long time fan of the original grey garden documentary be probably pleased that this movie treatment of the subject would fill in some gap in the back story of these two unique denizen of eastern society how do they get to this . be the question that always come to mind when watch the maysles brother astonish 1975 chronicle . but i doubt that anyone be expect a movie that spend close to 70 % of it running time wallow in the most boring fictionalized melodrama see outside of network television in year and which relegate the fading diva of the dilapidated and gothic ruin we so know and love ( or hat and a the case may be ) to an afterthought . this be the kind of tv movie one would expect to be assign to the like of melissa joan hart and loni anderson ( or and perhaps and delta burke . ) . and maybe the like of them could have turn this into a fun wallow for 90 minute or so and up the camp value considerably . the two lead actress and of course and be the draw for everyone who watch this movie and they be each and to different degree and disappointing . collectively and though and theyre a disaster . jessica lange come closest and a big edie and to a convincing portrayal and since she build her character from the inside out and doesn not depend on impersonation and but still fall short because she hold back ( a have always be her habit a an actress ) and especially in the late scene . less be more be an invaluable guideline for actor and but sometimes you just have go a little bit more over the top and even toward the grotesque and when it depict a character more accurately . draw barrymore and on the other hand and depend on construct little edie from the outside in and and obviously do not get to spend enough time in that skin to ever own it . you get to see the gear move constantly accent . accent . accent . but you never get to see the force of nature that be the real little edie . the big problem and of course and be that these two opposite approach clash in every scene theyre in together and the two star do not appear to be act in the same movie . the depiction of al and david maysles a cardboard cutout be just appalling and too . that two such walk piece of cellophane could have come up with a documentary that be so full of passion and truth be incomprehensible . it be fascinate to watch the making of featurette that be include on the dvd release and which repeatedly alternate between scene from the original documentary and scene from the hbo movie . there be several time when i get lose a to whether i be look at jessica lange or the real big edie the demeanour and especially when she be languish in bed and be so similar . the same thing never happen with barrymore and little edie . whenever the real little edie appear on screen the energy level shoot up 10 fold . her cat like nervous attention and the intense gaze in her beady little eye and those kamikaze lurch at the camera none of those thing be present in barrymore performance . i give the film a rating of three here and just to acknowledge the excellent production value the costume and especially and be spectacular ( and unusually accurate in the 40 and 50 scene ) . but i will watch the real beales of east hampton a dozen time again before i sit through this travesty a second time .