Chris Cooper stars as J.D. Salinger in Coming Through the Rye

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

People have been trying to adapt J.D. Salinger's CATCHER IN THE RYE for decades. It's understandable, as it's a novel that perfectly encapsulates what it feels like to be a teenager — trying to feel like an adult while still struggling with adolescent tendencies and biases. It's also over 200 pages of self-pitying unfiltered angst. So, depending on how you look at it, it's either genius and truthful, or insufferable. As for me, I enjoyed it in high school, but haven't re-read it to see if it holds up.

As the rights to the novel keep slipping through Hollywood's fingers time-and-time again, it instead finds a work-around. The new film COMING THROUGH THE RYE stars Alex Wolff as a young teenager who's obsessed with CATCHER IN THE RYE (but presumably not in a murder-y way) who attempts to meet up with the reclusive Salinger (played by AMERICAN BEAUTY and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2's Chris Cooper). 

Here's the official synopsis:

In 1969, 16-year-old Jamie Schwarts is an outcast at his boarding school who finds solace in J.D Salinger's CATCHER IN THE RYE and deeply  identifies with the iconic protagonist Holden Caulfield. Believing he is destined to play Holden, Schwartz wants to adapt the novel the novel into a play, but not before seeking approval from Salinger himself. He runs away with a local girl to seek out the reclusive author.  

Sounds interesting, but also possibly cliche and mundane. I mean, do you think the local girl and the teenager will get together at the end? So time will have to tell on this one. I do, however, want to see a CATCHER IN THE RYE movie already, just to get it over with. Like ripping off a band-aid. 

Also Cooper will kill it I'm sure as Salinger, as he's a great actor. Although he does have pretty big shoes to fill, as everyone knows that the best J.D. Salinger was Alan Arkin on BOJACK HORSEMAN.