Avis des utilisateurs

Well I had a great review written but it was erased when I switched to another site to fact check some other movies. What I wanted to say was this is a hard movie to watch. It's hard bc it's honest. We all have our struggles and this is another depiction of an honest struggle families have. In America we like to place labels. In this case the labels are hillbilly, red neck, or white trash. It's all true, but it doesn't mean that's bad. It means it's honest. It makes me think of other honest movies about American families like Crooklyn, Ordinary People or Kramer vs Kramer. In this year of 2020 the word struggle comes up time and again, but let's not forget another truly American symbolic word .... perseverance. Watch this movie and know that if you're down and feel like the world is against you just keep fighting and persevere. I hope this movie can inspire that feeling. It did for me.

I enjoyed the movie very much. As a Black American, I know the struggles of my culture, so to see the trials and tribulations of another culture is eye opening.

Ron Howard is an A-list Director and doesn't produce anything that is subpar. The critic reviews and low ratings for this movie are puzzling. Yet I'm seen high ratings for movies to me that weren't so great.

The movie is good, don't believe the critics.

Trying to figure out why the critics' score is so different from the user score and all I can think is because the former is detached from the reality of rural white poverty. Living and teaching in an area similar to where J.D. comes from, I see his struggle of trying to escape poverty through education and the impact of drug abuse on communities on a regular basis. It's easy to dismiss this as "Oscar bait" and it definitely is...but it's also a movie, though really difficult to watch at points, that tells the uncomfortable reality for far too many.

While I hoped this movie would be more well made then it was, it was still great to watch. It was nice to see a movie that felt very familiar, especially coming out on a big streaming platform like Netflix. They did a good job with this one. Glenn Close was amazing every second she was on camera, and definitely carried the film. The music was nice too, and the film feels very authentic. It might not be perfect, but Hillbilly Elegy should definitely pique anyone's curiosity and be able to hold on to them for the entirety of the film. Go watch it and decide.

" WHY the bad reviews?" Someone asked. They thought it was good. Well written . Well directed and the actors were good. ( AND IT WAS ) Spot on . Here is the reason they are some bad reviews. Some people have never experienced THIS life . They have no idea that people actually do LIVE LIKE THIS . KUDOS to Ron Howard who also did not grow up in Hillbilly Country but did an excellent job of making this TRUE STORY so accurate on screen. All the lead actors were amazing and they TRULY portrayed the people they were supposed to be in this. One of my friends said they only part she didn't like was the CURSING . " Did they really need to use that language?" She asked me . Absolutely. THAT is normal language for these poor small towns . If you grew up there you would understand that. F%$@$ was a word I heard as child as commonly as rich people hear " yes sir" . It was necessary for them accurately portray these people . This movie made me cry , because it was TRUE TO LIFE . It brought back many memories for me . I lived this . I too chose to leave and " be someone." Thank you Glen Close for portraying " Meemaw" so incredibly well . I know . I had a Meemaw just like that . THIS is a GREAT movie . And if you " don't get it" ... maybe it's because you were born with a SILVER SPOON in your mouth and it is probably STILL THERE. Get out and see some of the REAL WORLD .

I thought this film was a great drama that uses flashbacks of the past to explain what's running through J.D.'s mind as he tries to navigate university and his moms constant drug addiction. The acting was powerful all the way through. It has gripping emotions from start to finish that shows how bad you have to work, and to want something, to succeed when all the cards are stacked against you. Some may find this to be a "woe is me" kind of story, but I think it showed the never quitting spirit that Southerners have. Honestly, it's better than the professional critic reviews that I've read.

Overall, I really enjoyed the film and the story behind it. That to say, I can't figure out why this film is getting low ratings, but I think it's worth the watch. Currently it's in select theatres until 24 November when it releases onto Netflix in Canada.

I don't understand the low ratings. I cried through this movie and couldn't help but think of my own, imperfect family and the life I've made for myself dispute it. Beautiful. I have not read the book but will and can't wait.

This is not an Everyman movie. It is not meant to be entertaining but it is educational, revealing and truthful about what it's like to deal with poverty, addiction and abusive family dynamics. Not everyone can relate because at times, it is uncomfortable to watch. Putting judgment and raw emotions aside, in the end, it is about hope, tough love, determination, resourcefulness and survival.

So glad I ignored the reviews saying it was a "bad" movie because the movie itself is not bad. It's very well-done. I think it's just the cringe-worthy character defects that cause many reviewers pan it because maybe they were not expecting such a giant dose of reality showing up - a reality they want no part of and don't want to understand because it scares them.

