‘Hillbilly Elegy’ movie blasted for depiction of working class
Actor Dean Cain weighs in on the controversy, says the film ‘felt inauthentic.’
Former President Trump named freshman Sen. JD Vance as his 2024 running mate on Monday.
Although Vance has been serving the United States as a senator since 2023, he released his memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis" in 2016 – forming a connection with Hollywood.
Vance's memoir was picked up by Netflix and was turned into a film with the same name in 2020. "Hillbilly Elegy" – directed by Ron Howard – starred Gabriel Basso, Amy Adams, Glenn Close and Haley Bennett.
Trump named JD Vance as his 2024 running mate on Monday. (Getty Images)
Close went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for her role as Vance's "Mamaw."
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Below is a look at the key people in Vance's life story and the Hollywood stars who portrayed them.
Gabriel Basso – JD Vance
Basso took on the role as Vance in the Netflix film. Born in December 1994, Basso is known for his roles in "Super 8," "The Kings of Summer" and Netflix's "The Night Agent."
Gabriel Basso, Amy Adams and Haley Bennett in "Hillbilly Elegy." (Netflix)
Basso portrayed Vance's life as a Yale Law student who receives an urgent phone call, requiring him to return to his hometown in Ohio and face "three generations of family history and his own future," per IMDb.
Gabriel Basso portrayed JD Vance in "Hillbilly Elegy." (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
Amy Adams – Bev
Amy Adams took on the role as Beverly "Bev" Vance, JD's mother, in the Netflix film. Bev was a struggling mother of two who battled addiction.
In 2020, Adams spoke to Entertainment Weekly about how she prepared for the role, which included speaking to members of Vance's family and Bev herself.
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"I think when I'm playing somebody who you know is out there that is going to see this, I'm glad that you can see deeper than just the mistakes that she's made because that was something that was really important to me," Adams told the outlet at the time.
Amy Adams starred as JD Vance's mother, Bev, in "Hillbilly Elegy." (Netflix)
Amy emphasized the importance of accurately portraying Bev's struggle with addiction.
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"There's been several people that have been really important to me that have been touched by addiction. It's a story of a whole bunch of people who've really struggled and it was really important to me to find the humanity in that struggle," Adams said.
Amy Adams was "terrified" to accurately portray the role as Bev Vance. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Adams said the pressure "terrified" her, but she's ultimately happy she decided to take on the role.
"As hard as it was embodying the character, it was an uplifting experience," she told the outlet at the time.
Glenn Close – Mamaw
Glenn Close took on the role as Bev's mother, Vance's "Mamaw," who played a major role in JD's upbringing.
In 2020, she also spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the unrecognizable transformation she underwent to accurately portray her role in "Hillbilly Elegy."
Amy Adams and Glenn Close lead the "Hillbilly Elegy" cast. (Netflix)
"I wanted to change my face a little, mainly for me as an actress, because I did not want to be distracted knowing that it was Glenn Close's face," she told the outlet.
During the interview, Close echoed Adam's sentiment of the importance of accurately portraying Vance's family member.
Glenn Close said portraying "Mamaw" Vance was "one of the great experiences" she's had in her career. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
"You are defining for yourself a whole landscape of psychology and emotion, and as an actor I don't want to repeat myself, and this I went into it slowly step by step. It was one of the great experiences that I've had in my career," Close told the outlet.
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Haley Bennett – Lindsay Vance
Haley Bennett took on the role as Lindsay Vance, JD's sister, in "Hillbilly Elegy."
Haley Bennett portrayed Vance's sister, Lindsay Vance. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for BFI)
Bev gave birth to Vance's older sister just a few weeks after graduating from high school, per Britannica.
Haley is an American actress who has appeared in films such as "The Girl on the Train," "Swallow," "Music and Lyrics" and "The Equalizer."
Freida Pinto – Usha
Freida Pinto appeared as Vance's wife, Usha Chilukuri in "Hillbilly Elegy." According to People magazine, Usha and JD met while attending Yale Law together and wed the year after they graduated in 2014.
Freida Pinto portrayed Vance's wife, Usha, in "Hillbilly Elegy." (Taylor Hill/WireImage)
The couple share three children: two sons, Ewan and Vivek, and a daughter, Mirabel.
JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, wed in 2014 and share three children. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Freida is an Indian actress, born in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She has appeared in films such as "Slumdog Millionaire," "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," "Immortals" and "Intrusion."
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