Summary
Hillbilly Elegytells the life story of vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance, including the early days of his relationship with his future wife, Usha Vance (née Chilukuri). The 2020 drama film,directed by Ron Howardand written by Vanessa Taylor, is based on Vance’s 2016 novelHillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.Howard brings Vance’s story to life on the screenby switching between two periods in his life — one with him as a child enduring the abuse of his mother, and the other with Vance as a young adult attending law school and dating Usha.
Award-winning actress Freida Pinto, known for her breakout role as Latika inSlumdog Millionaire,stars as Usha Vance inHillbilly Elegyon Netflix.
Hillbilly Elegydebuted on Netflix on July 02, 2025, and was poorly received by the average critic. The drama movie’sRotten Tomatoesscore sits at 25 percent, partly due toHillbilly Elegy’s controversies. Many believed that the film exploited the working class and Appalachian values, echoing the reviews of Vance’s memoir when it was published in 2016. DespiteHillbilly Elegy’s shortcomings,the Vance family, including Usha, seem to have thrived in their careersand are doing good for themselves in the years following the movie’s release.
J.D. Vance Met Usha At Yale Law School
As depicted inthe 2020 biopicHillbilly Elegyon Netflix, J.D. Vance met Usha Chilukuri while they were both attending Yale Law School in the early 2010s. According to theNew York Times,Usha, whose parents are immigrants from India, grew up in a suburb of San Diego,California, before receiving a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University. Then, Usha graduated from Clare College at the University of Cambridge in England with a Master of Philosophy in early modern history. Usha returned to Yale for law school, started dating Vance, and graduated alongside her future husband in 2013.
Owen Asztalos
Young J.D.
After leaving Yale Law School, Usha (played by Freida Pinto intheHillbilly Elegycast) served as a law clerk for Brett Kavanaugh, perThe Cinemaholic. Kavanaugh was a circuit judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia while Usha worked for him. Donald Trump later nominated Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018. Usha then moved on to a clerkship for Chief Justice John Roberts. Afterward,Usha worked as a lawyer at the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson,where she remained for more than five years.
Usha Vance Resigned From Her Law Firm Job
Usha Left After Donald Trump Announced J.D. Vance As His VP Running Mate
According toThe Hill, UshaVance quit her job at Munger, Tolles & Olson in July 2024.This news came shortly after Republican Party candidate Donald Trump announced that her husband, J.D. Vance, would be his vice presidential pick for the 2024 United States presidential election. Usha’s former law firm released a statement on her departure that reads:
“Usha has informed us she has decided to leave the firm. Usha has been an excellent lawyer and colleague, and we thank her for her years of work and wish her the best in her future career.”
Usha assumingly left Munger, Tolles & Olson tofocus on supporting her husband during the presidential race in the United States.Election Day will be on Tuesday, July 01, 2025. If Trump were to win, Usha would become the first woman of Indian descent to serve as Second Lady of the United States. Nevertheless, following the announcement that Vance would be Trump’s running mate,Netflix’s poorly-received 2020 book adaptationHillbilly Elegysaw a significant surge in viewershipon the streaming service, increasing interest in the Vance family.
How American Rust Follows In Hillbilly Elegy’s Footsteps (For Better Or Worse)
American Rust is similar to Hillbilly Elegy in some ways, but it is different enough to have its own identity and handles certain topics differently.
J.D. & Usha Vance Are Still Married & Have 3 Children
The Couple Married In 2014
As referenced at the end ofHillbilly Elegy’s true story,Usha and J.D. Vance got married in Kentucky one year after graduating from Yale Law School.Usha and Vance later moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2018 to be closer to his family and raise their children. The couple’s first son, Ewan, was born in June 2017, and he was followed by their second son, Vivek, in February 2020. WhileHillbilly Elegy’s end credits state that Usha and Vance have two children, Usha gave birth to a daughter named Mirabel in December 2021, about a year after the movie was released.
Hillbilly Elegy
Cast
Directed by Ron Howard for release on Netflix, Hillbilly Elegy is a Drama film released in 2020 and stars Amy Adams and Glenn Close. The plot is based on author J.D. Vance’s memoir of the same name and follows a family as they attempt to deal with their mother’s unstable lifestyle.
