‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Trending on Netflix After J.D. Vance VP Nomination

The movie based on J.D. Vance’s memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, is gaining significant attention on Netflix since Donald Trump announced Vance as his running mate for the 2024 presidential election.

Former President Trump revealed his choice of Vance for vice president Monday at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Vance released Hillbilly Elegy in 2016, a memoir that details his difficult upbringing in the Rust Belt. After high school, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the Iraq War. Once back in the U.S., Vance graduated from Ohio State University and later obtained a law degree from Harvard Law School.

According to ABC News, Hillbilly Elegy has sold 1.6 million copies to date. Vance secured his U.S. Senate seat in 2022.

Directed by Ron Howard, who won an Oscar for A Beautiful Mind, the film version of Hillbilly Elegy was released in 2020. As of Thursday, the movie was climbing Netflix’s Top 10 list in the U.S., reaching No. 4. On Tuesday, it stood at No. 6.

The overall influence of the film on Netflix, both in the U.S. and globally, will be clearer next Tuesday when the streaming service updates its weekly top 10 lists for film performance.

The surge in popularity extends beyond the movie itself. As of Wednesday, the paperback of Vance’s memoir became the No. 1 best-seller on Amazon.

Hillbilly Elegy features Owen Asztalos and Gabriel Basso as the younger and adult J.D. Vance, respectively. Amy Adams stars as Vance’s mother, Bev, while Glenn Close portrays Vance’s grandmother, Bonnie, also known as Mamaw.

Other cast members include Haley Bennett as J.D.’s sister, Lindsay, and Freida Pinto as the older J.D.’s girlfriend, Usha.

Glenn Close’s portrayal earned her nominations for Best Supporting Actress from both the Oscars and the Screen Actors Guild. The SAG also nominated Amy Adams for Best Actress.

While Adams and Close received praise for their performances, the film itself faced harsh reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, Hillbilly Elegy garnered a 25% “rotten” rating based on 259 reviews. However, audiences felt differently, awarding the movie an 82% “fresh” rating from over 2,500 viewer ratings.

Source: ABC News, Rotten Tomatoes