Hillbilly Elegy

"Hillbilly Elegy" is an adaptation of a book and play of the same name.

Elegy tells the story of J.D. Vance, a Yale student who is on the verge of landing an interview for his dream job when he is called back home to Kentucky as his mother is in the hospital.

J.D.'s mother Bev, played by Amy Adams, is mentally ill and has been addicted to substances for years. She is about to be released by the hospital for not having insurance. But where is she to go? Can J.D. help her?

The film is told as a memoir, with present day scenes and flashbacks throughout J.D.'s entire life, including the time he went to stay with his grandmother, "Mawmaw", played by Glenn Close.

The film is not for the faint of heart. It depicts years of mental and physical abuse, substance abuse, and mental illness.

Now streaming on Netflix, directed by Ron Howard, three stars.