It is with great sadness to report that on March 5, just one night before his iconic film Grey Gardens was set to reopen to audiences — complete with a brand new 2K restoration by the Criterion Collection — documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles passed away. Albert, along with his late brother David, was a pioneer of the documentary form. One of the best examples of both Albert and David’s talents is Grey Gardens. The film documents the lives of big and little Edie Beale, relatives to Jaclyn Kennedy Onassis, who became near shut-ins at their East Hampton estate, Grey Gardens. The film meets up with the Beales shortly after their estate was deemed unfit by the health department, and follows their eccentric lives over the course of a year’s time. Grey Gardens has become somewhat of a cult classic among film circles, a credit that is owed not only to the Maysles but also to the principle subjects, whose likeness forms the heart of the film. With the restoration now back in cinemas, we bring you five reasons — among countless others — to check it out.
1. The Brand New 2K Restoration: According to the Criterion Collection — and we’d be hard-pressed to disagree —, even if you were among the very few that had an opportunity to catch Grey Gardens during its original, limited theatrical run in 1976, you still have never seen it look this good. Overseen by Albert Maysles and meticulously restored by the Criterion Collection, this new print is simply stunning. Despite its growing reputation, it is still a rare opportunity to be able to Grey Gardens on the big screen; don’t miss your chance to see it in all its glory.
2. Big Edie Beale: Big Edie Beale may, at times, take the backseat to her more vivacious daughter but she is far from second fiddle in the film. Already well into her 70s during the filming of Grey Gardens, big Edie is refreshingly candid. Sadly, big Edie died shortly after the release of the film, but never in the film do you get the sense of a woman nearing death. In fact, big Edie is full of life, and while not everything she has to say is pleasant you get the sense that she loves getting one last chance to share the spotlight.
3. Little Edie Beale: Much like her mother, little Edie is a one of a kind character. Even the greatest screenwriters, try as they might, couldn’t have written a more interesting, complex personality. Little Edie defies reductive judgment. She’s brash and yet strangely calm. There are times where it becomes hard to not sense a feeling of delusion emanating from her persona, and yet, at other times she seems hyper self-conscious. One could watch a five-hour film starring little Edie and still never grown tired of her. She has style and sophistication; she is a remnant of a lifestyle no longer in existence.
4. Direct Cinema: For those who are not aware, Albert and David Maysles were two of the pioneers of direct cinema, a sort of off-shoot of cinéma vérité. As such, their style was informed heavily by an ethical, almost political, intentionality. The Maysles sought to capture reality through cinema in a manner different than their contemporaries. Thus, Albert’s mission statement reads, “I happily place my fate and faith in reality. It is my caretaker, the provider of subjects, themes, experiences – all endowed with the power of truth and the romance of discovery. And the closer I adhere to reality the more honest and authentic my tales. After all, the knowledge of the real world is exactly what we need to better understand and therefore possibly to love one another. It’s my way of making the world a better place.” This “love” can be witnessed in many of the Maysles greatest films but none so much as in Grey Gardens. This isn’t fly-on-the-way cinema. You feel Albert and David’s presence in the room; the Beales speak to us through their camera. It is a style of documentary that resonates through countless films since. The impact of Grey Gardens is nearly incalculable.
5. Because it’s not all about fun and games: It is too easy to just speak of all of the quirky and funny elements that Grey Gardens has to offer. To get caught up only in little Edie’s dance numbers, her ruminations on style, or in the incessant bickering between big and little Edie, is to only see half the film. Beneath this façade there is a real, poignant emotionality. Nearly buried beneath a sea of relics from the past, big and little Edie are, themselves, remnants of a past that no longer exists. Regret plays an important role in both of the women’s lives. As viewers, we bare witness to this sadness, this disappointment. Grey Gardens is a testament to the Maysles ability to strike to the core of their beings without transforming the act of spectatorship into voyeurism. While this claim has not gone unchallenged, I would argue that at no point do you feel as if you are being presented with something that either big or little Edie don’t want you to see or feel.
