Movie-Made Appalachia: History, Hollywood, and the Highland South

Hollywood has a long tradition of portraying Appalachia's people in serious and meaningful ways, creating sympathetic and often complex characters who interact within families, households, and communities amidst a wide array of historical contingencies. John C. Inscoe argues that these films deserve more credit than they have received for creating credible and informative narratives that respect the specifics of the times and places in which they are set.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 30 January 2021
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press

While Hollywood certainly deserves its reputation for often-maligned portrayals of southern highlanders on screen, the film industry also deserves credit for a longstanding tradition of more serious and meaningful depictions of Appalachia's people. By surveying a selection of approximately two dozen films and the literary and historical sources from which they were adapted, John C. Inscoe makes the compelling argument that Appalachia has long represented far more than deprived and depraved hillbillies in the American imagination. Rather, the films he highlights serve as effective portals into the region's past, with some grounded firmly in documented realities and life stories, while others exist only loosely so. In either case, these films deserve more credit than they have received for creating sympathetic and often complex characters who interact within families, households, and communities amidst a wide array of historical contingencies. They provide credible and informative narratives that respect the specifics of the times and places in which they are set.

Having utilized many of these movies as teaching tools in college classrooms, Inscoe demonstrates the cumulative effect of analyzing them in terms of shared themes and topics to convey far more generous insights into Appalachia and its history than one would have expected to emerge from southern California's dream factory.

In conclusion, while Hollywood's portrayal of Appalachia may have its flaws, the film industry also has a rich tradition of more serious and meaningful depictions of the region's people. By examining a selection of films and their literary and historical sources, Inscoe highlights the ways in which these works serve as effective conduits into Appalachia's past, providing valuable insights into the lives and experiences of its residents. Through the analysis of shared themes and topics, these films offer a more generous and nuanced understanding of Appalachia and its history, challenging stereotypes and promoting empathy and understanding.

Weight: 400g
Dimension: 158 x 234 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781469660141