‘Running from Crazy’ offers intimate look into Hemingway legacy

Nov. 7, 2014 | G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com

Barbara Kopple is a legendary figure among documentary filmmakers. She won the Academy Award for best feature documentary with her first production “Harlan County U.S.A.” in 1976. Her next feature documentary “American Dream” in 1990 won another Oscar.

Since then Kopple has directed additional documentaries, but has also helmed episodes of television shows such as “Homicide: Life on the Streets” and “Oz” as well as “Havoc,” a feature film starring Anne Hathaway.

Her new film is “Running From Crazy,” an intimate look at Mariel Hemingway, the actress and granddaughter of author Ernest Hemingway. The documentary reveals how Mariel has dealt with the fact there have been seven suicides in her family and that mental illness affected her two older sisters, one of whom committed suicide.

The film has just been released on DVD.

The film is both sympathetic and yet dares to show Mariel as a human being who has resorted to avoidance at times to handle her terrible legacy. She admits she doesn’t see her living older sister very often because the visits are too painful. She didn’t discuss her family history with her two daughters, who now as young women question the silence. 

For anyone who is interested in the issues that mental illness presents a family, this film is bound to cause a discussion, which is undoubtedly is its intent.

Kopple spoke to Reminder Publications about the making of the film and explained that prior to its production she had never met Mariel Hemingway. She explained that a friend of hers working for the cable television network owned by Oprah Winfrey, OWN, knew Hemingway and broached the subject of a documentary.

After Kopple and Hemingway talked during a brunch “for many hours” it was decided that Hemingway would participate in a “no holds barred” film.

At times the film can be painful to watch. At one point Hemingway discussed her feelings toward her older sister Margaux, who had committed suicide in 1996. A model and actress, Margaux suffered from addiction and a career that was over prematurely. Mariel revealed her guilt about her sister.   

Kopple said these moments came as part of a three-hour interview.

Kopple believes that Hemingway was able to “come to a place of light” through talking about her feelings and her family’s history.   

Kopple said the film took two years to prepare. What proved to add a lot to the film was the revelation that Margaux had intended to make a documentary of her own and had filmed hours of footage many years previous.

“Mariel didn’t know it existed,” Kopple said.

Kopple didn’t allow Mariel to see the footage until the film was finished.

“I didn’t want it to affect her memories,” she explained.

A member of her crew in Ketchum, Idaho, mentioned to Kopple that he had worked with Margaux on the film. Following various leads, Kopple discovered 43 hours of footage in an archive in Minnesota.

No one had ever asked for the material and Kopple was told, “You’re going to have to blow off the dust” from the film canisters."

“It was amazing material,” she said.

There was also an audio interview with Margaux that Kopple used as a voiceover in some scenes.

In one sequence, Margaux is re-tracing her grandfather’s steps and is at a bullfight during which she is almost gored.

“It was so heavy,” Kopple said, ”stepping into Margaux’s world.”

When asked what she prefers to direct – fiction or non-fiction – she replied, “I like doing it all.”

She explained, “I take what I’ve learned from non-fiction film to get the most real moments from actors.”

Kopple added that considering she was shot at when making “Harlan County U.S.A.,” actors don’t intimidate her.

Share this: