MovieChat Forums > Grey Gardens (1975) Discussion > Competency Hearing for Both?

Competency Hearing for Both?

posted 13 years ago by AZINDN
12 replies | jump to latest

Given the decrepit filthy conditions that these women lived in, why didn't the sons have competency hearing for the mother and sister. The elder Beale probably could be determined to have senile dementia and the sister, lord, something is wrong with her, too. That the Kennedy cousins and their money could have easily taken care of their strange relatives, they could have shown some Christian charity towards these women. They institutionalized their sister who was lobotomized for the rest of her life. Seems this Bouvier family and the Kennedy's are guilty of turning a blind eye toward their kin. Shameful.

-- If Ewan McGregor were a lollipop I'd be a diabetic strumpet --

[–] lilypad183 13 years ago

"That the Kennedy cousins and their money could have easily taken care of their strange relatives"

the kennedys were in no way related to the beales. big edie's niece married jfk, that does not connect the families in any way.
they didn't live near each other, they didn't know each other and weren't connected in any family way.

jfk was assassinated in 1963, the doc was done in 1975. only jackie's children were related to the kennedys and they didn't know the beales either except that jackie had the children draw pictures for big edie once in a while when she sent her aunt a note at holidays.

why would the kennedys be obligated to care for people they didn't know? the kennedys are known for doing a lot of public service but they couldn't have gone door to door looking for people to help.

rosemary kennedy had the lobotomy about 1941, she was institutionalized for most of the rest of her life. she didn't have the surgery the rest of her life.
it was her father's decision to have the surgery, it wasn't a family decision, the family wasn't aware of the surgery until months later.

[–] Mr_Ectoplasma 13 years ago

It doesn't matter if the Edies weren't related to the Kennedys, because the Bouviers, whom they WERE related to, were extremely wealthy as well and could have helped them out. Little Edie was Jacqueline's cousin. Technically speaking, the Edies were 'related' to the Kennedys through marriage, just not blood relatives.

[–] lilypad183 13 years ago

"It doesn't matter if the Edies weren't related to the Kennedys, because the Bouviers, whom they WERE related to, were extremely wealthy as well and could have helped them out."

youshot,
there were very few bouviers left by the time big edie was broke. her parents were dead, as were her brothers. big edie entrusted her brother blackjack to invest the money her father left. he was an infamous gambler and he lost that money for her. that was her own stupidity.

jackie wasn't wealthy, she married money and kept most of it to herself. if the edies weren't willing to help themselves, why is the family obligated to step in?

[–] fiveforme 13 years ago

AZINDN - Why? They weren't hurting anyone. If the sons wanted to help, why not pay to have the water turned back on and have the house cleaned up? The problems the Edies had was due to lack of money. Big Edie loved that house, she'd lived their most of her life and didn't want to move. What’s wrong with that? Little Edie loved life, loved to sing, dance, and paint. She was outspoken and dared to design her own costumes. If she were alive today she would someone looked up to and admired, like Lady Gaga. As lilypad said, the Kennedy's weren't related to the Edies, why would they have any obligation to take care of their ‘strange’ relatives?

I think that too many people watch the documentary and make assumptions without doing any research. There are numerous books that talk about the Bouvier/Beale family. In fact, since the invention of the internet, you don't even need to buy books, you can find out - for free – how the Kennedy’s were related. While you're at it, look up how someone can be lobotomized for the rest of their life. The only shameful thing here is that you posted without doing any research whatsoever.

[–] lilypad183 13 years ago

"The problems the Edies had was due to lack of money."

lpp,
the sons had their own financial issues. they had families to care for and they paid the taxes on gg. were they supposed to pay all the expenses for gg and keep up the house?

how much were the sons obligated to help their mother who wouldn't help herself? she was content to live the way she did. that doesn't mean she was crazy, it meant she didn't want more of life.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] liscarkat (18460) 5 years ago

"The problems the Edies had was due to lack of money."

Mental illness and filth are not because of lack of money. I have experienced periods of extreme poverty, but have never pranced around like a lunatic or allowed my dwelling to be nasty. It doesn't cost anything to get rid of trash and garbage, sweep, and wipe up spills.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] lilypad183 13 years ago

"As women raised in the sheltered world of great wealth, they were intelligent and talented but never were taught basic life skills. All they needed was a business manager and a house keeper. The sons could have provided that."

lady,
are you serious?

mr bouvier didn't have great wealth, he worked daily. she was spoiled by her mother because she was obnoxious. it was easier to give in to her than to use common sense. eventually she was shunned by her family.

little edie never knew great wealth either but much less than her mother.
her father was broke by the time she was in high school. he also worked daily for a living but he wasn't as well off as mr bouvier.

big edie's sons were sent to boarding school until their father lost his money. they lived at gg until they finished high school and were basically ignored by their mother because she was so wrapped up in herself and her whims.
they left home as soon as they could and joined the military. she was never any kind of mother to them.

just exactly what kind of business manager would the ladies have needed since there was no business and only a very minimal income?

big edie was lucky her sons paid the taxes on the house, she never bothered with either of them and ignored their pleas to sell gg.

[–] Carolcan42 13 years ago

First of all the Edies were not related to the Kennedys. Neither one of the Edies belonged in a institution, they were eccentric not crazy.as for her sons ,well...they gave her what she gave them growing up....not much.

...Grace beats Karma

[–] SomeCodhopper (76) 5 years ago

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[–] Otter (24464) 5 years ago

First, both Edies could well have passed a proper competency hearing.

Second, if either had been committed, Edie's sons would either have had to condemn their mother or sister to a hellhole of a public mental hospital, or pay out of their own pockets. I think by backing off, they hoped that someone else, somewhere, the Kennedys or the local authorities or whatever, would take care of the situation for them. Because yeah, that's eventually what happened. Big Edie died of natural causes, and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis eventually gave Little Edie enough money to live quietly, out of the public eye.