Poor acting and a poor script

I don't believe any of you have actually read the script.

The script was weak. It's been a while since I've seen this, but the wholly fabricated scene where Welles gives an inspiring speech to the heads of the studios (and the cringe-worthy inclusion of Walt Disney in said fictional scene) just invalidated the entire movie for me. Being nominated for an Emmy (or, hell, for an Oscar) doesn't mean it's suddenly bullet proof. A lot of crap has been nominated for those awards along with the great stuff.

I remember this came out around the same time as Tim Robbins' Cradle Will Rock. I remember because I worked at a local media outlet when they were both doing their press junkets. I was so psyched at the time. It was like the year of Welles for me. I attended a preview of Cradle and thought that while it wasn't the greatest (I wish somebody would film Orson's screenplay which you can find at your local library instead) I thought Angus McFayden and Cary Elwes were pitch-perfect in their portrayals of Welles and Houseman. Before Christian McKay came along I thought McFayden's portrayal of a young Welles was the most accurate. (I won't even get into D'Onofrio who only ever looked the part)

Schreiber is a good actor. A seasoned pro. But the script just didn't have enough of the real Welles in it. It was more of a scathing gilded-Hollywood tell-all partly based on fact. Definitely only a television-worthy movie.


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