In Badlands we see Hollys dollhouse being burned to a crisp, symbolizing the death of her childhood innocence. Loss of innocence is also a common theme in both stories. The Catcher In The Rye and Badlands both feature young, lonely central characters experiencing existential crisis as a result of their strange upbringings. It should come as no surprise that their works also share similarities. Both are constantly hailed as visionaries. Long periods of absence and a fondness for the quiet life have made the two endlessly comparable.
The word ‘reclusive’ would be an understated way to describe them. In many ways, Terrence Malick is to American cinema what JD Salinger is to American literature. Wes Andersons wise and loving allusions to the works of JD Salinger is one of several reasons why he’s one of the most acclaimed and respected film makers of the last 25 years. Most notably, the green line bus scene (beautifully soundtracked by Nico) where Richie picks up Margot in The Royal Tenenbaums, is remarkably similar to the arrival of Franny at the train station to meet her boyfriend Lane in Franny and Zooey. The seven Glass children and three Tenenbaum children have grown into adults defined by emotional breakdowns and identity crisis. Once considered prodigies, both families have fallen on hard times. The Glass family and the Tenenbaums have plenty in common. The Royal Tenenbaums, Andersons 2001 film about a family of child geniuses has been compared time and time again to Salinger’s 1961 novella Franny and Zooey. It’s probably not hyperbole to say that Anderson is obsessed with Salinger, both aesthetically and thematically.
It seems fitting that Wes Anderson is the only director to appear twice on this list. Woody Allen claims that Annie Hall “is as much a love song to New York City as it is to the character.” To this day, very few writers, filmmakers, or artists have managed to capture the spirit and energy of New York as purely as Allen and Salinger have.
New York City is an intellectual haven and a companion to Alvy in Annie Hall, but a constant reminder of loneliness and alienation to Holden in The Catcher In The Rye. He speaks of it fondly: “It resonated with my fantasies about Manhattan, the Upper East Side, and New York City in general.” New York City is so more than a just a backdrop in the works of Woody Allen and JD Salinger.
It’s no secret that The Catcher In The Rye was a massive influence on Woody Allen’s teenage years. Annie Hall’s original title was ‘Anhedonia’, meaning the inability to feel pleasure in normally pleasurably activities, something that Holden Caulfield knows all too well. Both stories are told in a series of flashbacks. A subtle reference, but a very telling one. “Who’s Catcher In The Rye is this?” asks the hyper-neurotic Alvy Singer as he and Annie Hall are breaking up in Woody Allen’s 1977 comedy.
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