In recent years, it seems that our old high school reading lists are coming to life in the form of film biographies of the lives of some essential authors. The latest to have a movie made about his life is J.D. Salinger.
Famous for his novel Catcher In The Rye, which is on all literature curriculums worth their salt would be complete, the notoriously reclusive 20th-century writer's early life is being brought to the silver screen this fall. Salinger is played by British actor Nicholas Hoult as he goes from his college years as a promising, young student in New York City to serving on the frontlines of World War II before reaching the apogee of his career, publishing Catcher In The Rye. "I've always found fiction more truthful than reality," he says in the voice over.
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As high school English teachers everywhere rejoice, the movie hones in on the tortured and reclusive nature of the prolific writer. Salinger comes to life on film as he grapples with finding his voice alongside the mentorship of his college writing professor played by Kevin Spacey and learns first-hand the seemingly impenetrable nature of the publishing world with the guidance of his literary agent played by Sarah Paulson.
Catcher In The Rye is interpreted as catharsis as he struggles to come to terms with the trauma he faced fighting in the war while attempting to publish the emblematic piece of fiction that would become a cornerstone of American literature for so many. At one point in the trailer, Salinger's father, played by Victor Garber, realizes the significance of the novel's principal protagonist, Holden Caulfield, known for being a character rife with contradiction and internal struggle, as being his son's portrayal of himself.
Directed by award-winning writer and directed, Danny Strong, the trailer exudes an energy of immense struggle and release.
Rebel In The Rye arrives in theaters on September 15.
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