Summary
Netflix releasedHillbilly Elegyin November 2020, and critics and audiences immediately began sharing their concerns with the story and portrayal of some subjects, resulting in controversy that overshadowed everything else the movie had to offer. The 2020 drama film, directed by Ron Howard and written by Vanessa Taylor, is based on Ohio Senator (and Donald Trump’s 2024 vice-presidential running mate) J.D. Vance’s 2016 memoir of the same name.Hillbilly Elegy’s true storydepicts Vance’s upbringing in Middletown, Ohio, and his family’s Appalachian valuesas his mother’s family is from Breathitt County, Kentucky.
Despite its controversies,Hillbilly Elegywas nominated for two Oscars — one for Best Supporting Actress for Glenn Close and the second for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
In 2020, Howard adapted Vance’s book into a Netflix film, andthe cast ofHillbilly Elegyincluded Amy Adams as Beverly (Vance’s mother), Glenn Close as Bonnie (Vance’s grandmother), and Gabriel Basso as Vance himself. AlthoughHillbilly Elegyhad a limited run in theaters, the movie made its way to Netflix shortly after, and negative reviews soon followed. Some of the cast members were applauded for their performances. However,the consensus surroundingHillbilly Elegywas relatively negativesince many expressed that the film perpetuated stereotypes about Appalachia and the lower class.
Hillbilly Elegy Has Been Criticized For Its Depiction Of Appalachia & The Working Class
Many Questioned The 2020 Film’s Accuracy
Hillbilly Elegy,which hasa 25% Tomatometer scoreonRotten Tomatoes,was the center of controversy for its portrayal of Appalachian values and the working class. Severalreviews ofHillbilly Elegypointed outthe dangerous generalized interpretations of the characters who originated from the Appalachian region and their stories.The A.V. Club’s review sums up the complaints: The movie “views its subjects as zoo animals, offering the same enduring stereotypes about Appalachia — namely, that it’s full of people too ignorant to realize that they’re being victimized by their own bad choices.”
Owen Asztalos
Young J.D.
Overall, the controversy surroundingHillbilly Elegyboiled down to the fact that many believedthe Ron Howard movieexploited the culture it depicts. Critics claimed that Netflix’s film blamed the working class for their problems instead of showcasing the systems that have failed them over the years and the larger issues at play. Ultimately, audiences felt as ifHillbilly Elegygroups the people of Appalachia into one category.
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. Vance’s Memoir Was Controversial Before It Was Made Into A Movie
Critics Pointed Out The Same Issues When Vance’s Novel Was Published In 2016
Before the Netflix film premiered in 2020, J.D. Vance’sHillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisisreceived several complaints following its publication in 2016. Most of the criticisms were similar to the content ofHillbilly Elegy’s negative reviews. While speaking toPolitico,Appalachian writer Silas House summarized the book’s controversy and expressed his concerns with the novel. House said:
“One of the most troubling things to me about the book is that it talks a lot about unemployment and poverty, domestic violence, the opioid crisis, but it never gives you context for why those things exist the way they do in Appalachia. For anybody who really knows the region, it’s a deeply troubling book because it’s so misleading, and it lacks so much context, and he knew exactly what he was doing.”
Four years before the film was released, many had problems with Vance’s memoir and its accuracy. Like House, they believed thatthe book reinforced stereotypes regarding Appalachia.There were also questions about the intentions of Vance in writing it and the conclusions he draws, not just about Appalachia, but about it oversimplifying the lure Donald Trump has for “hillbillies” of rural areas. Consequently, those same concerns popped up afterHillbilly Elegydebuted in late 2020, a few weeks after the United States presidential election.
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.