It shows the ugly side of the human condition and it highlights moments when we have an opportunity to make decisions that can be life-altering. It's a story about connections, and about learning when and how to either strengthen them or release them in order to keep moving forward in life.

NOTE: This should be required viewing in all addiction recovery programs.

This movie was very touching, I usually do not watch movies revolving around family issues, but this really hit me. The acting is super and the storyline plain, but the storyline with the acting is super. I would recommend this movie.

As a born and raised Kentucky girl, I could relate to this story. I was disgusted by the negative reviews from the media and Hollywood folks. It's obvious they know very little about poverty, family and all the trials of being poor white people. We hear so much about race and how every white person is privileged, well this story proves that poor folks suffer and have suffered just as much as anyone.

Like other reviewers here, I'm puzzled as to why this film received such poor or lukewarm reception in the press. Glenn Close is superb as Mamaw. Those who think she is somehow an exaggerated caricature clearly don't have much first-hand knowledge of this segment of our population. I never knew Mamaw but I certainly knew plenty of people like her, and Close's portrayal is spot-on. Don't be put off by the bad reviews. This is a powerful and moving film.

Eeww a liberal. Not a commie though. Definitely worth watching with a good message. Depressing and yet inspiring. Can't help but root for the guy. Probably won many votes.

Though if Mawmaw was running for office, I'd vote for her.

I wonder how much is accurate and how much Hollywood altered with artistic liberty. The self deprecation seemed earnest. I think most people would support someone who is real, flawed and honest rather than some plastic, narcissistic phony politico. Many Presidents come from wealthy arrogant families and don't understand or care about us regular folk.

All the actors were great. Bravo. Wonder why this didn't receive more attention before the nomination.

Excellent, magnificent, the performances of Glenn Close (10) and Amy Adams (9).

In many ways things have not changed. The child abuse, drugs, poor education, etc. Massive struggles. These are still issues throughout the Appalachian Mountains, but they're also scattered everywhere else too. The only thing that differs is most kids in these situations don't end up at Yale.

Don't know why there are such low scores and reviews, it was a very engaging movie, and the acting all round was top notch.

This is a movie which just tells a real life story of a young boy from the hills and emotional hardships that lead his family, and mother in particular, down the road of addiction. The best bit is when he takes control of his young life, understanding that taking personal responsibility can get you far. While intelligence runs very high in this particular hillbilly family, their lives get wrecked time and time again. Managing emotions is tough in the part of the USA deplored by the so-called elite, though there is no politicizing in this authentic tale - just a real life empowering story of how you always have a chance to overcome your inner demons, but you have to try and slay the dragon, no-one is going to do it for you, though a family is a great if sometimes thorny resource. Help is certainly not gonna come from class to which the smug hypocrite critics belong, they know that full well and they deplore the movie all the more for it - and the people it tells the story about. But one can certainly give extra points to the perfectly decent movie (and quite above average for a Netflix production) - and this movie does not pretend to be more than it is, a retelling of an authentic, inspiring story about real problems and how they can be conquered - to counter the horrible, despicable critic panning.

This movie makes me want to be a better man, period. Thank you for all the actor and actresses that made this happen and gave it their all. I quess i will be seeing glenn close at the oscars again. It just made me feel. Thank you!

For some reason, the critics have really piled in on this film. So is it the Cats of 2020?

Not at all. Admittedly it's not as good a film as you'd expect from Ron Howard but it's perfectly watchable. The cast is great - Glenn Close will surely be up for another Oscar nomination.

Worth a couple of hours of your time.

50 year old Asian male here. I've had a charmed life, so I can't relate to the crazy hardships. Not sure why, but I was tearing up a lot though. Kind of embarrassing cause I'm watching it here at work.

These critics are ridiculous! This is a nice story, very well acted. Amy Adams and Glenn Close did a fantastic job. I found the first third to be a bit much, erratic and lots of yelling, but if you can get though that it's a rewarding film. It kind of grows on you over 2 hours and by the end you feel more connected to the characters. Overall 6/10.

If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog :)

This film is based on a memoir of the same title written by J.D. Vance, the man who gives name to the main character or, in better words, the character whose point of view is what the movie describes. As I always do, my preparation for any film means I don't watch trailers nor try to know too much about the story. I knew this movie was based on a supposedly true story or in some sort of book, and I knew that this could very well be an Oscar-bait due to the talented cast and late date of release. That's it. I had no idea about its political background nor Vance's personal statements. I'm from Portugal, so I don't live in a Republicans vs. Democrats or a Red vs. Blue country. Politics is and always will be an extremely irrelevant, depressing, unimpactful topic in my life.

