Robert Redford's Opening Remarks Sundance 2012
By Chris J. Russo (doddleNEWS)
Opening up the Sundance Film Festival this year was the highly anticipated documentary, “Queen of Versailles,” by director Lauren Greenfield, which features billionaires Jackie and David Siegel in a “rags to riches to rags” Amercian Dream story told in epic proportions. Being a fan of Lauren Greenfield’s film work (“Thin” and “Kids and Money,” both previous Sundance documentaries), and a fan of her photography work, I was anxious to see her latest film and also curious about all the controversy sparked just days ago. The Huffington Post reported last week that Florida developer and main subject of the documentary, David A. Siegel, had filed a federal lawsuit alleging defamation against the Sundance Institute, seeking $75,000 in damages from the Institute and $75,000 from the filmmakers in “unspecified punitive damages,” which arose from the press and marketing materials distributed by Sundance. This would be the first time David’s wife, Jackie would see the documentary, who was acknowledged in the audience after the film.
Prior to the screening, Redford took the stage in usual form on opening night, to introduce the festival. “Sometimes the point of who we and why we’re here gets blurred, so I would just like to point out the fact that we are about the independent filmmaking artists, we always have been and we always will be. (Insert loud applause here.) And it’s about our support. We’re basically responders to the needs of those independent artists. So all the programming and all that we do is in keeping with that.” Following Redford remarks, Festival Director John Cooper gave props to the presenting sponsors of the festival and then introduced a nervous Lauren Greenfield. “This film has been my labor of love for the last three years and it is an overwhelming thrilling and humbling honor to share it with you in the magical environment of the Eccles on the opening night of Sundance 2012. This is a movie about dreams, both collective and individual and what happens when life doesn’t go as planned and what is found and what is lost along the way.”
"Queen of Versailles"
“Queen of Versailles” is both a fascinating, yet tragic portrayal of the Siegel family — David’s rise to fame as a timeshare billionaire and his trophy wife, Jackie by his side, with their 8 children,14 housekeepers and numerous dogs (both alive and stuffed) all reaching for the pinnacle of the American Dream, where success means you can build the biggest house — 90,000 sq. ft. — just “because you can.” Living large with limo drivers, private planes, yachts, a Rolls Royce and big plans for a big house, all seems like a normal lifestyle for the rich and famous until the 2008 financial crisis hits and things begin to crumble. The kids are taken out of private school, the family has to fly coach and things seem to turn upside down in the Siegel mansion, to the point where David chastises his kids for unnecessarily leaving all the lights on.
For two people who came from nothing, their ride to the top and then back to humble means is not only a testament to the changes that our economy is having on individuals, but also an example of the reckless nature the banks have had on American families. Lending “cheap money” and inspiring greed to those who are duped into believing that they are just building on the American Dream, and ultimately forcing people to live way above their means.
Greenfield’s access to the family is incredible and the trust she gains from everyone is almost unbelievable. Jackie, a friendly and warm-hearted wife is constantly showing her vulnerable side when her husband claims to not know the difference between business and personal. What is attractive about Jackie and the characters in the documentary is their non-pretentiousness, when most people in this billionaire economic bracket, would be more guarded. At the end of the day, the struggle that the Siegel’s go through, even though they are a slice of the 1%, seem vaguely similar to the plight of the average American family trying to avoid their own foreclosure. Fascinating and disturbing at the same time, “Queen of Versailles” is a riveting portrayal and one not to be missed.
About Chris J. Russo
Chris, Your review is spot on!
I saw this movie today & think your last paragraph nailed it.
“Greenfield’s access to the family is incredible and the trust she gains from everyone is almost unbelievable. … the struggle that the Siegel’s go through, even though they are a slice of the 1%, seem vaguely similar to the plight of the average American family trying to avoid their own foreclosure. Fascinating and disturbing at the same time”
Great review.