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Filmmaker Ron Howard directed a film about Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance, but the Eden director insisted that the movie isn’t about J.D.’s politics. However, amid the current presidential election, viewers are wondering what the film is about and where to watch it.
Hollywood Life has all the details about the J.D. Vance movie, below.
What Is Ron Howard’s J.D. Vance Movie?
The film, which came out in 2020, is titled Hillbilly Elegy.
What Is ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ About?
Hillbilly Elegy is based on J.D.’s 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis. The film follows the politician as he reflects on his childhood in Ohio. While growing up, J.D. and his sister, Lindsay, witnessed their mother Bev’s drug addiction, which created a dysfunctional and abusive household for the children.
The story also explores J.D.’s motivation for excelling in school and building his political career.
Who Is in the ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Cast?
Amy Adams, Glenn Close and Gabriel Basso star in the Netflix film.
What Did Ron Howard Say About J.D. Vance?
While speaking with Deadline amid the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, Ron was asked about the scrutiny that the film is under as the presidential election unfolds.
“Well, we didn’t talk a lot of politics when we were making the movie because I was interested in his upbringing and that survival tale. That’s what we mostly focused on,” Ron told the outlet in a recent interview. “However, based on the conversations that we had during that time, I just have to say I’m very surprised and disappointed by much of the rhetoric that I’m reading and hearing.”
The “rhetoric” Ron referred to was J.D.’s infamous comments during Donald Trump‘s campaign. His most controversial remark came from a resurfaced 2021 television interview when he described certain Democrats as “childless cat ladies.” He also said that the future “of the Democrats is controlled by people without children,” citing Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. Pete currently shares two children with his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, and Kamala shares stepchildren Ella and Cole with husband Dough Emhoff.
During Ron’s Deadline interview, the producer added that “people do change” and recalled the time he used to know J.D.
“When we spoke around the time that I knew him, he was not involved in politics or claimed to be particularly interested,” Ron said. “So, that was then. I think the important thing is to recognize what’s going on today and to vote. And so that’s my answer. It’s not really about a movie made five or six years ago. It is, but we need to respond to what we’re seeing, hearing, feeling now, and vote responsibly, whatever that is. We must participate. That’s my answer.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
