J.D. Vance’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ hits on many levels
J.D. Vance is making the news a lot here not just in the past week, but for some time as an author, veteran and politician. He first came onto the media and literary scene with his 2016 bestselling book Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, which became a NYT Best Seller. Many outlets positively received the book. He was encouraged to write his memoir by his law professor Amy Chua, who authored Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. His book caught the eye of people in Hollywood like Ron Howard and Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment.
Howard is known for his roles in The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days while directing such hits as Splash, Cocoon, Willow, Backdraft, Apollo 13, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Beautiful Mind (which he won the Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture), Cinderella Man, The Da Vinci Code, Rush and Solo: A Star Wars Story. His films have grossed over $4B at the box office. Howard definitely seems like the right guy to like your book. Grazer collaborated on many of the aforementioned films with Howard and shares the Best Picture Oscar for A Beautiful Mind with him. Grazer’s films have grossed over $6B at the box office and also seems like the right kind of guy to option your book.
Hillbilly Elegy’s rights were purchased by Imagine Entertainment in 2017 and it came out on Netflix in November 2020. It stars some heavy hitters and newer faces on the screen with powerhouse actresses Glenn Close (Bonnie, his grandmother) and Amy Adams (Bev, his mom) being paired with Gabriel Basso (J.D.), Haley Bennett (Lindsay Vance) and Freida Pinto (Usha, J.D.’s girlfriend). Of note, Bo Hopkins, who plays Vance’s grandfather, stars in his final film role after a career that began in the mid-1960s, and he was a veteran of the U.S. Army in the 101st Airborne Division before coming to Hollywood. Close and Adams received multiple award nominations with Close receiving a nomination for Best Supporting Actress by the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Adams earned a nomination from the SAG Awards with Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role.
The film itself is a gripping tale about J.D. Vance’s growing up in Kentucky and Middleton, Ohio, in the 1990s and 2000s dealing with the struggles of a broken and troubled Appalachian family that holds together based upon loyalty, hard work and duty. Through the film we see Vance join the Corps and his journey through Yale Law School while his mother has another emotional collapse. These are all in light of the family’s fights with drug abuse, neglect and poor choices by their leaders. Glenn Close and Amy Adams steal the show with their gripping and grounded portrayals. Basso holds his own as Vance and displays a range of emotional moments on screen that we viscerally feel. I was drawn in by the performances, direction, cinematography and locations used for the project. Howard truly captures the 90s Midwest and the emotional life of troubled families to a “T.” Howard can recognize make-believe “Mayberry” versus the real-world Mayberry, and Andy’s not the town sheriff nor is everything “okay” down at the station or in Mount Airy.
The storyline begins in 1997 and follows J.D.’s life from the age of about 13 onward. We get flashbacks about his grandparents as they drive through Middleton, which has certainly changed from 1940s America to the 90s and today. We witness the in-home family drama that affects the children at school and how it is “glossed” over at times as there may not be any other choice. He is dealt a hand of cards that he must play to survive and plays at times because he has no real strong parental guidance outside of his grandmother. J.D. pressed forward in light of bad leadership and learned many valuable moral lessons such as picking the company you keep and not stealing even if it is an important calculator for school. Bev Vance’s character onscreen deals with changing boyfriends at a near-cyclic rate while her son attempts to find a father figure. Mamaw Vance steps in continuously to ensure J.D. is raised with some discipline, education and guidance, even if he doesn’t want it.
Vance makes it through to the end through the breakdowns of his mother, the death of his grandfather, getting mixed in with the wrong crowds and toying with breaking the law. We feel for him, his mother, his grandmother and his older sister, Lindsay, who attempts to protect J.D. from the family’s turmoil and dysfunction. Vance’s relationship with Lindsay is stressed and shows her character’s level-headed attitude in the chaos of their home life. Vance relies on her for advice, stability and wisdom. The film and book serve as a testament to the people who do their best to survive, thrive and make it out of such lives in the face of poor examples, average schooling and fleeting opportunities. Vance does have bright spots like his wife Usha, whom he meets at Yale and who provides a solid emotional sounding board and support in his battles. Freida Pinto does fine work in her role as Usha and makes the audience feel her voice of reason and positivity in light of his setbacks. J.D. needed a grounded partner in his life and Usha is the right fit.
Hillybilly Elegy earns a 3.5 out of 4 Red Star Clusters from me and is a must-watch if you are interested in a real family drama with a positive ending. Having seen similar examples Vance experienced in my life makes this movie hit deeper on many levels. It will be an insight to some, a memory recall for others and a key warning to many about where your choices, both good and bad, can lead you and your family. Be prepared to watch and stay with it even as the gloves come off in the darkest of moments.
