"Hillbilly Elegy": Movie Review
Written By Alex Greenbaum
The harsh critical analysis and political divisiveness "Hillbilly Elegy" has formed is puzzling. While the film does lack in the editing and storytelling department, its two tremendous performances by an unrecognizable Glenn Close and a predictably excellent performance by Amy Adams are just enough to warrant a recommendation.
Growing up in the Appalachian culture, J.D.Vance (Gabriel Basso) battles his mother's drug addiction and tumultuous upbringing, all based on the best selling memoir by Vance.
Glenn Close and Amy Adams deliver impeccable performances, further solidifying their positions as actors of a generation. But it's Basso's unengaging delivery and forced cadence that represents a baffling miscast, that leads to some comical sequences and unfortunate spoon-feeding. From the narration to the flashbacks, "Hillbilly Elegy" diminishes its own heartbreak frequently by interrupting its flow with Hallmark-Esque melodrama.
Director Ron Howard ("Parenthood", "Cocoon") and writer Vanessa Taylor ("The Shape Of Water") attempt to adapt Vance's memoir with mixed results. While Howard's touching and poignant direction hasn't dissipated, and Adams and Close deserve (at the very least) Oscar nominations, "Hillbilly Elegy is missing some key elements that would have elevated its mediocre material. What could have been nothing short of a remarkable story is diluted by Howard's deeply flawed vision.
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