Indignation movie trailer: Logan Lerman brings Philip Roth book to life

Logan Lerman has continued his career ascension with blockbuster roles, like the Percy Jackson films, and smaller, character-driven performances, like The Perks of Being a Wallflower. After making the rounds at Sundance, Indignation returns the actor to the latter category in an already praised turn in the James Schamus film.

Schamus, who wrote and produced films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and 2003’s Hulk, makes his directorial debut with Indignation. Based on the 2008 Philip Roth novel, the film tells of the young Marcus Messner (Lerman), a Jersey boy who enrolls in a conservative Ohio college on scholarship to avoid the Korean War draft. Once there, however, he butts heads with the Dean and becomes entranced by his classmate (Sarah Gadon of Hulu’s 11.22.63), both of which threaten to unravel his family’s carefully laid plans.

“I fell in love with these characters. I had a real affinity for them,” Schamus, also wrote the screenplay, told EW. He later called Lerman “the world’s nicest actor. Everyone on the set was lovely but it’s great when you have a star help set the tone.”

Lerman is also joined by Tracy Letts, Linda Emond, Danny Burstein, and Ben Rosenfield. Indignation will hit theaters on July 29.