MARIA DUARTE is swept along by the cocky self-belief of a ping-pong hustler in a surprisingly violent drama
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Hillbilly Elegy
Maria Duarte recommends a touching portrayal of a troubled Appalachian childhood
STEVE ANDREW recommends a lively and often moving guide to once vibrant spaces that have been abandoned or swept away
GEOFF BOTTOMS appreciates the local touch brought to a production of Dickens’s perennial classic
MARY CONWAY is disappointed by a production whose design and cartoonish acting overwhelms the close scrutiny of characters
SUSAN DARLINGTON enjoys the raucous familiarity of a traditional topsy-turvy pantomime
RON JACOBS introduces the latest novel by the best writer of US working-class fiction writing today
Hillbilly Elegy
Directed by Ron Howard
“WHERE we come from is who we are but we choose every day who we become,” says JD Vance as he attempts to reconcile his Appalachian upbringing and identity with his pursuit of the American Dream.
It is based on JD Vance’s New York Times bestseller — a powerful memoir of his life and family.
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