Hillbilly Elegy: there isn’t much that is new or interesting in this memoir adaptation by Ron Howard. The story leans heavily into the “you don’t choose your family” idea, and as a result, there’s not a sympathetic or at least richly unsympathetic character to be seen anywhere. It’s all shallow, stale, tiresome; the lack of emotional connection makes the film feel much longer than it actually is. Amy Adams and Glenn Close headline the film, however, but they are stuck with paper-thin character and their performances turn out to be one-noted, caricatural. Young Owen Asztalos and older Gabriel Basso share the portrait of the protagonist, and neither of them delivers a particularly interesting performance. Haley Bennett and Freida Pinto don’t have much to do. Below the line, other than the solid make-up work that transforms Glenn Close, there’s not much to mention.