Grey Gardens, the outstanding 1975 cult documentary from the Maysles brothers (Gimme Shelter), offered a glimpse into the bizarre world of Edith Bouvier Beale and her adult daughter of the same name. Relatives of Jackie Kennedy, the Beales lived in abject squalor in their formerly grand home on Long Island, New York. Taking that documentary as inspiration and with many scenes in common, this is a biopic of "Big" Edie (Jessica Lange) and "Little" Edie (Drew Barrymore) that depicts their lives both before and after their fall from grace. The film belies its TV-movie origins, with lovingly re-created sets and fantastic costumes, while Barrymore's Golden Globe-winning performance really stands out. She's simply brilliant as the eccentric daughter, going beyond mere impersonation to embody the spirit of a troubled woman attempting to break free from a bitter and controlling mother. Barrymore's sparkle means that everyone and everything else can sometimes feel flat in comparison, but this is still an evocative portrait of women on the edge.

Based on the life stories of the eccentric aunt and first cousin of Jackie Onassis raised as Park Avenue débutantes but who withdrew from New York society, taking shelter at their Long Island summer home, "Grey Gardens." As their wealth and contact with the outside world dwindled, so did their grasp on reality.