Not as cringey and horrible as expected, but it is kind if a messy film. No one has ever accused Ron Howard of making a tight film. This one meanders way too much. The timeline flashback tricks were largely clunky and ineffective. What's missing here were some scenes of genuine joy. Yes poor people from Appalachia can actually get together and have a good time. The family reunion that starts the film should have been longer and showed the real family bonds in good times. The film portrays these people as joyless hicks and that's a disservice to the people.
I grew up in Ohio and went to college in Southern Ohio near the location of the film. I later had a very close friend who's life has in many ways mirrored JD Vance's. I read the book when it came out. And found it a bit myopic as the resulting film is.
It seems the director constrained the editor from making this a better film. Because the raw material here could be so much better. Or the studio stepped in. Or the editor just wasn't visionary enough.
Really good performances fill this film. They do the best they can with the one note script they're given. Droning on for 2 hours of tragedy relentlessly is not enjoyable. It's a slog. And it's a shame, but I think this story could have been told much better. In 90 minutes.
I grew up in Ohio and went to college in Southern Ohio near the location of the film. I later had a very close friend who's life has in many ways mirrored JD Vance's. I read the book when it came out. And found it a bit myopic as the resulting film is.
It seems the director constrained the editor from making this a better film. Because the raw material here could be so much better. Or the studio stepped in. Or the editor just wasn't visionary enough.
Really good performances fill this film. They do the best they can with the one note script they're given. Droning on for 2 hours of tragedy relentlessly is not enjoyable. It's a slog. And it's a shame, but I think this story could have been told much better. In 90 minutes.
