Free Republic

15 Ron Howard made JD Vance’s bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy into a major Hollywood movie four years ago. Now the filmmaker has publicly turned on the GOP vice presidential candidate, saying he is “surprised and disappointed” by the “rhetoric that I’m reading and hearing.” At the Toronto Film Festival to promote his latest movie Eden, Ron Howard faced questions about JD Vance from multiple news outlets, some of which clearly had an ax to grind against Vance.

My GF and myself are planning on watching thos movie tonight on netflix to get a better grasp on J.D. Is it worth the 2 hours?

Director Ron Howard apparently had a problem with the rather inconvenient politics of J.D. Vance's memoir, Hillbilly Elegy. His solution was to simply sanitize all politics out of the film version which according to most critics left it a rather lame movie. It will premiere on Netflix on November 24, but don't expect anything even close to, say, John Ford's Grapes of Wrath.Even the Hollywood Reporter took note of this in their Monday review of the film by Rebecca Keegan in "'Hillbilly Elegy': Caught Between Hollywood and a Hard Place."

"Happy Days" alum Scott Baio spoke out in opposition to the beloved sitcom's cast reunion, which is set to help financially support Democrats running for office. Baio, known for his iconic role as Chachi, appeared on Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria" on Wednesday where he ripped the upcoming fundraiser and criticized "Full House" star John Stamos while he was at it. Henry Winkler (Fonzie), Ron Howard (Richie Cunningham), Don Most (Ralph Malph), Anson Williams (Potsie Weber), Marion Ross (Marion Cunningham), and writer Lowell Ganzbrb are all set to appear during the virtual fundraiser on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 6 p.m....

Henry Winkler's Fonzie will reunite with his Happy Days cast this Sunday to raise funds for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin — home state of the iconic sitcom. Joined by Ron Howard (Richie Cunningham), Don Most (Ralph Malph), Anson Williams (Potsie Weber), Marion Ross (Marion Cunningham), as well as writer Lowell Ganz plus a few special guests, the event will be available for a minimum donation of $1, with all proceeds aiding Joe Biden's campaign in the key battleground state. "We’re thrilled a show made famous in Milwaukee is coming back home to help make Donald Trump a one-term President," said Ben Wikler, Chair of...

What is Hollywood filmmaker Ron Howard -- who recently criticized President Trump in a Twitter message -- going to do when the president inevitably wins reelection later this year? That's what Andrew Pollack, father of one of the 17 victims of the Parkland, Fla., high school massacre, wants to know. In a New Year’s Day tweet, Howard -- the 65-year-old former child star who went on to direct "Splash," "Apollo 13," and a long list of other films -- lamented that President Trump was a "morally bankrupt ego maniac." Pollack, whose daughter Meadow Pollack was killed in the Feb. 14,...

Ron Howard slammed President Trump on Wednesday as a ‘self-serving, dishonest, morally bankrupt egomaniac who doesn’t care about anything or anyone but his fame and bank account.’ The acclaimed director of hit films like Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind blasted the president on Twitter while accusing him of ‘hustling’ the United States.

Ron Howard has said that online trolls were partly to blame for the lacklustre box office performance of Solo: A Star Wars Story. The Oscar-winning filmmaker, who is currently promoting upcoming documentary Pavarotti, told the Happy Sad Confused podcast that “aggressive trolling” was a crucial factor in the film’s financial under-performance but that he still greatly enjoyed the creative experience of making the film. “I wish it could have lived up to the box office expectations,” Howard said. “That’s disappointing. Why didn’t it? Maybe that’s the release [date], maybe it was too nostalgic, maybe pushback from the previous movie…some trolling,...

Actor Gary Sinise has spent years going above and beyond helping veterans and wounded warriors through The Gary Sinise Foundation, yet his efforts have virtually been ignored by his fellow Hollywood stars. That finally changed this week, when stars came together to pay tribute to Sinise in a touching video celebrating the 25 years it's been since he played Lt. Dan in the 1994 film Forrest Gump. Daily Mail reported that the video included tributes from Sinise's fellow Forrest Gump star Tom Hanks as well as Tim Allen, Jay Leno, and Ron Howard. Various veterans that Sinise has helped over...

I had such high hopes for this series, because I am intensely interested in space exploration and the possible man landing on Mars. Add to that, it's directed by Ron Howard, so I had every expectation of a quality production. Instead of an intriguing documentary on what could occur with a man landing on Mars, we get a sermon on corporate exploitation of the earth and, eventually, another freaking planet! Including fawning interviews with Greenpeace activists. Such a disappointment.

