The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Strong cast delivers in ‘Hillbilly Elegy’
Acting can’t quite save ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ a somber reflection on a tough family life failing to find its footing
“Hillbilly Elegy” boasts some wonderful performances, with that of an almost-unrecognizable Glenn Close the one likely to garner nominations for movie-industry awards in a couple of months. ¶ It is directed by veteran filmmaker Ron Howard and, as a result, is chock full of wellexecuted scenes. ¶ And it is based on a No. 1 New York Times bestseller, J.D. Vance’s memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family & Culture in Crisis.” ¶ Boy, it really should be better.
While certainly competently made, the film — in telling a story of three generations of an Appalachian family through the eyes of a young man who rose out of very-troubled home life to attend Yale Law School and ultimately become a venture capitalist who has flirted with running for public office — simply never hooks you with its storytelling.
As we often do, we’ll put much, but not all, of the blame on nonlinear storytelling, Vanessa Taylor’s screenplay failing to craft a compelling, momentum-building narrative. Composed mainly of flashbacks, the movie’s most compelling plot thread is whether J.D. (Gabriel Basso) will make it back to Yale from Ohio in time for a crucial final interview for an internship with a prestigious law firm. That’s a problem. To be fair, this isn’t a movie going for suspense. Merriam-Webster.com reminds us that one definition of “elegy” is “a pensive or reflective poem that is usually nostalgic or melancholy,” and this film is most interested in trafficking in those two emotion-heavy commodities.
Appropriately, then, we spend most of our time with a teenage J.D. (Owen Asztalos), whom we meet during his family’s annual summer vacation.
“When people ask where I’m from,” the older version of the character says in a bit of early narration, “I say Ohio because that’s where I lived most of my life — but that’s only part of my story. Ask me where I feel most at home, that’s the hill country of Kentucky.”
And while we hang out for a few minutes with a happy J.D. in Kentucky, most of “Hillbilly Elegy” is set in Ohio, in the town of Middletown — considered to be Appalachia despite being in the southwestern, not southeastern, part of the state.
J.D.’s is a largely unhappy existence, primarily because his mother, Bev (Amy Adams), is an emotionally volatile drug user who, for obvious reasons, struggles to remain employed and in a stable romantic relationship.
She can turn on a proverbial dime from kind and warm toward J.D. to mean and even violent.
While his sister, Lindsay (Haley Bennett of “The Girl on the Train”), retreats into the safety of a relationship, J.D. makes questionable friendships. His grandmother and Bev’s mother, referred to as Mamaw (Close), grows increasingly concerned J.D. is in the process of throwing away his life. She sees a second chance to be a positive force in a young person’s life, having contributed to Bev having a rough upbringing.
Adams (“Vice,” “Sharp Objects”) is, as you’d expect, quite compelling, as well, and an Academy Award nomination for best actress would seem to be in the picture. Again, though, her character’s arc isn’t helped by the nonlinear story structure.
And Close (“Damages,” “The Wife”) dazzles, tiptoeing to the line of going overthe-the-top with Mamaw but not crossing it. From her vanity-eschewing look in the film to the big moments nailed by Close, the veteran performer seems poised for a best-supporting-actress Oscar nod.
While he’s unlikely to earn any awards for his performance, Basso (“Super 8,” “The Kings of Summer”) gives a nice-enough performance that we wonder why we don’t see him more often in films. (“Slumdog Millionaire” star Frieda Pinto is underused as adult J.D.’s supportive girlfriend, Usha, by the way.)
As a character study of J.D., “Hillbilly Elegy” is mildly interesting, the young man having worked to leave Appalachia but becoming upset by the use of the word “rednecks” at an important law-school dinner that precedes his venture home to help Lindsay deal with a relapsed Bev.
Adult J.D. certainly is a man worth admiring, but that’s not enough to make the movie go.
You have to wonder if veteran director Howard (“Frost/Nixon,” “Rush”) simply was looking for something quite different from 2018’s troubled (but underrated) “Solo: A Star Wars Story” in choosing to make this film. “Hillbilly Elegy” certainly is that, even if it has its own problems.
Sorry to pick on the aforementioned Taylor, but the co-writer of 2017 Oscar winner “The Shape of Water” just doesn’t land on the right formula here. Given Vance’s story, it’s tough to pinpoint what approach may have worked better, but that doesn’t get you anywhere.
“Hillbilly Elegy” already is in the midst of a limited theatrical run, and it lands on Netflix this week.
Even though it’s, well, a bit of a chore, it’s probably still worth watching if you’re already a subscriber of the streaming giant. It is a window into a challenging family life and into the type of poverty facing so many folks.
It’s also a reminder Glenn Close is a tremendous talent.