Based on the bestselling memoir by J.D. Vance, "Hillbilly Elegy" is a modern exploration of the American Dream and three generations of an Appalachian family as told by its youngest member, a Yale Law student forced to return to his hometown.
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- Hondo Grunwaldè1d agoHillbilly Elegy wants so badly to be a gritty look at addiction and poverty, but it feels like it was made by someone whose only exposure to trauma was a loud argument in a Walmart parking lot. Sure, it gets a few mechanics right—like the agility kids develop when walking on eggshells—but it trades real, suffocating poverty and family dysfunction for two hours of A-listers screaming in bad wigs. Real trauma isn't theatrical shrieking; it’s the quiet dread only those that have experienced it can understand, like reading a parent's sobriety from the click of the front door lock or worrying if the lights would stay on that week. Ultimately, the film treats escaping dysfunction like a pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps course, ignoring systemic traps and the lifelong survivor’s guilt you carry. It frames addiction as a lack of grit, fast-tracks J.D. Vance to Yale, and calls it a day. Having actually grown up in that minefield, watching this isn't cathartic—it’s humerous seeing rich actors sweat so hard to convince you they’ve ever had to manage a parent's crisis before they could drive.
- Alain GodetFebruary 11, 2026Just because I cannot put 0 stars. It's difficult to have Emile Zola's talent for social commentary. JD Vance clearly doesn't have it, and Ron Howard didn't help him... Not even worth the time I took to watch it: another reason JD is hated throughout the world…
- Jacob FlanaganNovember 29, 2025Great movie.
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Hillbilly Elegy was released on November 12, 2020.
Hillbilly Elegy was directed by Ron Howard.
Hillbilly Elegy has a runtime of 1h 57m.
Hillbilly Elegy was produced by Brian Grazer, Karen Lunder, Ron Howard.
Based on the bestselling memoir by J.D. Vance, "Hillbilly Elegy" is a modern exploration of the American Dream and three generations of an Appalachian family as told by its youngest member, a Yale Law student forced to return to his hometown.
The key characters in Hillbilly Elegy are Bev (Amy Adams), Mamaw (Glenn Close), J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso).
Hillbilly Elegy is rated R.
Hillbilly Elegy is a Drama, Biography film.
Hillbilly Elegy has an audience rating of 8.1 out of 10.
Hillbilly Elegy has made $18,185 at the box office.