One of the most quoted and referenced books of the 2016 Presidential elections is about to come to the big screen with Ron Howard as its director. Howard will produce and direct an adaptation of J.D. Vance's bestselling memoir, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.
Vance grew up in Middletown, Ohio and survived personal and financial hardships to graduate from Ohio State University and eventually Yale Law School. The book speaks to the culture of poverty endured by white working class Americans in the Rust Belt. Vance, who became a political commentator during the Presidential campaign, became known as the "Trump Whisperer" because he often gave voice to the prevalence of Americans who voted against their best interests by supporting Trump.
Imagine producer Erica Huggins says Vance's book "[illuminates] the plight of America’s white working class, speaking directly to the turmoil of our current political climate."
This is going to be very interesting, if only because Vance's book has been a divisive one, regardless of ideology. No word on a writer (I'd be surprised if Vance didn't adapt it himself) or when filming could begin, but given the current political climate the sooner is probably better. [Deadline]
