The Queen of Versailles
| The Queen of Versailles | |
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Film poster
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| Directed by | Lauren Greenfield |
| Produced by | Lauren Greenfield Danielle Renfrew Behrens |
| Starring | Jackie Siegel David A. Siegel |
| Music by | Jeff Beal |
| Cinematography | Tom Hurwitz |
| Edited by | Victor Livingston |
| Distributed by |
Magnolia Pictures Evergreen Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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100 minutes (also 55 minutes version exists) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2,401,999 |
The Queen of Versailles is a 2012 American documentary film by Lauren Greenfield. The film depicts Jackie Siegel and David Siegel, owners of Westgate Resorts, and their family as they build their private residence — Versailles, one of the largest and most expensive single-family houses in the United States — and the crisis they face as the U.S. economy declines.
David Siegel is the wealthy owner of Westgate Resorts, a timeshare company in Florida. His wife Jackie Siegel, thirty years his junior, was the winner of the Mrs. Florida pageant in 1993. They begin construction on the Versailles house, a mansion modeled on the Palace of Versailles. Located on the outskirts of Orlando, it would be one of the largest single-family detached homes in the United States if completed (the largest being the Biltmore Estate at 178,926 square feet).
However, Siegel's company is badly affected by the Great Recession in 2008 and his family struggles to cope with their reduced income. Construction on the new house is halted, most of their servants are laid off and their pets are neglected. David retreats into his office, determined to save his property venture in Las Vegas. Jackie struggles to rein in her compulsive shopping habits. The children and their nanny are also interviewed. The film ends with none of their issues resolved.
The film was reviewed positively.
The documentary won the U.S. Directing Award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, the Grand Jury Prize from the Brisbane International Film Festival, and a Best Director Award from the RiverRun Film Festival. "The Queen of Versailles" was also nominated for Best Documentary Film, 2012, by the International Documentary Association (IDA). It was broadcast on BBC Four as part of the Storyville series.
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