“[The Queen of Versailles](http://www.magpictures.com/thequeenofversailles/),” a success at last year’s True/False Film Fest, premiered at Ragtag Cinema this past week.
The documentary is centered around the life of David and Jacqueline Siegel and their eight children, and their mission to construct the largest home in America modeled after Louis XIV’s Palace of Versailles.
Jacqueline is the main focus of this seemingly extravagant tale. She climbed her way up the social ladder from a small town to become wife of “Time-Share King” David Siegel, who made his fortune through the creation of Westgate Resorts, the largest timeshare company in the world. She is the woman everyone loves to hate: the blonde housewife with numerous plastic surgeries who flaunts her 1993 Mrs. Florida title and displays her modeling pictures in a house full of kids and hired help.
The opening scene forces you to chuckle at the family members’ sheer oblivion to reality as classical music sets the scene for a shot of every marble statue, family portrait and grand staircase in their current home … that they claim to be growing _out_ of. Hence, the reason for building the Versailles replica, obviously. During the rest of the intro, David explains his booming business and major influence in society at large while Jacqueline and the kids clearly do not have a worry in the world.
As the film progresses, the audience comes to realize that this is much more than the story of an over-the-top construction project. What seems like the portrayal of a disgustingly wealthy, materialistic American family in reality becomes a representation of how economic crises truly do affect everyone. As the construction of their 90,000-square-foot home is in progress, the 2008 recession hits hard. Westgate Resorts suffers immensely, and David is forced to shut down many branches and lay off thousands of employees.
Jacqueline’s complexities and true intelligence shine through the superficialities and her unpleasant reality as a mother and wife to David comes into play. The Versailles project is shut down, and essentially all hell breaks loose. In a matter of 20 minutes, the tone shifts from unapologetic criticism of our society’s billionaires to desperate hope for the Siegel family to pull through. The symbolism in this documentary is prominent and the authenticity of this family’s struggles, economically and emotionally, is easy to see.
True shock value is something that many modern movie plots cannot seem to grasp, but the producers of “The Queen of Versailles” hit the nail on the head. The emotional distress experienced as an audience member is something that’s difficult to express; in a sense, you become a member of the Siegel family. You worry for the kids, you stress over the company, you weep for the nannies and your heart hurts for Jacqueline who is desperately trying to hold her family together with a smile on her face. This film addresses monumental societal issues in a manner that anyone can relate to and understand. Everyone should take the time to see this film and experience a type of reality that no TLC show will ever satisfy.