Did you watch "Grey Gardens" on Saturday night? Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange were amazing and the way in which HBO explored the special relationship between "Big" and "Little" was simply beautiful. Still, after watching the film with my own lovely mother, we were both left with more questions than answers: Why didn't "mother darling's" other children help out when the house started crumbling? Why didn't Jackie O hire the two women a weekly cleaning service after she initially stepped in? Were the two fallen socialites mentally unstable?
Well, Women’s Wear Daily’s Jacob Bernstein tackles our latter thought in an interview with 82-year-old Albert Maysles, who filmed the original documentary “Grey Gardens" with his brother David (now deceased) back in the 70s. In their chat, the two mean discuss HBO's new project, the measures the director took to protect himself from the fleas in the ramshackle home, and the mental health of the eccentric icons he filmed.
WWD: So here we are with yet another chapter in the “Grey Gardens” saga. Are you surprised it’s gone on this long?
Albert Maysles: Yeah, I think anyone would be. The musical, the HBO film, there have been a couple of books already. My two daughters just finished a book on it.
WWD: What did you think of the HBO film?
A.M.: I thought it was good. I’m not an expert on fiction. I make documentaries and a good deal of the film takes place before that. But the stuff that was contemporary with the filming was accurate.
WWD: There’s a hilarious moment in the HBO movie where you and your brother are putting on flea repellent. {Continue Reading