‘Grey Gardens’ & ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ — Iconic Movies Filmed in the Hamptons — to Screen at Southampton Playhouse

'Grey Gardens', 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'. Photos courtesy of Southampton Playhouse

The East End on Film

Remember the scene in Annie Hall when the lobster tries to escape the pot? It was shot at a home in Amagansett facing Gardiner’s Bay (the beach scenes were filmed on Dune Road in Westhampton Beach).

How about those fancy oceanfront homes of the rich Wall Streeters in The Bonfire of the Vanities, or that gorgeous oceanfront property featured in Something’s Gotta Give? Yes, those are homes in the Hamptons.

There’s no shortage of memorable movie scenes filmed on the East End of Long Island, and to that end, the Southampton Playhouse’s new series, East End Cinema, celebrates the region and the filmmakers who make movies here.

This week, audiences on the East End can revisit two iconic films shot in the Hamptons when the Southampton Playhouse screens Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) on Tuesday, Nov. 11, and Grey Gardens (1975 documentary) on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

“Meet me in Montauk.”

As the site of the emotional reunion in one of the greatest on-screen romances of all time, “The End” played a crucial role in this Oscar-winning achievement from director Michel Gondry and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman.

‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ (2004) Photo courtesy of Southampton Playhouse

Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet meet on a train from Queens to Montauk, and the rest is, well, movie history. Carrey delivers a moving performance as a man who signs up for an experimental process to forget his ex-girlfriend (Winslet), only to find that he’s haunted by memories at every turn.

Following the screening, there will be a Q&A with cinematographer and filmmaker Ellen Kuras, who will talk about her experiences shooting in the area.

Screening: Tuesday, Nov. 11, 6 p.m.

Grey Gardens (1975 Documentary)

Fifty years later, the fascination with the aristocratic mother-daughter duo—both named Edith Beale—who lived in disrepair in East Hampton with a bunch of cats and an imagination beyond wild is still going strong.

‘Grey Gardens’ (1975). Photo courtesy of Southampton Playhouse

The quirky, fantastical Beales, “Big Edie” and “Little Edie,” who happened to be relatives of Jackie O’s, captivated filmmakers Albert and David Maysles and, subsequently, audiences who were rapt with their imagined world.

Co-director Muffie Meyer, associate producer Susan Froemke, and Albert’s daughter, Rebekah Maysles, will be present for the 50th-anniversary screening at the Southampton Playhouse and will take part in a Q&A discussion reflecting on the legacy of this seminal achievement in Hamptons cinema.

Screening: Wednesday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m.

If You Go

For more information and tickets, visit southamptonplayhouse.com

Southampton Playhouse, 43 Hill Street, Southampton, NY 11968

Angela LaGreca

Editor, Co-Founder/Publisher

Angela LaGreca, Editor-in-chief and co-Founder/Publisher of Spark Hamptons, is a four-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, producer, writer and comedian/host. Her TV credits include NBC’s “Today,” ABC’s “The View,” and, most recently, the primetime cable news program “Cuomo” on NewsNation. On the East End, she was the Creative Director at LTV, VP Features/Events/Photo Editor at Dan’s Papers, and has performed at Guild Hall, Bay Street Theater and the WHBPAC. Her publishing career began at Modern Photography, where she was managing editor. LaGreca lives in Manhattan and East Hampton and can be reached at angelatvmedia@gmail.com and angela@sparkhamptons.com .