HILLBILLY ELEGY | FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

"HILLBILLY ELEGY"
(2020) (Gabriel Basso, Amy Adams) (R)

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: A law school student must contend with his mother's erratic behavior and drug addiction as he tries to break free from his troubled upbringing.

PLOT:

It's 2011 and J.D. Vance (GABRIEL BASSO) is a former Marine turned college graduate who's now attending Yale Law School. With the support of his classmate and girlfriend, Usha (FREIDA PINTO), J.D. appears on the verge of escaping from his troubled upbringing, something he's yet to share in full with Usha. But that comes roaring back when he receives a call from his older sister, Lindsay (HALEY BENNETT), that their mother, Bev (AMY ADAMS), is in the hospital following a heroin overdose.

Despite having interviews in the next few days, J.D. drives overnight to Middletown, OH where he grew up with his sister and mom, and with his grandmother, Mamaw (GLENN CLOSE), a few doors d,own and his grandfather, Papaw (BO HOPKINS), a few houses down from there. The latter two fled their rural Kentucky homes as teenagers in hopes of pursuing the American dream, but things didn't go as planned, which also held true for Bev, a nurse with a drug problem and a penchant for choosing the wrong types of men. In flashbacks, we see young J.D. (OWEN ASZTALOS) having to deal with all of that.

As those play out in his head, J.D. tries to get Bev the help she needs, but her erratic behavior and refusal to cooperate means he might not make it back to New Jersey for an important interview that could help him finally escape his past.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Some older teens might be interested, especially if they're fans of the book or anyone in the cast.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For language throughout, drug content and some violence.

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