Summary

• "Hillbilly Elegy" faced criticism for generalizing Appalachia and the working class.
• Many viewers questioned the accuracy and portrayal of the characters in the film.
• The controversy surrounding the movie stemmed from its perceived exploitation of the culture it depicts.

Netflix released Hillbilly Elegy's true story depicts Vance's upbringing in Middletown, Ohio, and his family's Appalachian values as his mother's family is from Breathitt County, Kentucky.

Despite its controversies, Hillbilly Elegy was nominated for two Oscars — one for Best ing Actress for Glenn Close and the second for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

In 2020, Howard adapted Vance's book into a Netflix film, and the cast of Hillbilly Elegy included Amy Adams as Beverly (Vance's mother), Glenn Close as Bonnie (Vance's grandmother), and Gabriel Basso as Vance himself. Although Hillbilly Elegy had a limited run in theaters, the movie made its way to Netflix shortly after, and negative reviews soon followed. Some of the cast were applauded for their performances. However, the consensus surrounding Hillbilly Elegy was relatively negative since many expressed that the film perpetuated stereotypes about Appalachia and the lower class.

Hillbilly Elegy Has Been Criticized For Its Depiction Of Appalachia & The Working Class

Many Questioned The 2020 Film's Accuracy

Hillbilly Elegy, which has a 25% Tomatometer score on reviews of Hillbilly Elegy pointed out the dangerous generalized interpretations of the characters who originated from the Appalachian region and their stories. The A.V. Club's review sums up the complaints: The movie "views its subjects as zoo animals, offering the same enduring stereotypes about Appalachia — namely, that it's full of people too ignorant to realize that they're being victimized by their own bad choices."

Overall, the controversy surrounding Hillbilly Elegy boiled down to the fact that many believed the Ron Howard movie exploited the culture it depicts. Critics claimed that Netflix's film blamed the working class for their problems instead of showcasing the systems that have failed them over the years and the larger issues at play. Ultimately, audiences felt as if Hillbilly Elegy groups the people of Appalachia into one category.

J.D. Vance's Memoir Was Controversial Before It Was Made Into A Movie

Critics Pointed Out The Same Issues When Vance's Novel Was Published In 2016

Before the Netflix film premiered in 2020, J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis received several complaints following its publication in 2016. Most of the criticisms were similar to the content of Hillbilly Elegy's negative reviews. While speaking to Politico, Appalachian writer Silas House summarized the book's controversy and expressed his concerns with the novel. House said:

"One of the most troubling things to me about the book is that it talks a lot about unemployment and poverty, domestic violence, the opioid crisis, but it never gives you context for why those things exist the way they do in Appalachia. For anybody who really knows the region, it's a deeply troubling book because it's so misleading, and it lacks so much context, and he knew exactly what he was doing."

Four years before the film was released, many had problems with Vance's memoir and its accuracy. Like House, they believed that the book reinforced stereotypes regarding Appalachia. There were also questions about the intentions of Vance in writing it and the conclusions he draws, not just about Appalachia, but about it oversimplifying the lure Donald Trump has for "hillbillies" of rural areas. Consequently, those same concerns popped up after Hillbilly Elegy debuted in late 2020, a few weeks after the United States presidential election.

Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, The A.V. Club, Politico