Netflix has released the trailer for the new Ron Howard film “Hillbilly Elegy,” based on the bestselling J.D. Vance memoir of the same name. The streamer also announced a release date for the film: Tuesday, Nov. 24. While the book and presumably the film center on Vance’s experiences from his perspective, most of the trailer shows him in a more reactive role as the two most prominent women in his life, his mother and his grandmother, take center stage. As such, we get a strong glimpse of stars Amy Adams and Glenn Close, who could finally add the little gold man to their mantles after being perennial Oscar also-rans for decades. Watch the trailer above.
In the trailer we see Vance’s mother, Bev (Adams), struggle with drug addiction as her loved ones try to help her. There are multiple confrontations between Vance’s grandmother, Mawmaw (Close), and Bev, with the former trying to get the latter to take responsibility for her life. In flashbacks, Vance recalls being raised by Mawmaw, whose enjoyment of the “Terminator” movies has influenced her own philosophy on life.
As she wisely observes at one point, “Everyone in this world is one of three kinds: good Terminator, a bad Terminator and neutral.” Both Adams and Close get multiple showcases in the trailer that could be plausible Oscar clips, and with the actresses also going full “deglam,” voters may find it hard to resist.
SEE 62 percent say it’s about time Glenn Close wins an Oscar
Before the trailer was even released, Gold Derby odds had “Hillbilly Elegy” at No. 7 for a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars, with Adams at No. 5 for Best Actress and Close in the frontrunner position for Best Supporting Actress. Howard is No. 9 for Best Director, while the script by Vanessa Taylor is in fifth for Best Adapted Screenplay. There are no critics reviews out yet for the film, but it will be interesting to see how things change after that initial wave of reviews and the response from Netflix audiences during that prime Thanksgiving timeframe.
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