In 1969, a bullied prep-school kid (Alex Wolff) obsessed with Holden Caulfield, and who indeed resembles the memorable main character of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, writes a school play based on the iconic book.

But he feels he needs permission to stage it, so with the moral support (and the car) of his maybe-girlfriend (Stefania LaVie Owen), they travel to back-country New Hampshire to seek out the reclusive author (Chris Cooper, conveying worlds with a single frustrated sigh).

This “inspired by actual events” indie is not perfect by any means, but there’s an intelligence and a sweetness to it that will appeal to anyone who’s ever had their life changed by a work of literature or art. (97 min)