Bad directing and bad acting

Glen close was okay but Amy Adams was the weakest link. In order for the film to be appreciated by critics she wold have had to have given the strongest performance as the female lead.

The directing style though is what really killed the film - not necessarily the story. It was directed eerily similar to a lifetime movie which surprised me as Ron Howard used to be a pretty good director.

For people to say this film is being unfairly criticized because of the subject matter (hillbilly whites) is simply untrue. This film is a victim of a bad cast and poor directing.