Rebel In The Rye

Just to be clear, i have decided to post this review, even though i have heard about Kevin Spacey´s personal problems. I have been thinking about writing this review for quite some time, so i won´t change the posting of this review, even if i have read about his situation. I hope you understand i don´t take his side, this is just a movie review.


True based stories is something that always is interesting, especially if you read a book, based on true events. No matter if it is about historical events, political events, or any kind of story that actually happened, it is always good to know the truth. There are plenty of stories where we have seen the truth comes out, that have changed many people´s opinions and minds. Of course, you can spin the truth around, depending on who you are talking about. Just look at former Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner. He seemed to be the perfect man, who really cared about the people, more than anything else. Now we know the truth, and i guess social media revealed his true personality. His story is just an example, where a lot of secrets where revealed, and it seems that he have been hiding this for a very long time. I suggest you see the really well made documentary film Weiner, and i guarantee you that you will be fascinated in what happened with his scandals. There are plenty of interesting stories, made on real people, that have become really good films. One film that comes to my mind, is perhaps one of Russel Crowe´s best performances in A Beautiful Mind. The film is based on the life of Nobel prize winner John Nash, and i have to say director Ron Howard, managed to make a really powerful film on this historical personality. This is a film you must see, a drama film that have a lot to say, from a psychological perspective and that from a humane perspective. If i say the name Nicholas Hoult, i think most people will remember his classic child performance in About A Boy with Hugh Grant. He have made quite a lot of films since then, in very different categories. I came across the film title Rebel In The Rhye, where Nicholas Hoult plays legendary writer J.D. Salinger, that could be seen on VOD. Not knowing much more about it, i decided to check it out, to see if Nicholas Hoult have made a performance that would be remembered. I also noticed legendary actor Kevin Spacey is in this film, so that also made me curious to see him doing a dramatic role. With a good cast, and a story of a legendary writer that changed American culture, is Rebel In The Rye a nice surprise, or is this a film you will likely not remember at all ?

J.D. Salinger ( Nicholas Hoult ) is a student at Columbia University, trying to become a writer. His lecturer Whit Burnett ( Kevin Spacey ) can tell that J.D. is talented at writing, but try and make sure he understands how he needs to think, to get one of his stories published. J.D. continue working on his writing, as he seems to have an idea what he wants to publish. But everytime he send out his stories, no one seems to be interested. Until one of the stories get published, and J.D. is finally being recognized for his hard work. J.D. is called out for World War II, to serve his country. During this time, J.D. is working on his first novel. He is about to find out, that his debut novel The Catcher In The Rhye will change his life forever. But with fame, and publicity, will affect his personal life. Something he is not ready to handle.


Ever since i saw the first trailer of Rebel In The Rye, i could tell that this would be an interesting film about the writer J.D. Salinger. And after seeing the film, i have to say, this is worth your time. There is a very fascinating story behind this legendary writer, and this film manage to tell his story in a simple, but still interesting way. You find out more about him as a person, and what made him feel so much passion for writing stories. You also get to see his personal problems, and how he tried to conflict these problems. Lead actor Nicholas Hoult does a great performance as J.D. Salinger, maybe one of his better performances in recent years. One of the stronger performances in this film, is from legendary actor Kevin Spacey, as Whit Burnett. His character is clearly trying to help his student Salinger to feel inspired, to write as much as possible, even if he is turned down for publishing. The film also manage to capture the feeling of how hard it must be, to be a respected writer. The time period captured around the 1940´s, looks good, and the costume design also strikes well. Are there details that have been left out ? Probably, but i don´t mind. I still see this film to be interesting, and for me that is a good sign. Director Danny Strong have written screenplays for HBO films such as Recount and Game Change ( both really good films ). He have also written screenplay for TV series Empire. Rebel In The Rye is his directorial debut film, and i like his vision of this film. For his first feature film, i think he have done a good job. He clearly wanted to tell the story of J.D. Salinger, in a simple but effective way. Rebel In The Rye should be appreciated by people who loves historical films, especially for those who loves to read books, or write books. J.D. clearly made an impact with his work, and this film shows that he really wanted to make a difference. Rebel In The Rye is a historical drama film that may be simple, but the film does deliver a story worth knowing about. If you don´t know what to watch after New Year´s Eve, why not watch this film on VOD and perhaps learn something about history ? Keep up the good work Nicholas Hoult, maybe one day we will see you do a film that really will make a strong impact.

Rating: DDD