My high expectations and enthusiasm for this movie eroded just like the lifestyle of Big and Little Edie......<br /><br />To begin on a positive note, Kalina Ivanov and her production team deserve all the awards and accolades they can get. The attention to detail, the resurrection of pre-squalor Grey Gardens and period settings is amazing. Kudos to the beautiful costume design too.<br /><br />From there, it's all downhill. Drew Barrymore is embarrassingly bad. Every line she spoke came across as if she had rehearsed it a few hundred times. It removes her spiritually from each scene. She never quite nails the accent, which becomes almost unbearable. There are a few moments where Little Edie comes through, but it's not enough to keep Drew above water. I wish another actress on par with Jessica Lange could have tackled the role. Alas.<br /><br />Jessica Lange was fine as Big Edie. No one else could have done it better, but she too came across as over-rehearsed and sing-song. There are no excuses for her terrible singing.<br /><br />The direction and soundtrack were very "made for TV movie." <br /><br />It's like that disaster of a movie Titanic. It's bad, it could have been so much better, but it's never going to be re-made again. Too bad.<br /><br />Stick with, and cherish, the Maysles documentaries.<br /><br />I may watch this again to soften my stance, perhaps. I'm not going to make it a priority.