The true story took place in Pikeville, Kentucky, most famously known as the home of the Hatfields and McCoys. However, most of the film is set in Harlan County, Kentucky, in the Appalachian Mountains, which is most well-known for being the subject of Barbara Kopple's 1976 Academy Award winning film for Best Documentary Harlan County U.S.A. (1976). This area is also known as the setting of the FX series Justified (2010).
Made two years prior to its release.
Parts of this movie were filmed in Harlan and Paris, Kentucky. While not incredibly well-known, Paris was also the shooting location for Seabiscuit (2003) and Secretariat (2010). Also filmed on location in Lexington, Cawood, and Berry, Kentucky.