Chasing Holden

A lonely prep school student, played by DJ McQualls (a mainly unknown, but talented actor from films that bombed like “The New Guy” and “The Core”), feels deeply connected to J.D. Salinger after reading The Catcher in the Rye for school. His teacher, a young sort of cool, rebel figure, assigns him a paper on the book, which Neil (McQualls) takes on passionately as a serious fan. After his parents abandon him for the holidays and he begins to distrust all the adults around him, Neil grows incredibly determined to solve his feelings of disappointment and disillusionment with his world. Along with a fellow prep schoolmate, TJ, a young woman who serves as the romantic interest, he goes on a rebellious quest to meet J.D. Salinger. The quest becomes a symbol for the wisdom and enlightenment Salinger’s writing touched Neil with. This film is basically a “B” film, and was likely released straight to video, overall the quality of acting and writing is reflected in that status. While McQualls is a great actor, the role is ill-suited for him. It plays exactly into the simplistic, indulgent daydreams of likely many young fans of Salinger, and in the movie there is an actor playing the author himself. Excerpts from the novel are also frequently read to punctuate experiences Neil has, very melodramatically read and just in general the movie is overdone. Neil essentially re-lives Holden’s experiences, complete with wandering in New York City. It is an ambitious attempt to take the subject exactly where many have imagined it, but it relies heavily on clichés and fails to come across artfully.

The J.D. Salinger Connection: The connection is far too ingrained and blatant in the plotline to be pored over again. The excerpts from the novel and the portrayal of Salinger are assumed to be unauthorized. Perhaps they went under the radar due to the film’s very poor quality and limited exposure.