Hillbilly Elegy - Movie Review

In Hillbilly Elegy we see a poignant and yet snarky journey of a J.D. Vance, portrayed by Gabriel Basso, as he tries to come to terms with his haunting past and his stymied Appalachian family. J.D. is recalled from his Ivy League life after a family emergency, recalled back to his back story my crazy, wild, crazy crazy mother Bev, played by Amy Adams, and the very formidable, very in charge valley matriarch Mamaw, whom I played, whose very...fierce, played by Glenn Close. Over time, the film weaves J.D.s present with his past, when he struggles to negotiate his legacy as son of a drug addict and a mom battling socio-economic neglect, and as he contemplates the breadth of his familys struggles with addiction and wishing and hoping.

Family bonds are the focus of themes of addiction and the indomitable power of surviving in the face of all odds. Ron Howard creates a raw authenticity that some families found in small town life would grit and plain truth of many families. Depicting the weighty emotional landscapes J.D. travels, the writing can be so somber, but the tone also intermittently offers moments of hope and steeliness, when the heavy lifting becomes too much; Amy Adams and Glenn Close stand out with their performances of the mule-filled, loving, broken family. A haunting and heartbreaking portrayal of a woman tied to her vices, Adams gives Bev the life lasting eyes. In her portrayal of Mamaw, Close is raw and captivating, tasked with bringing the tough love and survivalist grit that must make up this story. Gabriel Basso gives a grounded performance, balancing the weight of familial ties against personal ambition, and then the weight of decisions made within those ties; Ron Howard brings to Hillbilly Elegy his veteran storytelling ability, balancing a narrative of anguish and triumph. The direction made sure the film captured the films intimate nature and the bigger story of Appalachian life told by J.D. Vances memoir.

The musical score does its part, accentuating the poignant moments of the film that ring of the sadness and hope the place in J.D.s story. The visuals mirror the stark beauty and built in melancholy of the Appalachian landscape, while serving as an emotional undercurrent; it is a representation of the protagonist’s inner turmoil and their resilience. The cinematography captures the impasse of J.D.s world, his future luring him, and his roots knocking him back, and production design brings the two environments together - the sterile cathedrals of Yale, and the dusty, carrot-packed cabins of his hometown.

Mindful of emotional weight, these settings are excessively detailed.

In Hillbilly Elegy, the story and the performers carry the day less by special effects. The film uses subtle enhancements to increase the skein of reality and authenticity of the story, while avoiding distracting from its core themes.

The film effortlessly shifts the montage between the two timelines, and links J.D.s past to his more recent life. Its paced deliberately, mirroring the ponderous turn of the films interior monologue and holding poignant moments as opposed to letting them whiz by.|The rhythm languid and coruscating songs the complexity of certain dramatic interactions.|The dialog is as craggy and open as family talks should. Hillbilly Elegy feels cultural nuances, deeply felt unspoken emotions, and hard truths, and sometimes it’s too much to take in.

Sometimes at the expense of the source material, Hillbilly Elegy captures profound emotional truths but sometimes it feels like it does too much. The narrative could prove too narrow for some in that they feel the broader society criticisms are left underexplored.

Hillbilly Elegy strikes readers as a sensitive account of family and identity that resonates with empathy and thought. Powerful performances draw you in and steer an individual quest that’s like everyone’s search for belonging and self acceptance. However flawed it is, it is an encouraging story of hope in adversity.