Vanessa Taylor adapted her screenplay from J.D. Vance's memoir. Vance (Gabriel Basso/Owen Asztalos) grew up in a poor Ohio family headed by "Mamaw" Bonnie (Glenn Close). His mom, Bev (Amy Adams), was an unstable drug addict who had trouble with men. His family traces their roots to Kentucky as descendants of Jim Vance, the cause of the Hattfield-Mccoy feud. Mamaw left early and J.D. left when he went to the Marines and Yale.
The story proper begins when J.D. is called home when Bev relapses and overdoses. J.D. has to juggle an upcoming interview and finding Bev a new place to live. Meanwhile, we see flashbacks of J.D.'s childhood with Mamaw and Bev. It wasn't a pretty childhood. So what will J.D. do now?
The film's portrayal of Bev is its biggest handicap. Yes, her addiction is tragic but her behavior is ugly. An Easter scene with a new puppy quickly devolves into an argument; shortly afterwards, an outing to a card store ends with Bev playing chicken in traffic. Bev tries to get J.D. to help her cheat a drug test to help her keep her nursing license. Mamaw tells J.D. that Bev needs help, but in the film's present, her behavior is still unpleasant. Her behavior handicaps whatever message about family love it's saying. Overall, Amy Adams is believably nice when Bev is calm and believably LOUD when she's not.
Still, it's nice that Bev found sobriety and is currently still sober.
Close as Mamaw is slightly better. She's quite politically incorrect but still means well. Her Terminator analogy (long story) is questionable but she's right that J.D. "has a right to (his) own life." At least every other scene with her didn't devolve into a shouting match. The Oscar-shortlisted makeup team headed by Matthew Mungle ages Close to significant unrecognizability.
What about the rest of the cast? Well, both actors playing J.D. were good in their shared role. J.D.'s goal to escape his troubled past is an understandable one. So it was nice seeing past J.D. pick up the pace academically to be a top student in the present. Haley Bennet was fine as J.D.'s sister Lindsay. Freida Pinto plays J.D.'s girlfriend and later wife, Usha; she is the film's most likable character. "Papaw" Jim (Bo Hopkins/Brett Lorenzini) is somewhat underutilized; I surely would have wanted to see more of his youth with Mamaw (other than one flashback where she sets him on fire).
Don't like films about family turmoil? At least with Netflix, et al, you have the mute button to use. Hillbilly Elegy is a loud family melodrama hindered by its core toxic relationship. It was so toxic I wanted its hero to hurry up and get on with his life. It was so difficult to find sympathy there. A few supporting characters help the film somewhat. Go ahead and see it if you want. Don't hate me if you like it.
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