Gavin Wiesen writes and directs The Art of Getting By, a movie about a high school senior, George (Freddie Highmore), who doesn’t do his homework, has no friends, smokes on school property, yet is beloved by the faculty. He draws all over his schoolbooks and speaks to his principal (Blair Underwood) as if he was talking to an older brother. He befriends a pretty girl and well, you can guess what happens.
Freddie Highmore as George is ok, and if the story had been set up better, his likeability would probably make more sense. Instead, there was no explanation as to why the staff liked him. They see potential in him, but he doesn’t put out any effort whatsoever. Emma Roberts, as his love interest, Sally, is ok, I think I just mostly didn’t like her character. I really liked her in It’s Kind of a Funny Story. Rita Wilson as George’s mother was good, as well as the other supporting roles of Ann Dowd and Blair Underwood. Alicia Silverstone even makes an appearance, although I was unsure of her feelings for George as well.
The movie is shot in New York and as a non-native New Yorker, I found it fun to pick out the places in the scene because they were not the regular spots. I do wish they would have show the subway more, but I know it’s super difficult to shoot, so that’s forgivable.
My biggest problems are the lack of character development for George, and the unlikeability of Sally. George thinks of life as meaningless, so homework isn’t important, yet he goes to school and participates occasionally. I just didn’t understand that. Did this just develop recently? Did he get good grades before and has suddenly stopped, so now the teachers feel they need to help him? No idea.
Sally is a cute girl that’s tired of her friends, so she befriends George because he makes her feel good about herself. Her feelings for him never seem genuine. She only seems to want to hang out with George so she can escape her own situation.
The film had potential, but it has so many holes, I had a hard time piecing together what I was supposed to be feeling for the characters. I don’t see it doing very well amidst the other much better “coming-of-age” films such as Submarine and Skateland.
Rating: Falls flat and fails to inspire. 1/10
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