Hillbilly Elegy really isn't very good but within this rather paint by numbers adaptation there are two performances that rise above the material and make it not a total disaster. Sure it's an overly simplistic character study that reduces it's subjects to cliches and is shot in a TV movie of the week style. It attempts to deal with some seriously dark abuse and mental health issues yet glosses over them rather plainly, which often feels irresponsible. And maybe the worst part is it is also rather bland, at times boring. Still casting Adams and Close saves it just enough that I don't regret watching it.
Amy Adams is the main strength of the film, proving she can be good in pretty much anything. The script makes her character two dimensional but she rises far above the material, embedding in the performance some moments of clarity that spark some empathy. This is a role that is quite different from anything else she's done yet she disappears right into it and becomes what she needs to to make it work. Glenn Close is good too, again in a role that doesn't give her much, she finds a way to make it feel honest.
I wish this film had found a way to get beyond stereotypes and explore social structures and cultural influences of its subjects in ways that might be insightful. I wish the film had told a more engaging story, one that made me care about the characters, made me want so learn more about them. I wish the film had found a way to explore the violence, abuse, and illness realistically. It doesn't and it likely won't resonate for much of its audience. It actually insults its viewers by talking down to them and treating the themes of the story so predictably. We should expect more and Elegy just doesn't live up to it. But at least it gives us two preferences from actors who are always worth watching.
Hillbilly Elegy
Starring: Amy Adams, Glenn Close, Gabriel Basso, Haley Bennett, Frieda Pinto, Bo Hopkins
Director: Ron Howard
Writer: Vanessa Taylor
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