Review of Me and Orson Welles (2008) by Rebekah B — 04 Oct 2010

Less a romance story than a coming-of-age story, of sorts, 'Me and Orson Welles' is an odd jump for up-and-coming star Zac Effron Considering his past starring roles, one would think that this movie would be just another vehicle for him to play a pretty boy character. To an extent, he did just that. But in comparison to his previous work, that character style was far more toned down. It was slightly more serious this time out. And while most people would think that Effron is the star of this movie, the real star here is Christian McKay. McKay's portrayal of Orson Welles is what keeps the movie going.

McKay is the real star of this movie. And it almost feels as if director Richard Linklater, along with writers Holly Gent Palmo, and Vincent Palmo, Jr. wanted to focus more on him than Effron from the get-go. It feels as though, despite his coming-of-age-story, Effron's character of Richard was ultimately more a supporting character to McKay's Welles. The rest of the supporting cast even pointed out from start to finish, Welles' sometimes "eccentric" personality. Again, this makes it feel as if Effron, being a young hearthrob star, was little more than a marketing tool, much like Johnny Depp in 'Chocolat'.

Despite this almost confusing attempt to figure out who the real star of the story was, the movie itself was not entirely bad. Yes, there was romance. But, Richard's story was more centered around his personal growth, and discovery about "the life". Here we have a young high school senior, stars in his eyes, learns what the theater life is all about. At the same time, he learns about himself, and love, in the process. Not the first time that audiences have experienced such a story. But at least it's somewhat original in how it is presented.

'Me and Orson Welles' is not entirely original in its general story plot. But the fashion in which it is presented is original enough to make it an enjoyable watch, even despite Zac Effron starring. The entire casting company of the Mercury theater, led by Christian McKay's portrayal of Orson Welles is what really makes this movie worth at least one watch. It could well be a defining moment for both Effron, and McKay in their careers.