wetrock I love documentaries. "American Hollow" was very good because it let you see a side of American life that few ever see. I really cared about these people. One thing that bothered me a little was that if these folks were so poor and had no running water, jobs, etc., why was there a satellite dish in their front yard? I don't consider myself "poor" but even I can't afford a satellite dish! Also, the show never stated this, but I wonder if the teenage Bowling son and Shirley Couch didn't get married because of HER parents and social rank? It seemed one minute she was all for it and the next thing you knew was that the engagement was off! Fickle female or interfering parents? Interesting. I was ready to slap him, though and tell him to get on with his life. If he put one-fourth the energy into finding a job instead of mooning over his little girlfriend, he would have made enough money to move out of the "holler"! Anyway, it was a very interesting, engrossing documentary. I recommend it.

cmjust0 I lived in Eastern Kentucky for the first 11 years of my life, and visit there pretty often. I have seen these living conditions first hand. I must say, however, that this is not the norm. Most people in Eastern Kentucky do not live this way. At least not in a material sense. Most people in Eastern Kentucky, the Bowling family included, do share one common trait; strong ties to the family. People seem to only see that these people have no running water, and live in isolation in a "holler," but what people don't often recognize is how present the extended family is throughout this movie, and most likely throughout the entire lives of these people. How many of us can say we could walk to our grandparents house? Personally, I think that would be pretty nice. People don't see what's right though, they see what's wrong. Historically, people love to criticize others who aren't as wealthy and educated as themselves, and this family seems to be socio-economically "below" most of us. That makes it very easy for most of us to call these people a "waste of taxdollars," and to say that they could find jobs if they really wanted to. The simple fact of the matter is that there are no jobs. I know, I've been there. We moved for that very reason. You may be asking yourself right now why they can't move as well. Imagine yourself for a moment with no money whatsoever, and no way to get ahead in life. You can't very well sell your existing house to buy another, (remember, their combined property value wasn't enough to pay the bond for the release of one of the brothers from jail) and you can't move somewhere else without a house to move into. Before being critical of these people (as most are), ask yourself this question. What would I do if I had no money, no education, no transportation and no job? The first thing to do is get a job, right? But wait, I have no education or transportation. Ok, I'll get an education first. Wait, I have no transportation or money. Ok. I'll get transportation. But I need money for that. I'll save money and get a car. Can't do that, because I have no job... It's a vicious cycle. The only way to break that cycle is to start teaching the children that there is a better life, and show them how to get there. Most adults in Eastern Kentucky understand this. The old saying is that they need to teach the 3 R's in school: Reading, Writing and Route 23. And yes, we know that "writing" doesn't start with an "R." It may take a few precious tax dollars for the government to send these kids to college, but I think we can all see that it is worth it.

Memlets If Rory Kennedy meant her documentary, "American Hollow," to show us a poor Southern rural white family as something more respectable than the disparaging hillbilly stereotype, she failed.Not only were those familiar stereotypes not dispelled in this film, they were played out before us.The film offers us snaggletoothed, alcoholic louts given to ridiculing their wives and kids. We see amazingly good-humored, unprotesting womenfolk who do all the work of keeping the family together and fed, with little help from the men.The chronically unemployed men in the Bowling family simply won't leave to find work and a better life outside the hollow in their part of Kentucky where there are few job prospects.Worse, they actively encourage failure in the "young'uns" as well.I suspect we're supposed to believe that the Bowlings are nevertheless noble because they have deep roots on the land they've been unemployed, impoverished, and uneducated on for generations. My grandparents came across the Atlantic to America because they couldn't make a living in the old country. I think that's far more courageous (and American) than staying in a lousy situation with no hope.Poor rural black folks have to contend with racial discrimination when they go to the city for job opportunities. By contrast, the Bowling men, most of them blond, wouldn't have that hurdle to jump. But no, they stay resolutely mired in their hollow.I'm a pretty soft-hearted person, but I lost my respect for the Bowling men in the first ten minutes of the film.However, even if most of the subjects of this documentary aren't appealing, the film itself is well-made. I did learn one thing from "American Hollow" -- that love-sick teenage boys and the sweet young things who lead them on are the same the world over.

jasonty This was the funniest damn thing I have ever seen. Especially the scenes where "Clint" was arguing with his mother, and blurted out the classic line "..NO Mommy! I'm trying to talk to you man to Mommy!" Also when Clint ripped the leg off of his blue jeans had me in tears.The best scene was Clint breaking up with his girlfriend, scene cuts to Clint punching a large hole in what looked like the family outhouse.Things to note in the movie: The grandmother : Check out the size of this womans arms when shes dragging one of the kids out of the kitchen. Arnold Schwarzeneggar would feel small.See if you can count the number of teeth in this movie. I counted 15, and 12 of them belonged to 16 year old Clint.Jim Carrey..watch out..Clint the Hillbilly is on the loose, and this bad check is gonna stick.