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Rebel without a 'Cause

Famous recluse J.D. Salinger would've hated "Rebel in the Rye."

The new Salinger biopic from writer/director Danny Strong ("The Hunger Games: Mockingjay") makes it clear that the celebrated author practiced an aggressive form of self-isolation in response to the acclaim and public scrutiny that followed his hugely influential debut novel, "Catcher in the Rye." He certainly would've loathed the idea of his life story being splashed up on the big screen.

In reality, "Rebel" is far too innocuous to run the risk of offending much of anyone. This sedate stroll through Salinger's life covers his abbreviated days as a Columbia writing student through the prickly sequestration in rural New Hampshire where he reportedly wrote reams of still-unseen material and alienated a series of wives and girlfriends before his death in 2010. Based on the Salinger biography by Kenneth Slawenski, "Rebel" takes an "and then...and then..." approach that lays out events in chronological chunks, indulging in the occasional strategic flashback but otherwise without much of a point of view. Attempts at teasing out motivations are woefully unsophisticated; at one point Salinger's agent Dorothy (Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story) musingly observes, "The war made him a better writer, but it really messed him up."

"Rebel" boasts a strong cast: there's the aforementioned Ms. Paulson, who does the best she can with an underwritten role, plus Nicholas Hoult ("X-Men: Apocalypse") as Salinger and Kevin Spacey ("Baby Driver") as the Columbia professor who discovers and nurtures his talent. Mr. Hoult is making a name for himself shuttling back and forth between big-ticket releases and more intimate indie projects. He was utterly charming as a would-be Romeo who also happens to be a zombie in 2013's "Warm Bodies," and he brought a touching humanity to the role of warboy Nux in "Mad Max: Fury Road." But this script just doesn't call on anyone to knock themselves out in the acting department.

The production telegraphs a lot by bathing pre-war college and jazz club scenes in a honeyed light that drips with nostalgia, while wartime and post-war scenes are shot in a drab bluish-gray. Mr. Hoult trades bon mots with college buddies while chasing ephemeral "it" girl Oona O'Neill (Zoey Deutch, "Before I Fall"), battles tremors as he fights post-war writer's block, blusters at friends and fans as he becomes more inwardly focused, and does occasionally sit down to write. But the action remains focused on the surface, and we never really get at the inner man. You might learn as much about the author's motivations by moseying over to the Salinger Wikipedia page.

Mr. Spacey has a light touch as Whit Burnett, the professor who serves as Salinger's mentor and confidante until a falling out over publication plans sullies their friendship. He offers advice and observations that could serve any neophyte would-be writer: "Your voice should tell the story, not become it," and "Do you write to show off your talent or to say what's in your heart?" Such offerings render "Rebel" a pleasant enough primer for aspiring authors, and in the end that may be its ultimate contribution.

Mr. Strong is transitioning from a substantial career as a character actor, and most of his writing and directing efforts thus far have been in television. He may need another cinematic outing under his belt before he fully makes the shift to work effectively with the larger palette that the big screen provides.

If you want a crash course in Salinger that offers sage writing advice and lovely reproductions of 1940s New York, "Rebel in the Rye" is fine. But you might do just as well to grab a copy of "Catcher in the Rye" and draw your own conclusions about Mr. Salinger's inner life. And you can always supplement with a quick trip to Wikipedia.