I was born and reared not too many miles from Letcher county KY; My parents were what might be called "working poor." I know what it means to be poor and how shame can be associated with poverty. I also know violence is easily provoked among some people in the Appalachian area. Whatever the case when it comes to "outsiders" and the attempts some of them may make to portray life in the hills of east Kentucky, there is NO Excuse for murder. Hugh O'Connor came to the area in peace, meaning no harm. Hobert Ison may have had his reasons for bringing his gun and turning what could have been a reasonably discussed situation into a deadly shooting, but if 10-yrs for a killing was the best the Commonwealth could get, then Ison should have served EVERY DAY of that sentence.
This film represents what I consider an unfortunate attempt to justify what Ison did because of some romantic notion of a bucolic Appalachian lifestyle, as well as an apology for extreme material poverty abetted by many of the well-to-do, "leading" citizens of the area. Take Care!