Saw a good movie on Netflix: Hillbilly Elegy

Dutch Uncle said:
I watched the movie this morning and rated it a 7 on IMDB. In many ways this story could have taken place in any poor section of the United States regardless of geography, culture or skin tone. It's a story of a lack of both opportunities and education, resulting ignorance and poverty plus untreated mental illnesses. Drug use, IMO, is a result of these things. It's also a story about family and family helping family.

One reason why the movie is rated less than stellar is due to it's dark nature. It's gritty and frustrating to see human lives needlessly wasted. The brightest part of the entire movie is, literally, the last two minutes before the credits roll.

Another reason is that turning any great book, which often takes 5-8 hours to read, into a two hour movie is going to piss off anyone who read the book. I first experienced this after reading Paul Gallico's excellent adventure novel "The Poseidon Adventure" then seeing the movie a couple years later. Although the movie is rated 7.1 on IMDB, I was disappointed for the simple reason movies can never live up to a book. Yes, including the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Critics whining about the movie have similar complaints, that the movie doesn't live up to the book or harping that extra time should have been spent on one thing over another. An example is Bev (J.D. Vance's mother) obvious mental illness (my guess is bipolarism), her inability to receive adequate treatment and her continual relapses into ever worsening drug addictions as a probable cause from untreated mental illness.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie and will recommend it to my wife whom I expect to like it also. Thanks for the thread and reference.
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I can’t watch depressing movies right now.

I do recommend “A Bad Mom’s Christmas” and “Holidate”
 
Phantasmal said:
I can’t watch depressing movies right now.

I do recommend “A Bad Mom’s Christmas” and “Holidate”
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Keep it for after the holidays. It's grim and gritty but has a good ending.

I rewatched one of my favorites "Scrooged" a few days ago. Funny stuff. Carol Kane is a hoot!

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Damocles said:
https://www.theonion.com/defensive-ron-howard-you-try-making-a-good-movie-abou-1845777290

Defensive Ron Howard: ‘You Try Making A Good Movie About Fucking Hillbillies’

LOS ANGELES—In response to widespread negative reviews of his recently released film, Hillbilly Elegy, defensive director Ron Howard told his critics Monday, “You try making a good movie about fucking hillbillies.” “I’d invite anyone who didn’t like my film to try creating something with actual emotional depth about a bunch of backwards, dumbass hill people—can’t be done,” said Howard, adding that it was impossible to write, direct, edit, or even act in a movie about “some hopeless, completely unlikable Appalachian inbreds who just keep fucking up their own lives over and over again.” “Oh, you thought my movie was trite, huh? Well, what did you people expect? Their real-life struggle is the same ridiculous thing over and over again. All those holler dimwits are so drunk off their asses and strung out on heroin it’s impossible to make a coherent story about them. Ask [actors] Amy [Adams] and Glenn [Close], they’ll tell you how difficult it is to act like people who are already parodies of themselves. ‘But Ron,’ you’ll say, ‘what about J.D. Vance’s book? What about his input?’ Vance hates them just as much as I do.

More at link...
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LOL. I almost took that serious until I saw the Onion as the source. Funny stuff. :thup:
 
Flash said:
I read the book but haven't seen the movie. I think suggesting these make up Trump's core is based on the mistaken assumption that these people actually vote.
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Agreed. As noted earlier, this story could have taken place anywhere there was poverty, little education and little opportunity to break the cycle. I doubt many of them vote.
 
Phantasmal said:
I can’t watch depressing movies right now.
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I don’t watch them ever. I get enough reality out of life. I have dealt with such folks several times during my life. I like to watch movies to be entertained. That’s probably why I prefer Sci-Fi and Avengers type of stuff. Shoot, I don’t even watch the news nowadays...too depressing.
 
Phantasmal said:
I can’t watch depressing movies right now.

I do recommend “A Bad Mom’s Christmas” and “Holidate”
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Just rewatched the funny "Silver Linings Playbook". Now watching a darker hillbilly movie "The Devil all the Time". Both on Netflix.
 
leaningright said:
I don’t watch them ever. I get enough reality out of life. I have dealt with such folks several times during my life. I like to watch movies to be entertained. That’s probably why I prefer Sci-Fi and Avengers type of stuff. Shoot, I don’t even watch the news nowadays...too depressing.
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I bounce around. The news lately has been fucking hilarious but after hitting different cable news shows for most of the morning, weather permitting I work outside or in my shop, but lately it's just been streaming movies or series.

IMDB.com is my go-to reference since I try to avoid movies less than 6.5 and prefer 7.0+
 
"The Devil all the Time" was good. Dark and wild. High body count but not always by the same people. Not a shoot'em up, just some really nasty people. Well worth watching.
 
Peace n Safety said:
Nice biographical on our Dutch family


I Bless you my child
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Yes, son, except everyone had their own teeth.

----
A Kung Fu student asks his teacher, "Master, why does my ability not improve? I'm always defeated." And the master, pensive and forever patient, answers, "My dear pupil, have you seen the gulls flying by the setting sun and their wings seeming like flames?"

"Yes, my master, I have."

"And a waterfall, spilling mightly over the stones without taking anything out of its proper place?"

"Yes, my master, I have witnessed it."

"And the moon, when it touches the calm water to reflect all its enormous beauty?"

"Yes, my master, I have also seen this marvelous phenomenon."

"That is the problem. You keep watching all this shit instead of training."

 
Peace n Safety said:
I especially enjoyed the democrat who executed his fellow soldier rather than rendering aid. Very true to life.


I Bless you my child
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He helped end his friends suffering. I'd do it for you, Stevie.

The man had been skinned alive and crucified. Better to shoot him in the head.
 
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