Indignation (2016) is based on the novel by Philip Roth. It was directed by James Schamus. The movie is set in 1951, during the height of the Korean War. It stars Logan Lerman as Marcus, a young Jewish man from Newark, who receives a scholarship to a small liberal arts college in Ohio. At that time, college students received a draft deferment, so when Marcus goes to college, it's actually more than education--it's a matter of life and death.
Marcus doesn't fit in well at college, although he gets good grades. He's brilliant, but outspoken, and he's not big on compromise. The pivotal point around which the plot revolves is his love for an undergraduate, Olivia Hutton, played by Sarah Gadon. Olivia is everything Marcus is not--rich, Christian, and sophisticated. However, she has significant emotional problems, which emerge gradually as the movie progresses.
Both lead actors are excellent, although Sarah Gadon is too old for the role. She's supposed to be 20 or 21, but, in reality she's 29. And, although she's strikingly attractive, she's not a youthful 29. Before I checked, I guessed that she was in her late 20's or early 30's, and that's just not right for this movie. Couldn't director Schamus find a beautiful 20-yet-old actor to play Olivia?
The producers have set this period piece with extraordinary precision. I went to a small, small-town, liberal arts college in the 1950's, and that's what it looked like. They've gotten it right to the last detail.
I've never cared for Philip Roth as an author, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I didn't care for this movie. I haven't read the book, but I've read the synopsis, and the movie is quite faithful to the novel. If you like Roth, you'll probably like Indignation. It just wasn't the film for me.
We saw this movie at the excellent Little Theatre in Rochester, NY. It will work as well on the small screen. (Just make sure the screen is large enough to allow you to enjoy the details of the sets, automobiles, and costumes.)
Marcus doesn't fit in well at college, although he gets good grades. He's brilliant, but outspoken, and he's not big on compromise. The pivotal point around which the plot revolves is his love for an undergraduate, Olivia Hutton, played by Sarah Gadon. Olivia is everything Marcus is not--rich, Christian, and sophisticated. However, she has significant emotional problems, which emerge gradually as the movie progresses.
Both lead actors are excellent, although Sarah Gadon is too old for the role. She's supposed to be 20 or 21, but, in reality she's 29. And, although she's strikingly attractive, she's not a youthful 29. Before I checked, I guessed that she was in her late 20's or early 30's, and that's just not right for this movie. Couldn't director Schamus find a beautiful 20-yet-old actor to play Olivia?
The producers have set this period piece with extraordinary precision. I went to a small, small-town, liberal arts college in the 1950's, and that's what it looked like. They've gotten it right to the last detail.
I've never cared for Philip Roth as an author, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I didn't care for this movie. I haven't read the book, but I've read the synopsis, and the movie is quite faithful to the novel. If you like Roth, you'll probably like Indignation. It just wasn't the film for me.
We saw this movie at the excellent Little Theatre in Rochester, NY. It will work as well on the small screen. (Just make sure the screen is large enough to allow you to enjoy the details of the sets, automobiles, and costumes.)