Me and Orson Welles

It’s 1937 and quite by chance, Richard Samuels (Zac Efron) is cast as Lucius in Orson Welles’s daring stage adaptation of “Julius Caesar,” which is in its final week of rehearsal. Though intoxicated by the glamour of the theatre and the impossible charms of the 22-year-old wunderkind (Christian McKay), young Richard soon sees his idol’s darker side. Based on Robert Kaplow’s novel, this adorable gem from Richard Linklater is so sweet, it makes School of Rock look like Blood on Satan’s Claw. Christian McKay is a devilishly good Welles, the best we’ve seen since the real thing, and Zac Efron makes for a charming and convincing leading man. The journey taken is simply too small to mark this out as a classic but it’s hard to top as a warm, all-ages crowd pleaser.