SnoopyStyle In 1969 Pennsylvania, Jamie Schwartz (Alex Wolff) is in his Senior Year at Crampton Prep. The other boys hate him and the teachers are little better. He wants to do a play about Holden Caulfield adapting J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. He likes a townie girl but another, Deedee Gorlin (Stefania LaVie Owen), likes him and his play. He runs away from the bullying and goes in search of the reclusive Salinger. Deedee volunteers to drive him.There are some early extended flashbacks. Most of it is unnecessary except for showing a hatred of him from the start and the cause of his isolation. Jamie is a rather dislikeable awkward nerd while Deedee is adorable. He's clueless in an annoying way. It makes his obsession with the pretty girl very superficial. It's appealing to have his sole obsession be Salinger while avoiding the pretty girl trope. Deedee goes hard at Jamie. They could have played with possible homosexuality except for him falling over himself for the pretty girl. There are issues at play with this coming-of-age story. The relationship grows on me but I never really like Jamie. She's the better character and would have been a better protagonist. Chris Cooper does a nice turn in a small role although that exchange could have some more supportive words even if it comes from Deedee.

lavatch One does not have to be a die-hard fan of J.D. Salinger's coming-of-age novel "The Catcher in the Rye" to appreciate this creative film idea. The fictional story focuses on a young man so taken with Salinger's novel that he leaves school on a road trip to try to meet the reclusive Salinger in the flesh in his Cornish, New Hampshire home.Actor Chris Cooper is perfectly cast as Salinger, and Cooper steals the show in the two brief encounters with the fictional character Jamie, who meets his idol and tries to gain permission to produce a play adaptation of Salinger's novel.Salinger provides a persuasive defense that the character of Holden Caulfield was eternally etched on the printed page of a literary work and not to be interpreted for the stage, wherein the role would vary from actor to actor. As played by Cooper, Salinger nonetheless admires the sensitivity and creative spirit of his young visitor.Another essential character in the film is the character DeeDee, as played by Stefania LaVie Owen. DeeDee accompanies Jamie on his trips to New Hampshire and provides stability and confidence to him, as well as bringing out a part of his past that he was never willing to confront.While the school scenes were somewhat routine, the film picks up steam due to the character of DeeDee and the intrigue surrounding the iconic figure of Salinger.

mblumenfield-02427 Coming Through the Rye If J.D. Salinger's novel Catcher in the Rye was part of your coming of age, this movie will connect with you. James Sadwith, writer, director and producer of this film has recreated his actual personal true encounter with the legendary author which occurred in the 1960s when he was attending a private prep school on the east coast.The story develops as we meet the main character, Jamie Schwartz (Alex Wolff) who is obsessed with Holden Caulfield, the hero of the Salinger novel. Schwartz decides that for his senior school project, he wants to produce and direct a play recreating the Salinger novel. He is told by the school faculty that he must obtain permission from J.D. Salinger ( Chris Cooper) himself who is known to be quite a recluse.In a post-screening interview, Sadwith told how the story is 90% accurate and that he based the script on his tape recorded notes of his exact dialogue with local New Hampshire folks who with whom he spoke during his search to find the author. The protagonist, Jamie Schwartz, was played in a very nuanced and sensitive manner and actually had a physical appearance and mannerisms, which reminded us of a young Bob Dylan. Ms. Owen was very appealing as the teenage young woman who clearly is simpatico with Jamie. Their "road trip" shows the tenderness and awkwardness of a near first sexual encounter that many people of that generation may very well understand.Just as it was rare for a novel to capture the imagination of a generation that perhaps endured for over 20 years, it is rare for a movie to recreate these feelings without adapting the specific novel itself for the film. There is also a segment in the film which puts the focus on "bullying" at school. in this case, it is at a private prep school in 1960s but it could be in any modern setting. We see here a strong response and support of the victim by the faculty which we hope would occur any time this happens.Although a low budget film, this was very well done. The photography captured the atmosphere and the music matched the time and setting quite well. We have no doubt that this film will resonate with those who still have their treasured copy of Catcher in the Rye. It will be interesting to see how it will be received by the millennials, although we suspect that there is a universality in the story that will be able to connect across generations.(2016) Reproduced from FilmRap.net

mdberner I loved this movie! I am a huge fan of Nat & Alex Wolff's music as well as their movies, so I was very interested in seeing Alex in a leading role. "Coming Through the Rye" was just up my alley. I adore coming-of-age films and characters who are obsessed with books (like me). The film was a perfect combination of a well-written script, beautiful cinematography, and excellent performances by the cast - especially the leads, Alex Wolff and Stefania Owen. They truly became their characters. I was completely captured by Jamie's journey. It's insane to think that the writer/director actually did all of the things Jamie did! (Yes, the movie is based upon James Sadwith's actual experiences.) It's very real and personal and intimate and fantastic. You don't see movies like this in theaters these days. ******* SPOILERS *********I have to talk about one of my favorite scenes. There was one scene where Jamie and DeeDee are in a field at sunset and they are hitting these milkweed plants. The seeds pop out and float all around them. Many get stuck in DeeDee's curly hair, which Jamie then lovingly removes. It leads to their first kiss. I literally couldn't stop smiling throughout that whole part. It was just so beautiful and sweet. Also - Alex. I have to commend him on an outstanding portrayal of Jamie. When Jamie breaks down and is crying in the hotel room...it's perfect. It's not exaggerated and cheesy. He doesn't over-act. It was so raw and natural and real. I can't wait to see what he does in the future. He's a good one.After the film ended, James was actually there for a Q & A. He was awesome and extremely nice. My mom and I told him the story of how I begged her to let me skip school and drive five hours to see this film, since it was on my 18th birthday. I got a picture with him and his wife gave me the "Coming Through the Rye" poster! It was the perfect end to a fantastic birthday. :)