Me and Orson Welles (2008)

In 1937, a teenager is cast in the Mercury Theatre production of "Julius Caesar", directed by a young Orson Welles.

Director:

Richard Linklater

Writers:

Robert Kaplow (based on the novel by), Holly Gent (screenplay by) (as Holly Gent Palmo)

Stars:

Zac Efron, Claire Danes, Christian McKay

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 5 wins & 26 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christian McKay	...	Orson Welles
Zac Efron	...	Richard Samuels
Zoe Kazan	...	Gretta Adler
Megan Maczko	...	Evelyn Allen
Simon Lee Phillips	...	Walter Ash
Patrick Kennedy	...	Grover Burgess
Shane James Bordas	...	Conspirator
Alessandro Giuggioli	...	Conspirator
Harry Macqueen	...	Conspirator
Rhodri Orders	...	Conspirator
James Tupper	...	Joseph Cotten
Thomas Arnold	...	George Duthie
Aidan McArdle	...	Martin Gabel
Simon Nehan	...	Joe Holland
Claire Danes	...	Sonja Jones

Storyline

In November 1937, high school student and aspiring thespian Richard Samuels takes a day trip into New York City. There, he meets and begins a casual friendship with Gretta Adler, their friendship based on a shared love and goal of a profession in the creative arts. But also on this trip, Richard stumbles across the Mercury Theatre and meets Orson Welles, who, based on an impromptu audition, offers Richard an acting job as Lucius in his modern retelling of Julius Caesar, which includes such stalwart Mercury Theatre players as Joseph Cotten and George Coulouris. Despite others with official roles as producer John Houseman, this production belongs to Welles, the unofficial/official dictator. In other words, whatever Welles wants, the cast and crew better deliver. These requests include everything, even those of a sexual nature. Welles does not believe in conventions and will do whatever he wants, which includes not having a fixed opening date, although the unofficial opening date is in ...

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Plot Keywords:

inspired by true events | based on real person | theatre | new york city | based on novel | 

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Taglines:

If you want to discover life...learn from the master

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual references and smoking

Did You Know?

Trivia

Production designer Laurence Dorman's visit to New York City inspired his design of the street set on Pinewood's Orchard Lot: "It was worth every second actually, because we were able to visit the site of the theatre and I was able to get the geography of 41st Street into my mind, with Bryant Park and all the things that are mentioned in the script. And even though 41st Street was completely different to how it would have been in those days, I was able to just wander around the neighbourhood and take pictures all over midtown and all the way down to 22nd Street. I was picking out all of the old stuff, the architecture that I imagined would have been there at the time and turning it into our little composite street. I've taken a selection of buildings based on my photographs and put them together to suit my purposes."

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Goofs

When Orson finds Richard on the park bench, Orson's collar is up in the wide shot, but only half-up in the following close-up shots.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dr. Mewling: By the year of 1592, Shakespeare was already an actor, and a playwright. Records of how his stage career began have not survived. We do know that in 1594 he joined a theater troupe. Called... anyone remember? Not everyone at once now. The Lord Chamberlain's Men.

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Crazy Credits

Gilson Lavis is listed as "Drumer" instead of "Drummer".

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Connections

Featured in Live from Studio Five: Episode #1.48 (2009)

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Soundtracks

Sing, Sing, Sing
Written by Louis Prima
Published by EMI Music Publishing Ltd.
Performed by Benny Goodman & His Orchestra

User Reviews

F is for Fake

Okay, start with one of the most interesting and influential characters in film. Make a film that has him in it.

Take one of the most interesting and theatrical productions in theater, present it is as film and make the same film about its inception including chaos, the various seductions of the players and some presentation of his bellicose leadership.

Hang the thing on a story of callow discovery and you may have something. But alas, this almost succeeds on every score and it makes us unhappy because from the first we expect something worthy. We expect to be immersed somehow. "Cradle will Rock" succeeded in that respect where this did not.

One problem is there is no sense of the inner composition in Welles' mind. Sure we find he is oafish, appetite driven, needlessly obnoxious. But for each of these, there should be some window into what matters, what we came for. It sure wasn't hearing about a kid's screwups.

The impression fostered throughout is that some combination of accident, unsophisticated audience and dedicated cast/crew made the production a success. I saw this with "Hamlet 2" and as bad as that was, it was better in key ways. Above all, it tried.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK Isle Of Man USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 December 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Me and Orson Welles

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$63,638, 29 November 2009

Gross USA:

$1,190,003

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,336,172

Company Credits

Production Co:

CinemaNX, Isle of Man Film, Framestore

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min 107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1