Blackburn + Sweetzer Has Moved

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Having seen Grey Gardens the documentary, and then Grey Gardens: From East Hampton to Broadway—the documentary about adapting the original documentary to Broadway—I was definitely curious to see HBO Films version with Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lang, playing Little Edie and Big Edie (Edith Bouvier Beale, aka, Jackie Onassis’ cousin), respectively.

Both actresses really did a superb job channeling the eccentric, pained, and disappointed mother-daughter duo, and, I have to say, I was particularly impressed by Barrymore, whom I like, but have never seen stretch herself as a performer.

Indeed, The Press Association quotes the actress on the experience: “[This] was the greatest challenge I’ve ever taken on in my life and I was riddled with fear, corrosive sickness and just terror – sheer terror all the time.”

I was equally intrigued by the fashion in the film’s present and past versions of the Little and Big Edie—from extravagant sunhats and kimono-like dusters to silk floor-length hooded evening gowns and flirty, ruffled cocktail frocks; layered pantyhose under safety pinned skirt-slash-capes and scarves galore to brooches and brazen print pairings. I got into to this thing of taking photos while watching, the result a frame-by-frame documentation of the documentary-turned-film. Have at it after the jump!

Lots and lots of photos this way…

The tops two images are what Little Edie describes as the best costume for the day, noting that the skirt can become a cape, because what do you do without a cape handy?; Click to expand

That saucer of a red-white-and-blue sunhat is pretty spectacularly patriotic; Little Edie momentarily escapes to NYC, only to be brought back home; Click to expand

So many kitties like the documentary; Loving that pretty, pretty delicate floral scarf on Little Edie; Click to expand

Little Edie also gets patriotic, does a dance in black leotard and stockings holding a flag; Click to expand

Little Edie attends the Grey Gardens premiere, performs in a cabaret; Click to expand