I don't live in the USA, so unless the controversies surrounding films are global problems, I couldn't care less about them. To me, Hillbilly Elegy looked like another family melodrama featuring lousy parenting, drug addiction, bullying, discrimination, and all those formulaic plot points developed in this type of movie. Expectations-wise, I couldn't avoid the first (tremendously negative) reactions from fellow critics on social media, so I prepared myself for the worst. However, there's a reason why I wrote this prologue above, explaining my origins and what I consider to be important in my personal life...

Not trying to justify other people's opinions (everyone has their own right to love/hate any film for whatever reasons they choose to), but it feels awfully clear to me that a lot of American critics were influenced by the real-life J.D. Vance, his memoir, and what some people interpreted about his point of view. I repeat: everyone is in their own right to hate this movie (it has more than enough reasons to, and I'll get to those), but I find "the worst film of the year" statement as exaggerated as the movie's overdramatic sequences. My biggest issues with Hillbilly Elegy concern its editing choices and its looping narrative structure, besides its generic developments of known cliches.

Starting with the first problem, Ron Howard (Solo: A Star Wars Story) should have managed to create a really great film from the original story. At its best, Hillbilly Elegy could have been a heartbreaking account about the emotional struggles of living in such a violent, problematic family and about trying to escape this harsh lifestyle and reaching a better life overall. However, the constant flashbacks to J.D.'s young life damage the viewer's connection to the character and the rest of his family members, especially his mom, Bev. The non-stop back-and-forward in the timeline breaks the movie's pacing (James D. Wilcox's editing lacks consistency and coherence) and leads me to my next issue.

The entire film is a cycle of dramatic scenes quickly escalating to unbelievable actions. From the repetitive drug abuse and consequent relapses to the horrible parenting displayed in the most random of fashions (in one minute everything's fine, in the next one, chaos ensues), Vanessa Taylor couldn't break her screenplay loop, and Ron Howard failed to realize these sequences in a distinguished manner. In addition to all of this, Hillbilly Elegy also does very little to avoid the common formulas regarding this type of narrative, possessing zero surprises throughout the entire runtime, ultimately being entirely predictable practically from the beginning.

Nevertheless, as I mentioned before, this is far from being a contender for the worst piece of cinema in 2020. In fact, it might even get some nominations in the awards season, including the Oscars. As usual with "real-life stories", their cinematic adaptations always fill the end credits with images or videos of the real people portrayed in the movie. It's easy to notice the impressive work made by the make-up department. Glenn Close looks incredibly similar to the real Mamaw, and her charismatic portrayal is definitely getting her some nominations, at least in other ceremonies besides the main ones. She delivers yet another emotionally compelling performance, packed with powerfully handled dialogues, detailed expressiveness, and a phenomenal physical display.

Amy Adams (Justice League) doesn't fall behind. If Glenn Close has chances as a supporting role, Amy Adams might receive a few Best Actress nominations. Her character, Bev, doesn't receive a fair treatment script-wise, but Adams tries her best to compensate for that flaw. Her performance might be considered extremely over-the-top for many viewers, and I do acknowledge some exaggeration in a couple of scenes, but overall, she delivers a superb interpretation. Gabriel Basso is also pretty great as J.D. (as is Owen Asztalos), same for Haley Bennett (The Devil All the Time) as Lindsay. Hans Zimmer and David Fleming's score is sweet, but it doesn't get too many moments to shine.

In the end, Hillbilly Elegy suffers from its formulaic narrative stuck in a tiresome loop of overdramatic scenes that escalated incomprehensibly way too fast. The predictable melodrama features questionable editing decisions that hurt the film's pacing and overall story consistency, as well as the viewer's emotional bond with the characters. Ron Howard and Vanessa Taylor fail to depict an interesting premise in a distinctly captivating manner, consequently resorting to the award-worthy performances of Amy Adams and Glenn Close to save the whole movie from total disaster. In addition to the outstanding displays from the two actresses, the remarkable performances from the remaining cast elevate the flawed screenplay, ultimately delivering a few scenes worth hanging on to. Technically, impressively accurate make-up (guaranteed awards buzz) and a lovely score deserve a much better film. I still recommend it to everyone who enjoys melodramatic family stories, but don't expect anything remotely special.