Director and former actor of “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Happy Days” fame Ron Howard obviously has some major concerns about the Trump presidency: Ron Howard ✔ @RealRonHoward I know a lot of people who know Trump well. they say he will bankrupt us like he has so many of his companies..but get richer himself. this 3rd World demagogue’s propaganda is insulting. He thinks voters will accept this total attempt at brainwashing in place of real leadership? We don’t recall a similar level of bankruptcy concerns, among other things, during the previous administration, but maybe we missed it: How exactly...

Ron Howard has one question on his mind, and it has nothing to with his latest film, “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” “Honest question to #MAGA minders,” the 64-year-old tweeted Thursday. “When was America at its greatest? Can you tell me an era that reflects the ‘Again’ that you hope to return to?” The Oscar-winning filmmaker and former “Happy Days” actor quickly started a conversation with users who had different opinions of President Trump’s famous slogan.

Natalie Portman got in a not-so-subtle jab at the lack of female representation in the Best Director category last night at the Golden Globes, and social media was quick to react. While presenting the nominees alongside filmmaker Ron Howard, Portman noted, quite pointedly, that all of the nominees were men. “Here are the all-male nominees,” she said as the names of Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk), Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Steven Spielberg (The Post), Ridley Scott (All the Money in the World) and the eventual winner Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water). She did not mention it but...

Ehrenreich...started to worry that Lord & Miller’s screwball comedy angle was starting to interfere with what the character of Han Solo is really about ... One source described it as being oddly comparable to Jim Carrey’s performance in Ace Ventura at times. Ehrenreich let his concerns be known to one of the producers... ... The reason people close to the project have described it positively was that they saw several isolated scenes. However, when an assembly cut actually started to come together, that was where the issues presented themselves in earnest, and this is where Kennedy and Kasdan – as...

Obama/Hillary Probe Of Plane Sale To Kenya Cheating Veteran Company With Lowest Bid In Favor Of Company Linked To Clinton. This is a sad story to report, as there is another Obama/Clinton criminal probe involving the cheating of an American owned company, IOMAX, and the recent sudden death of the CEO. In Obama’s last day in office he sold Kenya planes made by a company called L3 Technologies. However, the company owned by CEO and honored Veteran, Ron Howard, IOMAX, who has supplied the Government with planes without over charging, was cheated out of the sale while having the lowest...

"If you really want to turn this movie around, you have got to get Jar Jar in there, and not just a supporting role. Maybe it's a Jar Jar movie now." Meesa thinks it's a long shot. In a recent Funny or Die clip, Jar Jar Binks makes a plea to Ron Howard to be added into the Han Solo spin-off after it was announced this week the Apollo 13 director was taking the reins. Jar Jar is in disguise for the nearly two-minute faux clip in which he praises Howard's work and says he knows the mostly unpopular Phantom...

Lucasfilm is pleased to announce that Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard has been named director of the untitled Han Solo film. “At Lucasfilm, we believe the highest goal of each film is to delight, carrying forward the spirit of the saga that George Lucas began forty years ago,” said Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm. “With that in mind, we’re thrilled to announce that Ron Howard will step in to direct the untitled Han Solo film. We have a wonderful script, an incredible cast and crew, and the absolute commitment to make a great movie. Filming will resume the 10th of...

This November, the National Geographic Channel will take audiences into outer space in a way we haven't seen before. From producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer comes Mars, a six-part TV miniseries that blends documentary and science fiction to dramatize humankind's first trip to Mars in 2033--and io9 is proud to exclusively debut the first trailer.

Ron Howard, the Oscar-winning director, has put his family home and farm up for sale near Greenwich, Conn., for $27.5 million. The lakefront estate is made up of 32 acres of land straddling the Connecticut and New York border. In addition to a working farm, the property includes a more than 17,200-square-foot main residence, a guesthouse, an indoor sports complex, an observatory, riding trails and woods. Howard and his wife, Cheryl, raised their family in the classic New England-style home. Among the rooms are a two-story office/library, a 14-seat theater, six bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. The guesthouse has two bedrooms...

"[Obama] was walking into a huge, huge challenge. Like a lot of people who read and care and follow, I can't say that I agree with every decision, but I feel his leadership has been sound, I feel like the administration has worked in constructive ways and continues to," Howard said. "I certainly have no reservations of my having supported him." Howard said governing is hard for anyone when politicians go to partisan extremes, as the country saw with the recent federal government shutdown. The director said he champions a "militant middle" where people can come together and compromise their...