Hillbillyland: What the Movies Did to the Mountains and What the Mountains Did to the Movies

by J.W. Williamson

The stereotypical hillbilly figure in popular culture provokes a range of responses, from bemused affection for Ma and Pa Kettle to outright fear of the mountain men in Deliverance . In Hillbillyland , J. W. Williamson investigates why hillbilly images are so pervasive in our culture and what purposes they serve. He has mined more than 800 movies, from early nickelodeon one-reelers to contemporary films such as Thelma and Louise and Raising Arizona , for representations of hillbillies in their recurring roles as symbolic 'cultural others.' Williamson's hillbillies live not only in the hills of the South but anywhere on the rough edge of society. And they are not just men; women can be hillbillies, too. According to Williamson, mainstream America responds to hillbillies because they embody our fears and hopes and a romantic vision of the past. They are clowns, children, free spirits, or wild people through whom we live vicariously while being reassured about our own standing in society.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film

340 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1995

Reviews

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good look at the how the hillbilly/mountain man image is presented in movies and TV. Williamson covers multiple different stereotypes, including the hillbilly as clown/idiot, the dangerous mountain man (e.g., Deliverance), the proud rebel (Davy Crockett, at least in fiction), the hillbilly woman (proud and independent until she's tamed by film's end) and the "mama's boy" (the innocent youth who proves his manhood by finally fighting—while Williamson doesn't mention it, Kenny Rogers' "Coward of the County" fits this image to a T). I am surprised he doesn't include a section on the hillbilly hotty (e.g. Ellie Mae Clampett) but that's about the only flaw.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful reflections on the hillbilly image in Hollywood.