Former President Donald Trump has officially announced Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his vice-presidential running mate for the 2024 election. Vance is also known for his book “Hillbilly Elegy,” which was adapted into a Netflix movie of the same name in 2020. Read on to learn about the film and how to watch it below.
As Forbes reported on July 15, Vance is a 39-year-old veteran of the Iraq War, a Yale-educated lawyer, and a former venture capitalist. He was elected to the Senate in 2022 after Trump endorsed him. He released his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis,” in 2016.
The memoir landed on the New York Times bestseller list for 74 weeks, tracing Vance’s journey from a former marine and Yale Law School graduate to sharing his account of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town. “Hillbilly Elegy” offers “a broader, probing look at the struggles of America’s white working class,” according to the book’s summary.
In January 2019, Netflix purchased the rights to create the film version of Hillbilly Elegy for $45 million, Deadline reported at the time. The movie was directed by Ron Howard and adapted by co-writer Vanessa Taylor. Here’s what to know about Hillbilly Elegy and how to watch the film about J.D. Vance’s life.
Is Hillbilly Elegy Based On The Real Life Story Of J.D. Vance?
Yes, Hillbilly Elegy is based on Vance’s bestselling 2016 memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.” Vance told NPR in 2016 that the book is about “what goes on in the lives of real people when the industrial economy goes south” and details the “social isolation, poverty, and addiction that afflict poor white communities.”
The memoir contains autobiographical details about Vance’s childhood and what it was like growing up in Appalachia and the Rust Belt. His mother and grandfather struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, respectively. Until he was 12 years old, Vance spent his summers in Jackson, Ky., with his grandmother and great-grandmother. He later joined the Marines, which helped him afford college. He attended Ohio State University and eventually Yale Law School, where he felt out of place.
“A Yale Law student reflects on his family’s history and his own future after returning to his Appalachian hometown,” Netflix’s film synopsis reads. Hillbilly Elegy is rated R and boasts a 25% critics score and a higher audience score of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was partly filmed in Vance’s hometown of Middletown, Ohio, as well as in Atlanta and Clayton, Georgia, per Decider.
Who Is In The Netflix Hillbilly Elegy Cast?
In 2020, Netflix adapted Hillbilly Elegy into a film starring Amy Adams and Glenn Close. Gabriel Basso plays Vance’s character, while Owen Asztalos portrays a younger version of the politician. Here’s the main cast list.
- Amy Adams as Bev Vance
- Glenn Close as Mamaw
- Gabriel Basso as J.D. Vance
- Haley Bennett as Lindsay Vance
- Freida Pinto as Usha
- Bo Hopkins as Papaw
- Owen Asztalos as young J.D. Vance
How To Watch Hillbilly Elegy
Hillbilly Elegy, the movie adapted from J.D. Vance’s memoir of the same name, is currently available to stream exclusively on Netflix.
Netflix currently offers three subscription options to stream Hillbilly Elegy. Standard with ads starts at $6.99 per month, standard (no ads) is $15.49 per month, and premium (no ads) is $22.99 per month. You can learn more on Netflix’s plans and pricing site. The streaming platform does not offer a free trial.
Watch The Hillbilly Elegy Netflix Trailer
Check out the official trailer for Hillbilly Elegy, starring Amy Adams and Gen Close, below.
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