This biopic of legendary author J.D. Salinger (Nicholas Hoult) details his relationship with socialite Oona O'Neill (Zoey Deutch), his experiences fighting in World War II, and his writing process for The Catcher in the Rye. Kevin Spacey and Sarah Paulson co-star. Written and directed by Danny Strong, Rebel in the Rye made its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
The actors hit their marks and say their lines; the movie looks polished and professional. And it's completely empty, unable to interrogate its subject in any way that matters.
A faithful and often moving look in the life of J.D. Salinger, a warts-and-all portrayal that succeeds in large part because of a dynamically persuasive performance by Nicholas Hoult.
It's not without its charms and solid observations about the perils and passions of the writerly life, but it's too blunt, too neat, and entirely too starry-eyed about both the creator and his creation.
We see the young Salinger stuck at his desk lighting matches and throwing pages in the garbage. We see his trembling hand hovering above a page. There is sometimes music. When all else fails, there's a montage.
