Independent Lens Season 10 Episode 8 Grey Gardens: From East Hampton to Broadway

Grey Gardens: From East Hampton to Broadway is an episode from season 10 of the documentary series Independent Lens. It explores the fascinating and tumultuous history behind the iconic documentary Grey Gardens and its subsequent Broadway adaptation.

The episode delves into the lives of Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edith Bouvier Beale, the subjects of the 1975 documentary film Grey Gardens. The mother and daughter were once prominent members of high society in East Hampton, New York, but by the time the film was made, they were living in a dilapidated mansion overrun with cats and raccoons. Their eccentric behavior and dilapidated living conditions became the focus of the documentary, making them unlikely cult figures.

Grey Gardens: From East Hampton to Broadway explores how the film came to be made and the impact it had on popular culture. The episode also looks at the complicated relationship between the Beales and the filmmakers, the Maysles brothers. Despite the film's success, the Beales were left feeling exploited and betrayed by the filmmakers and the wider world that had come to know their story.

The episode then moves on to the Broadway adaptation of Grey Gardens, which was both a critical and commercial success. The adaptation starred Christine Ebersole as both Edith Beale and her daughter, and chronicled their lives before and after the making of the documentary. The episode looks at how the show's creators approached the material and how they managed to turn what was essentially a cult documentary into a hit Broadway production.

Throughout the episode, interviews with the surviving members of the Beale family, Grey Gardens fans, and those involved in the Broadway production provide insight into the enduring legacy of the Beales and the impact of their story on popular culture. It also sheds light on the complex issues of art, exploitation, and privacy that are raised by the documentary and its subsequent adaptations.

Overall, Grey Gardens: From East Hampton to Broadway is a fascinating exploration of the making and impact of one of the most iconic and controversial documentaries of all time. It's a must-watch for anyone interested in the intersection of art and life, or in the strange and compelling story of the two Edith Beales.