The newest crime drama series American Rust appears to be following in the footsteps of Ron Howard’s film Hillbilly Elegy, which raises curiosity regarding what kind of impression the show will leave on audiences. After Hillbilly Elegy’s release last year, it received harsh criticisms from reviewers, many of whom have stated that a lack of authenticity prevented the film from being faithful to the memoir it was based on. With this in mind, the question becomes whether American Rust will be more positively received than its predecessor as its story unfolds.
Divisive expectations seem to have ultimately been what caused Ron Howard’s film to receive low marks during its initial release. Despite being well-received by audiences, critics' impressions of Hillbilly Elegy early on were that the film would focus more on J.D.’s present self rather than his past. The film attempted to provide a message about how a person can improve their life when they take responsibility for their decisions, but loses some merit due to more significance being placed on his future self rather than his past. American Rust, however, has shown signs that it may improve upon the model for the Rust Belt drama as seen in Hillbilly Elegy simply through a change in how it executes its story.
Both productions appear similar in that they take place in the Rust Belt and show the challenges faced by some of those who live there, but there are significant differences that set the two apart. Set in the small town of Buell, Pennsylvania, American Rust depicts the struggles of Del Harris, the local police chief, as he investigates a murder but soon finds himself shielding the young perpetrator from being discovered, bringing him to question the morality of his decisions. On the other hand, Hillbilly Elegy is based on the memoir of J.D. Vance, a Yale law student who is forced to return to his hometown of Middletown, Ohio when his mother is rushed to the hospital due to a drug overdose, causing him to confront the trauma that haunted his family for three generations. Since the setting and themes are so similar, there seems to be an unspoken expectation for American Rust to make up for the apparent shortcomings of Hillbilly Elegy.
American Rust gives attention to topics touched upon in Hillbilly Elegy by approaching them with a more understated tone. The scenes which best demonstrate this are the ones in which characters are allowed a chance to speak candidly with each other. The first two episodes prove different from Hillbilly Elegy's tenser scenes by using quieter moments to fully explore issues and treating problems such as Del Harris’ addiction to prescribed medications with more solemnity by showing how it has affected him. While Hillbilly Elegy depicted these problems as well, the movie is hindered by the characters being given little time to express the weight of their struggles. The movie can't entirely be blamed, however; Vance's memoir itself was criticized for making broad generalizations and stereotyping Appalachia. It adopted a slant of blaming poor people for being poor without truly grappling with the underlying factors that contribute to generational poverty, which came through in the film adaptation. American Rust’s more natural style of storytelling makes it possible to create scenes that are more emotionally impactful to the characters and to the audience.
The other sign that the show may fare better than Hillbilly Elegy lies in the fact that it does not prioritize conveying a message through its narrative over providing an interesting story. Rather than being focused on moralizing, the series is focused on telling a well-crafted narrative. American Rust involves issues that are faced by those living in the Rust Belt, but it places greater importance on its role as a drama rather than as a vehicle for a particular idea. American Rust may be early in its story, but the chapters available so far indicate that it may be able to succeed in areas where Hillbilly Elegy fell short.
American Rust will air a new episode September 26 on Showtime and Hulu.