A Yale law student drawn back to his hometown grapples with family history, Appalachian values and the American dream.
Chuck says:
I’ve always contended that Ron Howard is very much a throwback to the sort of director that flourished in the Hollywood studio system. A workman-like filmmaker, he’s able to take any script and, more times than not, deliver a competently made, entertaining movie. To be sure, with a career spanning over 40 years, he’s had his share of misfires (“Willow,” “Edtv,” “The Dilemma”) but more than his fair share of solidly made movies, some of them flirting with brilliance (“Apollo 13,” ”Frost/Nixon,” “Rush”). There’s not much in the way of visual style in his quiver while his narratives tend to have a very simplistic world view. There are very few shades of gray in Howard’s work, yet another reason why I feel he’d have been right at home, cranking out three features at year at Warner Brothers in the 1940’s. With his movies, for good or ill, what you see is what you get.
Which brings us to his latest effort, the film adaptation of J.D. Vance’s memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.” This is tailor-made for Howard as it features an All-American hero who picks himself up by his bootstraps to makes something of himself, shines a light on social ills long in need of remedy and features more than a few big moments that make for grand drama which tend to earn actors Oscar nominations. And unfortunately, that’s exactly how “Elegy” plays, a movie with obvious intent but little in the way of narrative depth.
Told in flashback, Vance (Gabriel Basso) reminisces about his childhood while on the way home to deal with yet another crisis involving his mother, Bev (Amy Adams), something he’s had to contend with all his life. Having escaped Middletown, Ohio for Yale Law School, the young man’s Appalachian upbringing haunts him, holding him back from feeling as if he truly belongs with his Ivy League peers, a period of his life he hides in shame from his girlfriend Usha (Freida Pinto). However, that won’t be an option for long as Bev has hit rock bottom this time, refusing to enter a recovery program for an addiction the family has been wrestling with for years.
As Vance trips down memory lane, we see repeated scenes of Bev losing jobs, bouncing from one relationship to another and causing public scenes that humiliate her longsuffering son and daughter (Haley Bennett). And while her mother Mamaw (Glenn Close) expresses concern, offers to help or takes in her grandkids, she’s oblivious to her own culpability for her daughter’s troubles.
The film falls into its own self-destructive cycle as we witness the Vances experience some brief good times, encounter a crisis and then yell at one another…and repeat. This lack of narrative variation wears on the viewer until any empathy you may have had for these people is worn away by repeated exposure to their abusive behavior. Perhaps most crippling is that Vanessa Taylor’s screenplay fails to provide any depth or background for the characters. We aren’t privy to much in the way of why Bev and Mamaw act the way they do, what motivates them or what the source of their obvious pain is. As a result, the fine work by Adams and Close goes to waste as they come off as stereotypes rather than complex, realistic people.
That Vance broke the cycle is commendable and should be celebrated while his family deserves our sympathy for enduring, as best they could, with the arduous circumstances they were saddled with. Unfortunately, “Hillbilly Elegy” does not come off as a testament to them but rather an opportunity for the viewer to gawk at their misfortune. They deserve much better.
Pam says:
Escaping one’s background for a better future is a common theme and one perhaps you also have experienced. Director Ron Howard brings one such story to life; Kentucky-born attorney J.D. Vance. Vanessa Taylor adapts the novel written by Vance to take us to a small town in Southern Ohio where Vance grew up amidst poverty, drug abuse, and lack of education. It’s a familiar looking town—one that typifies much of America. Director Ron Howard navigates the muddy waters of life with Gabriel Basso portraying Vance as he attempts to not only keep his head above water, but breathe in a new world no matter how strong the family current pulls him out to sea.
We meet the younger version of J.D. (Owen Asztalos) as he attends a family reunion in the “hollows” of Jackson, Kentucky. This kid receives the lion’s share of bullying not only from the nearby kids, but his own family. It’s the school of hard knocks. Living is tough. Jobs are scarce, and poverty is pervasive. But we quickly see that J.D.’s different. He has a heart of gold as he saves a turtle with a cracked shell, but the harshness of his environment is seen as his mom, Bev (Amy Adams) and tough, foul-mouthed grandmother, Mamaw (Glenn Close) cut one another with their razor-sharp words.
This raw and unrefined foundation sets the tone for J.D.’s upbringing as we get a brief glimpse of J.D.’s fractured family life in Middletown, Ohio–a town representative of every dying blue collar town. We fast forward to see that the caring and intelligent young man has escaped his past as he is in the final year of law school at Yale. His bright future is evident; he’s got a girlfriend and promising interviews for clerkships. But, of course, he can’t totally sever the ties that bind him and he is called home to intervene with his mother and her addiction.
“Hillbilly Elegy” allows us to step into J.D.’s shoes, if only for a short time, to feel the intrinsic struggle of family love and obligation as it thwarts his desire to move forward. It’s a classic tale of overcoming the station of life in which we were born, leaving only the strongest and most resilient to succeed.
The story is told in a non-linear form as we flash back to pivotal points in J.D.’s life. These moments give us insight into J.D.’s upbringing as it delves into Bev’s failings and Mamaw’s regrets. We better understand the dynamics among the characters in this family where everything presents as an obstacle to climb over until most give up.
Basso gives us a strong performance as J.D., a young man who isn’t quite confident or comfortable in his own skin yet. On the surface, he’s strong, but inside, he’s constantly focused on his inadequacies and lack of experiences that most Ivy Leaguers have. His choices are sometimes cringe-worthy, but of particular importance is his exchange with his future employers as he explains and almost defends his upbringing. It is at this point that we find a true sense of empathy with J.D., conflicted by his own thoughts and behaviors.
Howard has a cast that most directors could only dream of with Adams and Close as supporting actors in this film. Adams portrays Bev with a gruff but loving hue while she wrestles the dark demons of addiction. However, it is Close who at first is all but recognizable, that is the highlight of this film. Yes, costuming and prosthetics create a different outward appearance, but it is her body language—posture, walk, reactions—that give Mamaw that intimidating yet beleaguered persona. She has plenty of opportunities to shine in this film as she truly is the matriarch of the family and Close takes full advantage of them while never pushing the envelope of believability. Her life, a series of errors with heart, help place focus on J.D.’s ability to see and reach for a better future. Of course, Close also has some classically creative lines like “I wouldn’t spit on her ass if her guts were on fire” that will make your jaw drop as you chuckle.
“Hillbilly Elegy” has a familiar feel, especially if you weren’t raised in the city and didn’t have access to all “the best.” This family is in every town and this town is in every state. It’s a slice of life and one man’s story of finding himself as he reclaims his background, better understanding who he is and where he came from.
Howard always finds a story that has heart, but this time he’s found a story that is the heart of America. While the term “hillbilly” is one that denotes a negative tone, the title of the film is of appreciation for it. Howard makes it clear that this is a story that is representative of many; we all strive to be better and do better, but we cannot forget our past and our roots. With eloquent performances, particularly from Close, it’s a story that will resonate with many.
Now streaming on Netflix.
4 Stars
