That Summer is not so much for fans of Grey Garden but to those who wanted an even deeper look into the real characters (Big and Little Edie) of Gret Garden. In fact, That Summer is harder to watch for several reasons. For Starters, Grey Garden showcases the truth with kiddie gloves. While That Summer truly shows how unstable and unpredictable Little Edie was. Let alone mentally ill, Little Edie was beyond delusional. Big Edie's so-called imprisonment of each other was not only for their protection to shelter and to hide from reality, but to avoid the shame of what had happened to the family. Grey Gardens may have always been grey but not broken. It was not until the downfall of the family when the men left, the money dried up and the once beautiful mansion fell to disarray. The result is what we see in Grey Gardens and Last Summer exploits. Bottom line, although family and friends helped them by fixing up the house and feeding them, the price for such was to exploit their fall to the public eye. Like Charlie Chaplin's the Tramp kicking the backside of someone higher up than him is the same reason why we as an audience have showcased the two Edie's, it makes us feel superior as the Rich have fallen without their wealth. We sadly embrace the pathetic-ness of the two Edie's to make us feel better, rather than to observe and to dissect an economic observation on what happened to these Long Island aristocrats. Much like the Artists mentioned in the first half of the story, the two Edie's lived in a fantasy. One more glamorous than the other within the eye of the beholder, one still needs to question the overall moral their story tells the audience. As a study of Art or the study of Class or the study of the Human condition, one can argue that their story still is worth exploring, whether it be deemed exploitation or entertainment.
Review of That Summer
