Ron Howard responds to criticism of ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ for being apolitical, leaving key elements of the book out



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Ron Howard has responded to criticism of his latest film, “Hillbilly Elegy,” after critics said it lacked the political advantage of the memoir it is based on.

The film, starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams, is an adaptation of JD Vance’s 2016 memoir of the same name about life in the Appalachians and the conflicts his family has experienced when faced with issues like addiction. , social problems in their hometown and poverty. cycle that maintains them.

As The Hollywood Reporter notes, the film has been criticized by many critics for taking an apolitical approach to the story and carefully removing the elements that tackled the opioid crisis and a system apparently designed to keep people down. like Vance’s family in poverty. As a result, critics criticized Howard for only portraying the idea of ​​a wealthy person from a poor family without the context of the social and political issues around them.

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The acclaimed director appeared alongside Vance for an interview with “CBS This Morning” on Tuesday where he was asked directly about the criticism the film faces. He noted that he thought people, especially those who were in love with the book when it was released during turbulent political times in 2016, may have been expecting a more political plot.

Ron Howard has been criticized for apparently removing all political context from his film adaptation of the 2016 memoir "Hillbilly Elegy."

Ron Howard has been criticized for apparently removing all political context from his film adaptation of the 2016 memoir “Hillbilly Elegy”.
(Dave Kotinsky / Getty Images)

“Critics have a job, which is to see something, look at it through their lens and talk about it. So, I cannot dispute, ”he explained. “I feel like they’re looking at political themes that they may or may not disagree with, honestly, aren’t really reflected or central to this story.”

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He added that he never set out to do political history but rather an adaptation of the very relatable family struggle that he saw in the book.

“What I saw was a family drama that could be very relatable. Yes, culture specific, and if that fascinates you, I hope you find it interesting,” he added. “If you are from the area, I hope you find this authentic because that was certainly our goal and it was our effort. But I felt it was a bridge to understand that we are more alike than ourselves. are not different. “

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Vance, meanwhile, noted that no matter what the politics, the story still has as much cultural relevance as it did when it first came out.

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“I think the response to the film and so many emails and messages that I have received since the film’s release suggests it still resonates,” he explained. “I think a lot of people attach specific political significance, but these issues of family struggle, addiction and resilience, I really think they’re timeless because we still have an addiction issue in this country, as we do. ‘did in 2016, so I think for a lot of the audience it still resonates. “

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