Hillbilly Elegy surges on Netflix as Vance's political career rises
"Hillbilly Elegy" premiered on Netflix in November 2020. Newer films had long overshadowed it. Then suddenly, on July 16, it jumped to the 6th spot among the most popular titles on the platform in the USA. Why? "Hillbilly Elegy" is based on the autobiographical book by J.D. Vance, a candidate for Vice President of the United States.
2:33 PM EDT, July 17, 2024
Before experienced Hollywood director Ron Howard made "Hillbilly Elegy," J.D. Vance’s novel came out on the publishing market and achieved remarkable and completely unexpected success. "The New York Times" included it among the most essential books explaining the electoral success of Donald Trump in 2016. The rights to its screen adaptation quickly landed in Netflix’s hands, as they aimed to make it an Oscar-winning production.
However, the film divided critics. It received exceptionally polarized reviews. Ron Howard's drama relied heavily on the performances of two great actresses, Glenn Close and Amy Adams, diluting the other storylines in the novel. The screenplay became chaotic, and the characters' relationships were disconnected from their social context. Ultimately, "Hillbilly Elegy" received only two Oscar nominations: Supporting Actress (Glenn Close) and Makeup & Hairstyling.
The rise of the author of "Hillbilly Elegy" in big politics led viewers in the United States to revisit the forgotten 2020 production. The film's viewership increased from about 9,000 viewers to 164,000, making it the 6th most popular title on Netflix's trending list.
"Hillbilly Elegy" also sparked discussion, partly because of a "joke" about Poles that even American journalists described as "atrocious." Mamaw (Glenn Close) returns with groceries. Her grandson J.D. is waiting in front of the house with his friends. They don't rush to help. Grandma is angry and wants to know whom her grandson is hanging out with. When she asks one of the boys, he says his name is Louis Zablocki.
"That's a Polish name," Mamaw comments. Then she says, "You know what’s interesting about the Poles? They bury their dead with their asses sticking out of the ground; that way, they got a place to park their bikes."
Many American critics considered the film harmful, portraying a false image of poor, white Americans. Joe Berkowitz called the "joke" about Poles "gross." "When Mamaw chases two of them away with derogatory jokes about their Polish heritage, though, this ethnicity-based othering is coded as a playful and quirky heart-in-the-right-place gesture. Gross!," he wrote.
