QUESTION: Catcher in the Rye & Film

[Katie Shickman]

I am planning a unit on Catcher in the Rye, and I am framing my unit around the "coming of age story."  I would really like to pair a film with the novel that will help students explore an alternative "coming of age" story.  Any thoughts on a good pairing?  Thanks!

[Frank W. Baker]

It may be too juvenile for older students, but I happened to be fond of the novel and companion film "My Dog Skip."

[Annelise Wunderlich]

There are a number of good "coming of age" documentaries have aired on PBS - '"Off and Running" (POV) is the story of a young African American woman who was adopted at birth by Jewish lesbians and is coming to grips with her identity by looking for her biological mother. Another is "A Son's Sacrifice" (Independent Lens) about a young Muslim American who takes over his father's halal butcher shop and clashes with his father over modernizing the shop versus maintaining tradition. "Shadya" (also Independent Lens) is about a young Arab Israeli woman who is a national karate champion, but faces a challenge when her family wants her to get married and be a more traditional Arab home-maker. All of these, plus many more, have trailers on http://www.itvs.org.

These are all vivid character driven stories that put a human face on the age old problem of becoming independent while still valuing where you come from.

[Susan]

I haven't seen the movie in a while, but I immediately thought of "Dead Poet Society."

[Mark Smith]

You might check out Summer of '42.

[Mark Smith]

Or... The 400 Blows, one of my all time favorites.

[ms.mlclm]

What about something like Juno or Whip It? Or maybe Stand By Me? That's all I have for now but I will keep thinking...

[Mark Smith]

Those are good.  You somehow reminded me of the great, great Great Expectations, which is just a treat to watch, and certainly serves as a coming of age movie/novel.

[Jeana Rock]

I recommend Stand By Me directed by Rob Reiner. It is based on a short story of Stephen King's called "The Body" and is an awesome story of boys going to find the dead body of a lost boy. It is rated R, which wouldn't work at my school.

[Jeana Rock]

Some others now that my thinking cap is on: Man in the Moon, My Girl, American Graffiti, Mermaid, Secret Life of Bees, Goonies, Stone Boy, Hearts in Atlantis, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, and A Separate Peace (1972).

[Jeana Rock]

oops! Karate Kid.

[John Golden]

Too often Coming of Age stories/films are about the male experience, so to pair with Catcher, it might be nice to have female protagonist. Some of my favorite female Coming of Age films: Crooklyn, Juno, Bend it Like Beckham, Rabbit-Proof Fence, An Education, My Brilliant Career, Akeela and the Bee, Mermaids. The following are great, but rated "R": Virgin Suicides, Flirting, Heavenly Creatures. Documentaries: Girlhood, Mohawk Girls.

I'll keep thinking of others, too..... Have fun....  

[Linda Woodard]

I don't focus on the coming of age theme when I teach the novel, but more like "fitting in", so I use Rebel Without a Cause.  But What's Eating Gilbert Grape, could be a good one, I think.

And as a side note, I will ever forget the student who INSISTED a movie was made of Catcher in the Rye , and was not going to read the book;  I told him I would give him $100 and let him watch the movie and not read if he proved me wrong.  Well... he came back the next day and told me I was right and that he was thinking Fiddler on the Roof Hmmm same amount of syllables and words, but no prize! And I always thought that maybe I just SHOULD have let him think there was a movie and have him watch that one and them come ready to discuss it! ;-)