Review of Hillbilly Elegy (2020) by Megomike — 19 Feb 2021

At the end of the day, we are all a product of our family. Hillbilly Elegy explores the impact of a family on the past, present and future of a young man with potential. J.D. is called back to his humble hometown in Ohio when his mother, Bev, suffers a setback in her life.

Throughout the film we see how Bev’s influence on her family has stunted her own life, put her children frequently at risk, and extended her own mother’s matriarchal duties. Faced with the unlikelihood that his mother will ever change, J.

D. must decide how much he must sacrifice in his own life in order to perpetuate hers. Hillbilly Elegy is written by Vanessa Taylor (The Shape of Water) based on the book by J.D. Vance. It is directed by Ron Howard (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, and, of course, Opie).

It stars Amy Adams (Arrival, American Hustle) as Bev, and Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction, 101 Dalmatians) as Mamaw in an Oscar-worthy supporting role. The role of J.D. is played as an adult by Gabriel Basso (Super 8) and an emotionally thoughtful performance as young J.

D. by Owen Asztalos (Jessica Jones, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul). J. D. is called home by his sister as his mother relapses into drug use, after many years of sobriety. The timing is unfortunate, as J.

D., escaping the stereotype of his upbringing, is on the verge of accepting an Ivy League paid internship, which he needs to continue to pay for his remaining education. All he has to do is ace one of a number of interviews that are occurring just as his mother is falling back into addiction.

And while J. D. acknowledges that his early years in Kentucky, then Ohio, were some of the happiest of his life, it is these moments that he has had to rise above all throughout. And we are shown that at many points throughout the movie, different people have had to take up slack where others were falling.

But that’s exactly what family is, as this film defines. Hillbilly Elegy asks and answers the question: How much do we owe our mothers, and how deep does the debt lead. The answer is not simple, but winds around to what is best for everyone, as is often true with most families.

Ron Howard will be cheated of an Oscar nomination within a crowded field, for a beautiful work well executed. Amy Adams will be on a lot of short lists for the honest portrayal of a lost lonely mom standing in her own way.

Both Basso and Asztalos are remarkably sharp in playing a subtly angry and torn J. D. Vance, on whose life this film is based. But Glenn Close is a miracle playing Mamaw in an authentic turn of a present-day hillbilly, neither contrived nor satirical.

Her message is the most important of the hillbilly: Family comes first, a creed she follows at all stages of life. When it comes to Academy voting, Close should come first in the Best Supporting Actress category and finally come home with an Oscar.

Hillbilly Elegy has a lot of layers, but I recommend to anyone that will enjoy a sweet story about how families fail, yet affect us all in ways that allow us to succeed beyond the scars. I give Hillbilly Elegy 4.

5/5 Stars for the story, the message, and one of the strongest acting ensembles in the category this year.