Movie Response

Hi all,

As a history nerd, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I don't mean to scare you guys, but I probably could have watched the whole mini series through. Anyway, the inside perspective was definitely helpful, and I noticed the way the movie kept Appalachia in focus while the "outside world" was kept in the background. I guess part of what I took from the movie was this sort of cultural rift. However, I think one of the aims of the film was to show how this rift is bridged in many ways. I think that was one main point of the music segment. Namely, what we think of as "country" music actually has origins in Appalachian culture, and that is something that is known to the entire U.S. Another main point the movie made was that Appalachia is very much tied to the rest of the U.S. and is not just completely isolated. Not only musical and cultural ties, but economic ties also exist. Coal is the obvious example, but the movie also discussed the growth of tourism and attraction for new residents. Keeping these ties in mind, the movie also made it clear that the people of Appalachia have their own unique culture and values and that this culture is very much invested in the land itself. Because of this, and also the long history of coal domination in the region, I think that introducing new industries or methods of using the land will have to be very carefully thought out. Also, including the local people in the process seems like an essential component to any successful progress away from coal.

Cheers,
Helen