Me & Orson Welles Review

Messages: The underlying message is that fame and stardom don't measure up to love and learning. But it takes a while for the main character to discover this, and others don’t at all.

Role models: A mixed bag. Main character Richard has a can-do attitude that’s hard not to like, though his bravado borders on arrogance. He also skips school and dismisses his mother's concerns. Welles is an egomaniac, but his outsized talent clearly helps others forgive his flaws. And Sonja is so hungry for success that she’s willing to break hearts if it means that she'll make her way into a bigger and better world.

Violence: Men argue over a girl; a stage carpenter grows irate with a director, and they nearly come to blows.

Sex: A man and a woman spend the night together together; later, she beds another guy, which angers the other (no nudity is shown). Men discuss ways to seduce women and make a bet on which one of them will manage to sleep with a specific woman first. A married actor cheats on his pregnant wife.

Language: A fair amount of swearing, including “sons of bitches,” “bastard” and “s--t.”

Consumerism: Mention of Wheaties.

Drinking, drugs and smoking: Social drinking; a high school senior downs a glass of wine and smokes a Cuban cigar.