Review of Big Stone Gap (2014) by Russ R — 09 Oct 2015

I read these books every fall and just finished Big Stone Gap for the 13th time on Thursday night. My 17 year old daughter and I went to see the movie Friday, opening day, she has never read the books but I have told her about them many times and she was excited to see this movie with me. I live in that area and use to work in Wise and loved seeing all our home town places on the screen. To me the scenery is the star of this film. With that being said, I was disappointed in so many of the changes. The one thing in all the years I have read these books that I have always wanted to see if a movie were ever made would be the McChesney house. I have always wanted to see that STONE house and we get a regular farm house. I was so upset with that. The other changes were basically minute compared to that. And being from this area and being a highly educated 42 year old woman, I felt we were almost portrayed as a backwards and awkward people. We are not. We are smart, hard working, dedicated, God fearing, kind, loving people. In 1978 some may not have been given the opportunities they could have had today. I will definitely see it again. I'm not saying it was a bad movie by any means, I just wish she had stayed closer to the book.

So, all in all it was a visually beautiful movie. I love the shot of Tacoma mountain near the end. I have driven the road and took the curve a million times and unless you are personally familiar with it you won't recognize it. My daughter loved it and after the movie we went to dinner and recounted the changes for her. I left in tears, I laughed, I felt every emotion I should have which means she did her job.