The true story of a literary education.|Jan. 14, 2021|Canada | Ireland|101 Min.|R
Genre: Adventure;Drama;Family;Kids;Music;Romance;TV;Movie
Description: “My Salinger Year” is a 2021 film that follows the journey of Joanna, an aspiring writer and poet. In 1995, she leaves Berkeley, California, along with her boyfriend, Karl, and moves to New York City. There, she secures a position at one of the city’s oldest literary agencies, managed by Margaret. The agency secretly represents the interests of the famously reclusive author J.D. Salinger, though Joanna has never read his works, including “The Catcher in the Rye.” Joanna settles into a new apartment with her boyfriend, Don, and begins her job, which involves typing letters on a typewriter, as Margaret is skeptical of computers.
Joanna’s primary responsibility is handling the vast amount of fan mail sent to Salinger. Following agency protocol, she responds with a standard message explaining that Salinger does not engage with fan mail. However, Joanna feels compelled to offer more personalized responses to some fans. During her time at the agency, Salinger’s short story “Hapworth 16, 1924,” previously published in The New Yorker, is set for release. Joanna assists in coordinating with the publisher and attends a meeting at Georgetown University, coinciding with a performance by her ex-boyfriend, Karl, in Washington, D.C.
As Margaret begins to trust Joanna more, she assigns her additional tasks, such as reading manuscripts and articles. Meanwhile, Don invites Joanna to his best friend’s wedding but initially plans to attend alone. While Don is away, Joanna decides to end their relationship and moves out. She successfully sells her first book for the agency and is offered a more significant role. However, Joanna chooses to leave the agency to pursue her dream of becoming a writer.
Cast director: Philippe Falardeau
Cast actor: Margaret Qualley, Sigourney Weaver, Douglas Booth, Seána Kerslake, Brían F. O’Byrne, Colm Feore, Théodore Pellerin, Yanic Truesdale, Hamza Haq, Leni Parker
Original name: My Salinger Year