My Salinger Year
An aspiring writer finds an unexpected apprenticeship in the eccentric literary world surrounding J.D. Salinger’s fan mail.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- wistful
- nostalgic
- quiet evening
- literary film night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film gentle and competently performed, with Margaret Qualley and Sigourney Weaver elevating a familiar coming-of-age story, while its conventional tone divided reviewers.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Joanna processes fan letters while struggling to discover and express her own voice.
The literary agency job places Joanna between an established authorial institution and her own emerging ambitions.
The story is set in New York City during the late 1990s, with typewriters, fan mail, and pre-digital agency routines central to its atmosphere.
Joanna's aspirations and modern sensibility collide with Margaret's eccentric, old-fashioned management of Salinger's correspondence.
Films like My Salinger Year, and why
The Devil Wears Prada
shared coming of age drama, literary ambition, and emotionally restrained workplace mentorship
Frances Ha
shared writer-centered self-discovery, urban intimacy, and reflective contemporary drama
The Words
shared literary milieu, aspiring writer protagonist, and bittersweet creative maturation
Movie Details
- Director
- Philippe Falardeau
- Release Date
- 2020-02-20
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (207)
Cast
- Margaret Qualley
- Sigourney Weaver
- Douglas Booth
- Seána Kerslake
- Brían F. O'Byrne
- Colm Feore
- Théodore Pellerin
- Yanic Truesdale
- Hamza Haq
- Leni Parker
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now, AcornTV Amazon Channel, Acorn TV Apple TV channel, IFC Films Unlimited Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is My Salinger Year about?
- An aspiring writer finds an unexpected apprenticeship in the eccentric literary world surrounding J.D. Salinger’s fan mail.
- What is My Salinger Year like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of My Salinger Year as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is My Salinger Year violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in My Salinger Year.
- What did critics think of My Salinger Year?
- Critics broadly found the film gentle and competently performed, with Margaret Qualley and Sigourney Weaver elevating a familiar coming-of-age story, while its conventional tone divided reviewers.
- Which films are like My Salinger Year?
- Films with a similar feel include The Devil Wears Prada, Frances Ha, and The Words.
- How long is My Salinger Year?
- My Salinger Year runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch My Salinger Year?
- In United States, My Salinger Year streams on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now, AcornTV Amazon Channel, Acorn TV Apple TV channel, IFC Films Unlimited Apple TV channel.
