Running from Crazy

Everyone else is hating on Mariel -- you know, she's blonde, she's pretty, she must die -- but really I thought this documentary was pretty good. You can see how much she loves her daughters, Dree and Langley, and how they're working to build lives of their own outside the Hemingway curse.

What's missing is the wonderful self-knowledge and wry sense of humor Mariel shows as a writer, especially in Out Came the Sun. Read that if you really want to know how Mariel Hemingway looks at life.

A superior film where the subject--Mariel Hemingway--takes stock of the various skeletons in the Hemingway closet. Suicide, depression, mental illness, substance abuse and incest are all approached with unflinching honesty and this film shows the fierce resilience on Mariel's part not to repeat the cycle of despair and tragedy that has haunted this family's history. Beautifully filmed with wonderful footage taken in 1984 when Mariel's sister Margeaux was attempting to make a film herself. Mariel is determined to offer her daughters an escape from the cycle despair and suicide that has haunted this family for three generations. Barabara Kopple does a masterful job of capturing all the drama in the Hemingway family history.

Mariel Hemingway could have done a little less about herself in this. I do get that she wanted to show her life, and how she deals with a family legacy of mental illness and suicide. But whoever had creative control on this, could have edited that down. A lot. Whether it was her or Barbara Kopple the director, the point of healthy living was made early on. But nonetheless it was an important Documentary from the perspective of suicide awareness, with a deeply personal look on what the triggers were in her immediate family. My take on this though, is that her success prevents any triggers that could lead her down the same slope that her sister Margaux went down. Healthy living helps, but it doesn't insulate you from the curve-balls life throws you. She's not out of the woods, nor will she ever be. I myself have a family legacy of mental illness, and I know this to be true. She needs to be applauded as its very hard to seek help, especially if you come from a headstrong family. I hope anyone with similar histories, gets the same thing out of it that I got. Which is that helplessness against these feelings, is not a self fulfilling prophecy. But she neglected the preventative solutions. We can get help. Its as easy as picking up a phone. Sometimes its easier to talk to a stranger about it, than someone who knows you on a suicide hot line. I just wish this documentary had stated that.

I wanted to love this. I watched it a few times. Suicide is a terrible thing, but I wondered if incest was the factor in that family that caused the suicide. People are not necessarily born depressed, but they can be made depressed. However, the only people who were compelling in this documentary were Muffet and Margot. They were the soul sisters of that family. Mariel is really selfish and lazy when it comes to thinking of or helping anyone else, especially her sister Muffet. I was really angry to see that Mariel was living the high life and she refused to help Muffet who was dirt poor and mentally ill. That immorality was enough for me to not ever watch another film with her in it. It was a sad case of attention seeking. There should be a sequel of how to help Muffet, which would be well received.

Great family sharing so honest and brave so much courage to deal with family issues .To be able to look at ourselves and our families with balance and truth. Evidence that the truth will set you free. Also about addiction and alcoholism how insidious it is and how it gets hold of people and just won't stop. Mariel Hemingway is far more beaufitul a woman on the inside and in soul than her outside looks