Movie Review: SALINGER. The Documentary.

JD Salinger

There's a cool little movie theater near me that shows movies that are kind of artsy-craftsy and off the beaten track. I can usually predict which films are going to be shown there. They're not the big blockbusters, but have a "boutique" sensibility. A lot of elderly Jewish people patronize it. I joke that I'm often one of the youngest people in the theater. I join the old folks during the matinee, so I can pay the cheapie price. There have been some really good Israeli films there. This place is vintage and may have been built in the 30's or something. I really need to investigate it. I love this theater! When I saw Salinger, the documentary was playing there, I went over to check it out.

The previews alluded to Salinger being a big mystery man and I wanted to know the deal. I read Catcher in the Rye when I was in high school, but don't remember a lot about it.

I really enjoyed this movie. What I appreciated about Salinger was his disdain for fame. In the world today, where so many people want their 15 minutes of attention, Salinger could care less! I love that. Authors today have to immerse themselves in so much social media and sometimes arrange there own signings and book tours, or at least they are highly encouraged to do so. Here's Salinger, a phenomenal talent, and he just wants to write his stories and live his life---undisturbed! He yelled at one fan, "Look. I'm a fiction writer, not a therapist!" LOL!!!

It was fascinating to see people's reaction to him. Fan's trying to track him down, the women he hooked up with....Did you know he had a thing for young girls? I mean really young. Like he's thirty and the girl is fourteen! He was married three times I think and one of them was an au pair of an acquaintance. He hooked up with a nineteen year old when he was in his fifties I believe. They moved in together, but he cut her off cold when she wanted children. He already had a 12 yr old son and a teen daughter and said he couldn't be bothered with that stuff any more...Lol...

I didn't know he was in WW2. He married a Nazi and brought her home to the US to his Jewish family. Let's just say that didn't go over too well and the marriage didn't last long! Crazy!



The film made me very interested in reading Catcher in the Rye again as well as some of his short stories that I wasn't familiar with. I ordered them from Amazon and await their arrival.

This documentary is pretty entertaining and enlightening. It's worth a look during a quiet and reflective evening.

Toodles!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad