Lange and Barrymore -HBO 'Grey Gardens'

Just been given a DVD of this HBO special so I'm off home for an evening of weird nostalgia! (via the off license of course!)

Updated On: 5/7/09 at 12:38 PM

OH MY GOD!
This is stunning.
I sat there open mouthed from beginning to end.
I even forgot to open the bottle of wine.
The performances are just so spot on and the whole production is just perfect.
Drew Barrymoors performance is absolutely haunting.
Jessica Lange is perfect in one of her best ever performances. ('Frances' is my all time favorite Lange perfomance)

I'm now going to eat and breath and maybe just watch it all again later!

I don't know if this will be shown in the UK or if it will get a DVD release here, BUT I hope anyone here who has even just the slightest interest in the Beales will get to see this fabulous movie at some time. It is one of the best you will see in a long, long time.

Updated On: 5/7/09 at 03:44 PM

I was so pleased for Drew Barrymore. I thought her performance was jaw-dropping. At this point, I expect Jessica Lange to be great--and she was--but I was frankly a bit surprised at how accomplished Barrymore was.

It was that rare thing where the physical and vocal impression was absolutely spot on, and yet that's only the starting point for the performance.

Only the original, actually. (And then, of course, the Bway show.)

Sorry. Drew is not a good actress; her perf in this was like her playing dress-up. Ms. Ebersole in the musical is still miles beyond Drew's one-note perf.

Ms. Lange on the other hand deserves the Emmy for Best Actress.

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Did she (Barrymore) manage to lose the lisp?