In 1969, a student from a private school in Pennsylvania (Alex Wolff) leaves home to track down the author of “Catcher in the Rye” in the New Hampshire countryside. His goal is to obtain permission to adapt the novel into a stage production. Stefania LaVie Owen portrays a girl from another school who joins him on his journey, and Chris Cooper takes on the role of the famously private J.D. Salinger. "Coming through the Rye" (2015) presents itself as a coming-of-age drama rooted in actual events. The setting—a boys’ boarding school with scenes involving girls' education—inevitably draws comparisons to “Dead Poets Society” (1989). Although it doesn’t reach the heights of that film, it is still enjoyable. However, the two movies aren't really comparable because "Coming through the Rye" functions as much as a road movie as it does a story about life at an exclusive school. Wolff delivers a solid performance as the protagonist, who comes across as agreeable and deserving of empathy, while Stefania is charming. The narrative gains momentum when they begin working together in the second half. Their genuine connection forms the heart of the story, with the young man’s potential meetings with the author acting as a supporting element. Someone criticized the film for being insincere, noting that Salinger's novel "looks down upon those who refuse to accept life as anything other than miserable and unforgiving," and that its honesty arises from a distrust of others and a rejection of kindness. It seems reasonable to assume this is why Salinger is shown as an unfriendly loner in the movie. Nevertheless, it’s hard to call it completely phony when writer/director James Steven Sadwith claims the events are 90% true. The film has a running time of 1 hour and 37 minutes and was filmed in Orange County, Virginia. The beautiful Eastern settings are certainly a highlight. GRADE: B

Source on TMDB