Me and Orson Welles

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Me and Orson Welles is a 2009 American film directed by Richard Linklater about the life of a high school student, Richard, who gets a part in Orson Welles' production of Julius Caesar at the Mercury Theatre. It is based on a novel with the same name. While working on the production, he falls in love with Sonja Jones, the production assistant. Drama ensues.

Tropes used in Me and Orson Welles include:

• Aint No Rule: Invoked by Welles, who hires ambulances to take him from radio show to radio show and back to the theatre, claiming if there is a law saying you have to be sick to ride in an ambulance, he hasn't heard of it.
• Berserk Button: Never criticize Orson Welles. Also, never bring up his pregnant wife after he just spent the night with the production assistant.
• Billing Displacement: Zac Efron, who only plays the main character, gets second billing below Christian McKay on the British posters and Claire Danes on the American ones.
• Casanova: Welles again. He tries to seduce just about every female in the movie. Joe Cotten, too.
• Dawson Casting: Christian McKay was 35 portraying the 21-year-old Welles, but it is somewhat justified in that Welles really did read much older than he was. This is him at 24: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z294SHkqmQ&feature=related.
• Hey, It's That Guy!: Troy is hitting on Juliet.
  • Alternately, Link is hitting on Cosette.
  • Additionally, Lestrade is the manager of the Mercury Theatre, Mary Morstan is playing Portia, and Hamish plays Cinna.
  • And with the characters as much as the actors themselves. Hey, it's Joseph Cotten!
• Historical In-Joke: "How the hell can I top this?" Right, Orson. How could you possibly top that?
• It Will Never Catch On: Who in the world would think of staging Shakespeare in modern dress?
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Orson can certainly be a Jerkass, but he still cares for his cast and crew. Above all, he's Doing It for the Art
• Manipulative Bastard: Orson. Most obvious at the end of the movie, when he convinces Richard to come back for opening night, then fires him anyway.
• Setting Update: Welles's production of Julius Caesar had the setting updated to what was then modern-day facist Italy, drawing blatant parallels to Mussolini.
• Sexy Discretion Shot: Both employed (when the image fades to black ofter Sonja invites Richard into the bedroom) and, in its literary form, discussed:

Joseph Cotten: Welcome to "quadruple space", kid. Richard: What's "quadruple space"? Joseph Cotten: You know, in a novel, when the main characters are finally about to schtup. They can't describe it, otherwise they can't print the book. They just go, you know, "he hugged her hard, they fell on to the bed", Period, Quadruple space.

• The Shelf of Movie Languishment: The movie premiered to terrific reviews at the Toronto Film Festival, but was unable to secure any US distribution. It ended up sitting on the shelf for more than a year before it was finally given a piss-poor release in November 2009. Some people think the terrible release situation was what robbed Christian McKay of an Oscar nomination.
• Shout-Out: Joseph Cotten is shown hiding in a darkened doorway while Richard talks with Sonja.
• Sidelong Glance Biopic
• Throw It In: An in-universe example. Orson Welles is shown improvising a line paraphrased from The Magnificent Ambersons while recording a part for a radio soap opera. Based on the reaction from the director and the rest of the cast, this could even be called Orson Does Something Brilliant.
• The Thirties: The movie is set in the late 1930s.