Hillbilly Elegy (film)

Hillbilly Elegy is a 2020 American drama film directed by Ron Howard from a screenplay by Vanessa Taylor, It is based on the 2016 memoir of the same name, by J. D. Vance. The film stars Amy Adams, Glenn Close, Gabriel Basso, Haley Bennett, Freida Pinto, Bo Hopkins (in his final film appearance), and Owen Asztalos.

The title, Hillbilly Elegy, suggests a serious and somewhat reverent treatment of an otherwise looked-down-upon population. After buying the rights to Vance's book in 2017, Imagine Entertainment announced Howard as the film's director. Netflix acquired the distribution rights in January 2019, and much of the cast joined that April. Filming took place from June through August in Georgia and Ohio.

Hillbilly Elegy was released in select cinemas on November 11, 2020, before its streaming release on November 24, 2020, by Netflix. The film was recognized for its performances, with Close receiving Supporting Actress nominations at the Academy Awards, the Golden Globe Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Adams's performance was also recognized by the Screen Actors Guild, with a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress. However, the film was also criticized, particularly for its screenplay and direction, receiving three nominations at the Golden Raspberry Awards: Worst Director for Howard, Worst Screenplay for Taylor, and Worst Supporting Actress for Close.