by John Zenoni
Wow! What a breath of fresh air. I've already heard it compared to ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ but instead of it being set in the fashion world it's set in the literary world. I can't speak to how closely they resemble each other, not having seen ‘Prada’ but regardless, I love this specific film. To me, it falls under the old cliche, ‘They don’t make-’em like that anymore.’
The film I'm referring to is ‘My Salinger Year’ and it's an absolutely joy to watch. The story centers on young, eager, aspiring writer, Joanna (portrayed by Margaret Qualley), who decides she needs to leave her boyfriend and school behind at Berkeley and move to New York City to begin her writing. Once she arrives, she's able to stay with a good friend and look for a job to pay her bills while she focuses on her writing. Well, this is easier said than done as many things get in her way of doing what she set out to do. The job she happens to land is basically a secretary type job for the literary agent of J. D. Salinger, Margaret (portrayed by Sigourney Weaver). This is a thrill for her, knowing that she's so close to a literary legend such as Salinger in addition to other literary heroes she admires such as Judy Blume.
First let met start with the storyline. I thought it was original and well-executed. There's one side story where Joanna becomes involved and lives with another aspiring writer, Don (portrayed by Douglas Booth), and the only reason I see it being included is because something that he does makes her realize some things about the direction her life needs to take. But everything else I thoroughly enjoyed. Particularly the scenes where Joanna actually talks to ‘Jerry’ or J.D. Salinger as he ends up being the true inspiration for her to continue with her writing.
As far as the cast, everyone was excellent, particularly Sigourney Weaver. Her character is hard-nosed, old-fashioned and blunt. Is there anything she's not good at? I especially loved the interaction between Joanna and Margaret. While they appear to be totally opposite people and Joanna gets frustrated with her job duties, she eventually proves herself to Margaret and they realize they have more in common than realized. It does not end perfectly, which I also liked.
This is a great film that just lets you focus on the appreciation of art and the importance of literature. It's definitely what some might call a ‘thinking person’s’ film.
Originally Posted 3/6/21
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