Directed by Nicholas Hytner. Starring Stephen Campbell Moore and Richard Griffiths. Rated 14A

North Americans may have a few difficulties with the English accents, the prep-school atmosphere, the theatrical origins, and the homosexual aspect of The History Boys. But what will more likely freak them out is the notion that 18-year-old boys might actually know something and be able to articulate it.

Of course, the eight central fellows of the title do happen to be up for scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge, and are thus a tad brighter than some. Plus, they were born of Alan Bennett’s pen, which had already taken the stage version of Boys to long runs in London and New York. Here, as on-stage, the play is handled by director Nicholas Hytner, who collaborated with Bennett on The Madness of King George.

Set at a Yorkshire grammar school in the early 1980s, the tale’s crux is in the conflict between the teaching methods of Oxford-grad Irwin (Stephen Campbell Moore), hired to prepare the lads for entrance exams, and the literally old-school Hector (Richard Griffiths), who believes in learning for its own, noncompetitive, sake.

The roly-poly Hector’s general-studies course is a freely structured ramble through modern poetry, the classics, show tunes, and scenes from old Bette Davis movies—all of which are tackled with sardonic enthusiasm by the boys.

Standouts include the meek, talented Posner (Samuel Barnett), who decries the plight of being gay, Jewish, bright, and living in Sheffield. He’s tortured by his unreciprocated affection for ostensibly straight stud Dakin (Dominic Cooper), currently having it off with sexy Fiona (Coronation Street’s Georgia Taylor).

Also prominent are Scripps (Jamie Parker), a practising Christian who somehow remains cool; fat clown Timms (James Corden); angry, New Wave–ish Lockwood (Andrew Knott); and the relatively thick Rudge (Russell Tovey), who gets by on athletic ability. It’s unfortunate that the most poorly defined personalities belong to the two “ethnic” students, played by Samuel Anderson and Sacha Dhawan.

The fellows are torn between Hector’s lyrical view of history and Irwin’s Thatcherite utilitarianism, and their emotions are underscored by a smartly chosen collection of ’80s pop tunes. And the situation is somewhat complicated by Hector’s “lovable” tendency to grope his students—something tolerated, to different degrees, by a caustic spinster-teacher (Frances de la Tour) and a tight-assed principal notably overplayed by Clive Merrison, who seems to think he’s the star of Carry On Headmaster.

It’s obvious where Bennett’s sympathies lie in this philosophical face-off, but in some ways the conflict doesn’t matter. Viewers who haven’t given such things a thought can still enjoy the music of these young actors’ voices, joined in both argument and song.