Lifetime to Spotlight Mental Illnesses in Five-Part Movie Event

LOS ANGELES: Call Me Crazy: A Five Film, a Lifetime original movie event made up of five interwoven shorts titled Lucy, Eddie, Allison, Grace and Maggie, is set to make its world premiere on Saturday, April 20 at 8 p.m.

Produced by Sony Pictures Television, Echo Films and Freestyle Picture Company, Call Me Crazy focuses on several different types of mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. It is an extension of the Five franchise that began in 2011 with the Lifetime original film Five.

The cast of Call Me Crazy is led by Jennifer Hudson, Melissa Leo, Octavia Spencer, Brittany Snow, Sarah Hyland, Sofia Vassilieva, Ernie Hudson, Jason Ritter, Jean Smart, Lea Thompson, Melanie Griffith and Chelsea Handler. It is executive produced by Jennifer Aniston, Marta Kauffman, Kristin Hahn, Kevin Chinoy and Francesca Silvestri, the executive producers of Five.

Aniston commented: "When we started researching this topic, we were all surprised to learn that one in four adults lives with some sort of mental illness. With so many people dealing with this in their private lives, there is still so much stigma and shame. It’s time we bring it out of the closet and into the light of day."

Kauffman remarked: "We are so proud to be a part of this powerful television event. To work with such amazingly talented directors, writers and actors, and for Lifetime to give us the opportunity to tackle such an important issue is nothing less than miraculous. We are extremely grateful to be able to shed even a little light on this topic, and we fervently hope that this is just the beginning of the mental health discussion in our country."

"We are thrilled to have such a brilliant ensemble of talent—both in front of and behind the camera—on this film, which uses dramatic and comedic storytelling to capture one of the most relevant issues our country faces today," said Rob Sharenow, the executive VP of programming for Lifetime Networks.

"After the success of Five, it is a privilege to collaborate again on Call Me Crazy: A Five Film," said Helen Verno, the executive VP of movies and miniseries for Sony Pictures Television. "This brilliant team of executive producers has gathered an extraordinary cast and an exemplary team of directors and writers to create an innovative approach to address the serious subject matter of mental illness."