L-R Jane Stevens and Michelle Esrick/photo by Donielle Prince
Cracked Up, a documentary by filmmaker Michelle Esrick premiering this November in New York City, powerfully documents the personal struggles of comedian and former “Saturday Night Live” actor Darrell Hammond as he struggles with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The film was shown in a private screening at the 2018 National ACEs Conference in San Francisco. It was followed by a Q&A with Esrick and Jane Stevens, founder and publisher of ACEs Connection and ACEsTooHigh.
Esrick brings the viewer face-to-face with Hammond as we first witness his dead-on impersonations of Clinton, Bush, and other high-profile figures on SNL, and then later watch him in moments of raw vulnerability as he confronts his past and pushes on.
It’s not until later in life that Hammond is correctly diagnosed with ACEs – after having been misdiagnosed with different mental illnesses and medicated for 40 years. As a result of his childhood trauma, he became addicted to drugs and alcohol as well as self-injury.
Although Hammond exposes his pain openly, Esrick paces her subject’s discussions about it slowly, so that we as viewers can absorb the trauma experience ourselves without being so shocked that we would distance ourselves, as Hammond did himself for so many years. Gradually and skillfully, the filmmaker directly draws us into Hammond’s persona — both his comedic genius at imitating people and his emotional fragility — so that we begin to feel what he feels.
Balancing the trauma, the film also shows how Hammond was able to heal with the help of an insightful trauma-informed psychiatrist. Instead of medications, he uses yoga and other types of healing. And now, in addition to his comedic performances, as an advocate he tells his story. (Esrick reports that after a private viewing of the film by members of Congress who were considering trauma-informed care provisions in new legislation tackling the opioid epidemic, Hammond and Esrick were both invited to share their personal ACEs stories. Here’s a link to a story about the legislation.)
This compellingly directed film is sure to enhance awareness of ACEs science as well as promote the widespread adoption of practices for developing resilience. And on a personal level, for the millions of people who have suffered from ACEs, this film offers insights and hope for recovery.
For news and updates about the movie, go to crackedupmovie.com
Comments (2)