Hillbilly Elegy What was presumably meant to be star-studded Oscar bait instead turned out to be a poorly reviewed mess of a movie. Based on J.D. Vance's already-controversial memoir, the movie was panned by critics for relying on stereotypes and melodrama, and it landed with a disappointing 26 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Read Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance instead. Image Source: Everett Collection