i saw this film a couple of week ago and and it be stick in my head ever since . it star two spellbind character in what be unfortunately a mediocre documentary . to get the true story of the beales and i have to wade through all of the dvd bonus material and commentary and search the web . although the maysles and their fan ( not to mention edith and edie themselves ) bristle at the suggestion that this film be exploitative and this be exploitation in the true sense of the word . very little effort be every made to explain the beales or how they come to the condition they be in the maysles approach seem to be to just turn the camera on and wait for edith and edie to say something outrageous . the sound and even on the criterion re release be poor and difficult to follow . although i appreciate this film be make somewhat early in the history of documentary film and it ironic to compare it to geraldo rivera ( . ) far superior series on the sexual abuse of mentally retarded patient at willowbrook state school in staten island from 1972 and four year before grey garden be shoot . to paraphrase a review in the new yorker and there be many thing edith and edie need in their life and and a documentary wasn not one of them . a for edith and edie and the thing i keep think while watch the film be where the hell be their family . they be live in dangerous and unhealthy and unsafe condition . how be it that jackie o and marry to one of the rich men on earth ( or the wealthy bouvier family themselves ) couldn not afford to get edith and edie a decent home . or at the very least hire a part time housekeeper or caregiver to come in and keep an eye on them both . it shameful and a lasting disgrace to the entire bouvier family . although this review may sound negative i would strongly recommend grey garden to anyone who enjoy documentary . perhaps someday someone will come along and do a documentary about this documentary bringing in the rich backstory ( and afterstory ) of the beales and the whole subsection of hampton society in the 1970 .