation ever, especially of Jerry Torre too -- and, again, God bless you, Jon! --gv xxoo
Little Edie was beautiful. She looks timeless because you can't see her hair (I know she had alopecia). Hairstyles put a time stamp on women. These two are mesmerizing.
I think the mother didn't sale the house. Because she was selfish. She should of sold it and helped her daughter get on her own--she very different but yet very real and refreshing.adore her,but see the mother has being--take care of me till I die, than don't need you anymore.sad
back then youth more often had swirling attractive just budding vibes.. they weren't vaxxed to death & they didn't walk around all day with their necks bent over looking at cell phones. the energy flowed.
I love this documentary. It’s still one of the best things I’ve seen. These women are so interesting and they LOVE the cameras! I was wondering what happened to little Edie’s hair tho, do they ever say?
@@miriamhavard7621 yes, yes, absolutely- they were “first” cousins, no less. You can definitely see a resemblance in little Edie and Jackie Kennedy (full lips, and other similarities)
I love the dinner they're eating! What is that? Lettuce and tomato?? But seriously, they are both engaging to watch and little Edie is not stupid. She is highly intelligent but it is quite sad to see the situation, There is no doubt that there are mental illnesses going on between them. People don't live in squalor like that without issues going on. What I don't understand is why the brothers did nothing to help to get them out of there. I could not imagine letting my mom live like that
Little Edie was so beautiful and I loved the way she spoke, it's so sad she didn't have a man at that stage..she had a lovely little figure for her age I watched this whole doc last night and it is very sad at times to see how they lived, this was after the house was cleaned up though wasn't it? so was the house worse before? Big Edie was very funny, the documentary was better then the film, the real people were far more interesting then the Hollywood version
Thank you the first person to speak sense on here all these people putting in their 2 cents oh the edies were mental,I was homeless several years back,yes before anyone states i do realise they are in their home,But without heating,terrible circumstances,I can tell each and everyone of you,a couple of nights on the street ,you might not be yourself anymore,The sons how could they do that to their mother and sister,mental or non mental
Edie was beautiful - inside and out. Big Edie was an interesting character, but awfully cruel and manipulative toward her daughter. She'd be so much more easier to sympathize with if she treated her with the respect she deserved for sticking by her mother's side.
Little Edie calling her own father "Mr Beale" & Big Edie calling her own husband "Mr Beale" is super cringe. I do love the way they talk though.❤ So glad I found this gem.
Well, here's what I think: Little Edie lost her hair due to stress (alopecia) because she had to come home & take care of that narcissistic mother, for years. Then, all that bickering & putdowns that she had to tolerate from the Mother, actually caused her alopecia. Little Edie was so proud & dignified because of her previous wealthy position, that she hid her alopecia behind all those creative"scarves".
This clip sheds a lot more light on Jerre, I know it was said the Maysles hired him for the film, but from this extra footage that doesn't seem to be the case. Whoever decides these things, pleeease hurry up and release the dvd on Region 2!
There are so many obvious questions that really never get answered. Yes, the brothers paid the taxes, but, for God's sake, this was their MOTHER! Why did they let her live like that? Did they REALLY think that little Edie was equipped to take care of her medical needs? REALLY? Come on....The dysfunction goes way beyond Big and Little Edie, come on now......
Its scary, but speaking as a "mean republican" I think you are right about all of us living like this soon. But, I don't understand why someone would criticize the Beales. They are interesting. They are fun. But being motivated, while excellent, does not guarantee success or wealth. I wish it did, but thats not always the case. But either way, Republican or Democrat, we are being taxed and robbed into the poorhouse by the gov't
It is 11 yrs later and I have to wonder what you think about our world's current state. I hope you are doing well and still hanging in there. ^..^~Blessings, Peace and Love^..^~
Little Edie was a beautful woman when she was younger and here in this film at age 56. She still had a regal air about her when she spoke. I think this was a situation that just happened to them and they were so close to it they they could barely see it themselves.
You should be so lucky! These women weren't crazy, they were originals, absolutely unique and completely eccentric. They may have had certain delusions due to their isolation and highly developed imaginations. You're just judging them using the wrong parameters and are way off the mark. It's such a shame there aren't more people like them to brighten up this world and make it a more interesting and imaginative place. I admire their individuality and freespirited, 'devil may care' attitude.