Hillbilly

I could only handle about 20 minutes of it - half of that time was about politics and the 2016 election. Too bad the description was so poor.

The stories about life in rural Appalachia are interesting but the politics turned me off because she completely missed the real events that shaped the election of 2016. Why no mention of Bernie Sanders and real progressives? No mention of how poor people were the real victims of the election fraud by the Democrats that lead to Russiagate.

Instead we see the Queen of the warmongers (Clinton) portrayed as the rational voice against the poor, rural people who were 'duped' by Trump. It's only when working people in both red and blue states get together that the 1% get nervous. If only she had read 'Listen Liberal' by Thomas Frank. I would have encouraged the filmmaker to concentrate on poverty in rural Appalachia and avoid politics altogether.

Not really sure this documentary goes out of it's way to lift America's perception of the people of the Appalachian region. Seems more like the filmmaker is trying to justify to herself why Hillary lost the 2016 election. As one gets older you realize - to appreciate where you are in life - you must first appreciate where you've been.

This is a very well presented documentary, directed by Ashley York and Sally Rubin. York also narrates the film and appears regularly throughout its filming.

York was born and raised in Eastern Kentucky, notably Meathouse Holler, and left the area when she was 18-years-old to attend the University of Kentucky. Now living in Los Angeles, she is returning to Appalachia to interview family, friends, and area residents for the movie.

The main focus of the doc is to try and counter the terrible stereotypes that, over many generations, have portrayed hillbillies from Appalachia. The media, including movies television, and print have fostered the concepts that hillbillies are dangerous, threatening, lazy, talk funny etc. etc. etc.

The filmmakers here try and counter these stereotypes and show how complicated the area can be, with its long history of exploitation by coal and mining companies. Also, the interviews with all types of Appalachians illustrate how they are just like many other Americans, with their own proud culture, music, and heritage.

The movie had added interest for me as it was being filmed right during the 2016 Presidential election race. It gave good insight into why some Kentuckians voted for Trump and why some voters went for Clinton. Trump drew large and enthusiastic crowds there and he considered that area a strong base of his.

Overall, this doc was well edited and had a lot to say and interspersed film clips (the one with Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman in "9 to 5" was unforgettable) interviews, and historical pieces seamlessly.

To note, there were no subtitles on my DVD copy, but I was able to access them through my remote closed captions option.

This documentary goes out of it's way to challenge the stereotypes and the exploitation of the Appalachian people. I grew up in a small city but my family is from Appalachia and I went to college in a town in Appalachia that was too small to even have a store. We had to go to the next town for that. I have often been called a redneck or a hillbilly or been told I come from a family of inbreeders simply because my family is from West Virginia and Alabama. I have been ashamed of my family because of all of the negative stereotypes surrounding rural and mountain peoples. This documentary hits on this very thing.

This documentary touches on politics but it is not in any way have a liberal slant other than she says her family used to be a democrat and they voted for Trump and wanted to know why they and other people there voted for someone who in all other ways disrespects the values of the Appalachian culture. This is not political and leftist. This is actual journalism. Asking questions and not judging. It even explains how both the left and the right have increased the stereotypes of Appalachian people and have both co-opted the culture of the region for their own benefits. It shows that the area has people of different races, sexual orientations, political affiliations, ethnicities, etc. Just like anywhere else. It shows that Kentucky is not the generalized backwater boonies and that the Appalachia region is more than it is made out to be. It is actually one of the most non-biased docs I've ever seen.