MovieChat Forums > Salinger (2013) Discussion > Some of my own thoughts on the movie

Some of my own thoughts on the movie

posted 11 years ago by TheLaughingMan1466
4 replies | jump to latest

I've been keenly following the progress of this movie ever since the write up on Deadline back 2010. It's strange to finally view it in a cinema. A few quick thoughts on the movie.

- Critics really have a lot of hate for this movie. Why's that? It was pretty enjoyable. Although having said that...
- The reenactments really are terrible. Like absolutely, back breaking awful. Why did they use such a tacky movie of the week approach? Did they not trust the talking heads?
- They roped in a lot of famous people for seemingly very little reason. Hoffman Norton and Cusack said almost nothing outside of a couple of sound bites (most of which were in the trailer already). John Cusack was the worst "I remember that being the first book you really took with you" Wow, thanks for the insight genius. Amazing how Salinger totally created that whole insane concept of allowing a book to leave your house with you. Oh and where was Danny Devito? I want the Danny the trailer promised us!
- Oh and Gore Vidal appeared from beyond the grave to say one meaningless thing. You think it's easy for Gore Vidal to rise from the grave? When he shows up you damn well accommodate him!
- One prominent talking head is some old teacher type guy who has the suspect credit of "rare book collector". The information he gives us is delivered straight from wikipedia. Hey movie! I collect books! I can read wikipedia! I'll show up for a lot less money than this random guy!
- Salinger wanted to be an actor to start off with. Wait what? Why'd he become a writer then? He had the looks! Why didn't he! Explain things film!
- The editing was really bizarre at times. A couple of key interviews have this weird thing where they cut to different interviews of the same subject. It wouldn't have been bad if they simply cut from one interview with random fan A to another interview with random fan A but they would cut between them for seemingly very little purpose.
- I feel like the director didn't trust us and felt limited by the lack of Salinger visual material. The same photos are used over and over and over and over again and as mentioned, those reenactments were terrible.
- Salinger's first wife was probably a Nazi but we don't know for certain so lets just say she was probably a Nazi and be done with it.
- A bizarrely loving glimpse at random Catcher freaks around the world and barely a word about some of his other published work. Salinger Wife 2 inspired Franny? HOW FILM? HOW? TELL ME MORE! NO, DON'T CHANGE SUBJECT! ARGH!!!
- The score was really over the top. Like crazy over the top.
- NEVER BEFORE SEEN FOOTAGE OF SALINGER!!! Screams the film. Said footage stars Salinger standing with some Paris people and features stunning footage of him not only TAKING OFF HIS HAT but also PUTTING THE HAT BACK ON AGAIN!!! Genius!
- Salinger inspired a bunch of crazy shooters. I know that but I bet there'll be some new analysis...oh wait we've moved on already.
- The reveal of the extra work by Salinger really is amazing and I thought it was done in a really cool manner. Shame it was spoiled weeks before the film came out though. Still, seeing as how that's the only real secret it's not really worth the ridiculous DON'T SPOIL THE SECRETS hype. Personally I'll believe new Salinger work when it's sitting in my hands.
- The ending made me smile even though it was incredibly stupid "Is he still writing? Yeah he is" *cue footage of old man Salinger walking to his car, his privacy clearly having been violated* "Is he ok? He's fine" *cue more footage of Salinger with a half crazed old man smile on his face.* Happy upbeat music, roll credits.

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[–] Latoija 11 years ago

I didn't read any press for this but your points are all pretty on the head. They failed to deliver in so many ways. For the most part after watching this I had no new information on Salinger.

[–] jrhpax 10 years ago

The movie gave me plenty of information I didn't know, especially the D-Day segment; the segments of the young women with whom he was involved; the segment about the high-school girl who betrayed him with her newspaper article; and lots more. I don't understand the hate for the movie -- or the idea that a man isn't entitled to his privacy because he wrote a famous novel. I give Salinger a lot of credit for staying out of the limelight.

[–] stw789987 10 years ago

Funny, you say you don't know why the critics hated it and then you give a lot of excellent reasons it's such an awful movie. Good list.

Let me add:
1) the film uses the holocaust as a punch-line again and again. Almost as though whenever the anxious film-maker felt there might be a lull in awe, he tossed some burned bodies up on the screen. Borders on a despicable abuse of history.

2) the breathless section on killers-who-have-liked-Catcher-a-lot was presented with the logic of a late-night dorm room chat. Maybe its logic rises only as far as campfire ghost story.

Like another poster mentioned, there is interesting raw material here--notably the info on Salinger's war experience. Too bad it's wasted on this.

[–] jamesrice100 10 years ago

Something I heard way back about Salinger and was confirmed by an employee who once worked at a major hotel was that JD would put up his women in hotel rooms so they could talk via phone without anyone tracing the calls to the woman's resident.

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