Rating: C+

I am pretty confused why all the critics hated this movie so much. Is it the best thing since sliced bread, no absolutely not. But it is completely watchable.

I think it falls down with the script and directing. They just have a strange flow sometimes. Some parts are just really odd for lack of a better work. I can't really explain why it didn't work.

I think the score stands out. It fits the tone perfectly. I think it could definitely be nominated.

The acting is also great with Glenn Close being the obvious stand out. She does steal every scene that she is in and i think the make up department did a fantastic job making her look like the actual Mawma. Watching the home video clips at the end you would swear that it was actually the same person. I do think they leaned in a bit too heavy into the quippy dialogue with Glenn but that is on the writer not her. It was a little bit too sitcom-y at times but most of the time her scenes were the most impactful.

Also Haley Bennett was great too. She wasn't a huge focus but i found my self wanting more of her because she was great to watch. She played the role really grounded and earnest i thought she was really good.

Sometimes i found this movie to be a bit manic, it kind of tapers off towards the end but at the start it really is like a lot of screaming matches and like just strange choices. I think it hinders Amy Adams because it tends to be scenes that involve her. The more subdued parts work so much better for me.

I think it had a lot of heart and i really appreciated the message, would i ever watch it again? No. But it was perfectly fine.

Hillbilly Elegy is an inspiring film that tugs at the heart, driven by raw emotion and some of the most moving performances of recent years.

The standout aspect of the film is undoubtedly the acting. Glenn Close, as the tough and unbreakable grandma, brings grit and resilience to her role. Her portrayal is powerful-she's tough, loving, and protective, embodying the spirit of a true fighter. Amy Adams, also gives a deeply emotional performance, making us feel her pain and struggle with addiction. Both actresses deliver some of their finest work here, bringing layers of complexity to their characters.

Although Hillbilly Elegy has received mixed reviews, I wonder if some of this criticism comes from the political conversations surrounding J. D. Vance and his views. Setting that aside, from a purely subjective perspective, the film offers a deeply moving story. It unfolds slowly, allowing the audience to connect with the characters and understand the challenges they face. Knowing it's a true story adds to its emotional weight, and Glenn Close truly shines in the role of the grandma-a warrior who fights for her family.

However, the movie does fall short in a few areas, mostly due to the direction and writing. While Ron Howard's direction is polished, it lacks the narrative depth that might have better captured the complex themes in Vance's memoir.

Overall, Hillbilly Elegy is a decent film that resonates emotionally, even if it lacks the depth some may expect. It's a story about resilience, family, and survival, with performances that make it well worth watching.

As someone who loved the book, the movie was underneath it rating wise but the movie still captures the story and the lessons well. Starting off with the negatives, it focuses too much on the "current day" of the movie setting. Vance in his book talked very briefly about his visit home to Ohio to take care of his mother. The movie needed to focus more on his time in the Marines, how before moving in with Mamaw Lindsey pretty much raised him, JD reuniting with his biological father after he thought he abandoned him, and how Papaw was the only real father figure he had. Including more flashbacks that included these key moments in JD's life would have made the movie much better. Now why the critics didn't get it. The movie might have been too smart with the implications it gave the audience. JD is a conservative that provides a different perspective on why the ills of a culture exist. For social constructionists, the movie doesn't make any sense because it doesn't line up with their worldview. JD believes that people get stuck in a cycle of poverty because the culture they grow up in is inherently negative. If JDs mother grew up in a better house and neighborhood and given the proper guidance, she would have been incredibly successful. The book focuses on this much more where the movie hints at it. At what point can you blame her for being a terrible mother? The only way you can get better, to JD, is if you take responsibility for yourself and slowly get better. JD is an exception. The only reason he didn't end up like his mother was because he got lucky in his youth. Of course he worked hard to improve himself, but he happened to have a good enough social network (early on being Lindsey and Mamaw and later Usha) to nudge him in the right direction. The story is not about JD. It's about his mother, who is in the majority, and about how taking personal responsibility is the only way out. The scene that showed when his grandparents moved to Middletown vs it current day is shown when the factories shut down and the jobs left. This is also the area of the country that helped Donald Trump win in 2016. These people are desperate to escape and JD is writing them a letter on how. The government won't save you so the only way is to do it yourself. The movie and book will resonate more with people who understand that struggle and I feel like the critics who don't understand how Trump won will not understand the point of this story either.