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'Hillbilly Elegy' trailer: Glenn Close is unrecognisable in Ron Howard's new film

HILLBILLY ELEGY: (L to R) Haley Bennett (Lindsay), Glenn Close (Mamaw), Owen Asztalos ("Young J.D. Vance"). (Lacey Terrell/NETFLIX © 2020)
HILLBILLY ELEGY: (L to R) Haley Bennett (Lindsay), Glenn Close (Mamaw), Owen Asztalos ("Young J.D. Vance"). (Lacey Terrell/NETFLIX © 2020)

The usually glamorous Glenn Close is virtually unrecognisable as the family matriarch in the first trailer for Ron Howard’s Hillbilly Elegy.

The Netflix film, which has tipped for awards success, sees Close and Amy Adams playing working class mothers struggling to cope in the film based on the novel of the same name.

Based on the best-selling memoir written by JD Vance in 2016, the story is told from the perspective of the Yale Law student, who is on the verge of landing his dream job when a family crisis forces him to return to the home he has tried to forget.

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It shows his volatile relationship with his addict mother Bev, played by Adams, and his memories of his grandmother Mamaw (Close).

In the trailer, an unrecognisable Close can be seen saying: “I thought your momma was gonna be alright, be happy. I know I could’ve done better, but you gotta decide: You want to be somebody or not?”

Here’s the synopsis: J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso), a former Marine from southern Ohio and current Yale Law student, is on the verge of landing his dream job when a family crisis forces him to return to the home he’s tried to forget. J.D. must navigate the complex dynamics of his Appalachian family, including his volatile relationship with his mother Bev (Amy Adams), who’s struggling with addiction.

HILLBILLY ELEGY: (L to R) Haley Bennett (Lindsay), Gabriel Basso (J.D. Vance), Amy Adams (Bev). (Lacey Terrell/NETFLIX © 2020)
HILLBILLY ELEGY: (L to R) Haley Bennett (Lindsay), Gabriel Basso (J.D. Vance), Amy Adams (Bev). (Lacey Terrell/NETFLIX © 2020)

Fueled by memories of his grandmother Mamaw (Glenn Close), the resilient and whip-smart woman who raised him, J.D. comes to embrace his family’s indelible imprint on his own personal journey.

Based on J.D. Vance’s #1 New York Times Bestseller and directed by Academy Award winner Ron Howard, HILLBILLY ELEGY is a powerful personal memoir that offers a window into one family’s personal journey of survival and triumph. By following three colorful generations through their unique struggles, J.D.’s family story explores the highs and lows that define his family’s experience.

The film, directed by Ron Howard, will be released in select cinemas in November and will launch on Netflix on 24 November.

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