“Hillbilly Elegy” is the movie adaptation of J.D. Vance’s book “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and a Culture in Crisis.” The film was directed by Ron Howard and stars Amy Adams and Glenn Close.
When Netflix feels a film has Oscar-winning potential, the streaming service will often release the film to select local or independent theaters, less-often chain theaters, to premiere ahead of the Netflix release, explained Jonathan McNeal, Neon manager and film expert.
“That used to be an Academy rule that you had to play in a movie theater to be eligible (for Academy Awards),” McNeal said.
J.D. Vance, author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” said it was “surreal” to watch the filming of the movie in Middletown in August 2019. He told the Journal-News in a 2019 interview: “It’s pretty surreal to watch famous actors and actresses portraying real people from my life.”
Directors worked with local actors and FilmDayton to cast local extras to appear in the film. FilmDayton also helped the production team with location scouting, McNeal said.
“Hillbilly Elegy, with all of its local ties and the success of the memoir and the fact that it was shot partially locally ... the fact that it looks great, I mean, Glenn, Close and Amy Adams look incredible — we’re excited to bring it,” McNeal said.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
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