Sundance London 2013: Running from Crazy

Friday 26^th April, 8.45pm – O2 Cineworld (Screen 6)

Saturday 27^th April, 12.00pm – O2 Cineworld (Sky Superscreen)

Sunday 28^th April, 3.15pm – O2 Cineworld (Screen 9)

Running from Crazy is a documentary that will set your emotions tumbling and your mind whirring. It revolves around the Hemingway family and the pattern of mental illness that has followed them through the generations.

Mariel Hemingway, who is an actress and the granddaughter of famous novelist Ernest Hemingway, speaks honestly and openly with the camera, leading the discussion on her family’s past. She talks of her childhood and growing up with her mother, father and two older sisters Joan (also known as Muffet), and Margot, who later changed the spelling to Margaux after learning that her parents conceived her on a bottle of Château Margaux.

Initially, the central idea of the analysis is the way in which mental illness can be hereditary, and with seven relatives lost to suicide, Mariel projects her anxieties about her two daughters having the same problems in the future.

While there’s a definite sense of activism in the documentary as Mariel attends suicide prevention events and talks, this aspect is vague and fizzles out against the real focus of the documentary – the fascinating Hemingways themselves.

Interview and archive footage from a documentary by Margaux, portray the family with vulnerability and deep emotion, whilst making the presence of Margaux especially strong throughout. When it is revealed that she also committed suicide, a powerful sadness is evoked.

Mariel has found an escape from such troubles in a strong love of nature and fitness that keeps her mind active. The documentary does not give any clear answers as to why the Hemingway family have suffered such difficult lives, but instead offers the chance to better understand them and the way mental illness can creep up over the years.

Running from Crazy is a moving piece that does well at dealing with a difficult topic and raising awareness of depression and suicide, whilst simultaneously providing a truly interesting insight into a family living in its shadow. 

Verdict: [rating=3] 

Amber Bryce 

Running from Crazy is released in the UK later this year.

Read more reviews from the Sundance Film and Music Festival 2013 here.

For further information about the Sundance Film and Music Festival 2013 visit here.

Watch the trailer for Running from Crazy here: