Summary

Over the years, Glenn Close has accumulated outstanding praise and a number of awards, yet her role in 2020’sHillbilly Elegyearned her a strange and unlikely achievement. When considering Hollywood’s most lauded and distinguished actors, Glenn Close is likely high up on the list. Since her career began in 1974,Glenn Close has earned nearly every accoladeavailable, including the Triple Crown of Acting and an EGOT. Furthermore, Close’s best performances have spawned some truly iconic characters, especially villains. However, as much as Close impresses, her projects haven’t always been deemed perfect.

Although Glenn Close has starred in a number of well-received movies, she has just as many that can be considered flops. According to her Rotten Tomatoes page, Close’s highest-rated project has a 100% critics score, while her lowest-rated earned a shocking 0%. In this way,Close’s performances have reached the very top and have hit rock bottom. However, there is one Glenn Close movie that managed to land in both places at once, at least when it comes to awards. For Close, this controversial film was both a notable achievement and an utter failure.

JD Vance hillbilly elegy netflix

Hillbilly Elegy True Story: What The Movie Changes About J.D. Vance’s Family

In Netflix’s adaptation of Vance’s memoir, director Ron Howard takes some artistic license to piece together this reconciling of lifestyles.

Glenn Close Was Nominated For An Oscar & A Golden Raspberry Award For Her Role In Hillbilly Elegy

Close Played Mamaw In Hillbilly Elegy

In 2020,Glenn Close earned an unlikely set of nominations for her role as MamawinHillbilly Elegy.First, Close was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. However, for the same role, she was also nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award, otherwise known as a Razzie, for Worst Supporting Actress. Of all of Close’s honors, this nomination pairing is likely her weirdest, and one of the rarest an actor can achieve. It doesn’t often happen that an actor’s performance is deemed the best and the worst. Yet, consideringHillbilly Elegy’sbrutal reviews, this outcome makes sense.

The movie adaptation earned a 25% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling the film overly dramatic and cliché.

Glenn Close as Joan in The Wife

Hillbilly Elegyis a drama based on a memoir by 2024 Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance.It follows the true story of Vance’s childhood living in Appalachiaalongside his troubled mother and his traditional Southern grandparents. The movie adaptation earned a 25% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling the film overly dramatic and cliché. This isn’t the only criticism the story has received either.Hillbilly Elegyhas been deemed controversialbecause of Vance’s generalized depiction of the working class in Appalachia. One concern among critics is that Vance’s book unfairly blames impoverished people for their own misfortune (People.)

Who Else Was Nominated For An Oscar & A Razzie For The Same Role

Other Actors Have Also Earned Glenn Close’s Odd Nominations

Although earning an Oscar nomination alongside a Razzie nomination is quite rare, Glenn Close isn’t the only actor to live this reality. In 1981, James Coco earned the same dual nominations for his role as Jimmy Perino inOnly When I Laugh.Similarly, in 1983, Amy Irving earned both an Oscar and Razzie nomination for playing Hadass Vishkower inYentl.

Glenn Close did not win the Academy Award or the Razzie forHillbilly Elegyin 2020.

Hillbilly Elegy

A number of actors have also earned Oscar and Razzie nominations in the same year, but for different roles. Sandra Bullock won an Academy Award for her appearance inThe Blind Sidein 2010, but also won the Golden Raspberry for her role inAll About Steve.Other actors who have followed this path include Eddie Redmayne forThe Danish GirlandJupiter Ascending,and Uma Thurman forPulp FictionandEven Cowgirls Get the Blues.In this way,Hillbilly Elegyjoins a special class of good-and-bad movies.

Hillbilly Elegy

Cast

Directed by Ron Howard for release on Netflix, Hillbilly Elegy is a Drama film released in 2020 and stars Amy Adams and Glenn Close. The plot is based on author J.D. Vance’s memoir of the same name and follows a family as they attempt to deal with their mother’s unstable lifestyle.