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The Art of Getting By

Play trailer Poster for The Art of Getting By PG-13 Released Jun 17, 2011 1h 24m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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20% Tomatometer 110 Reviews 46% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
George (Freddie Highmore) is a senior at a posh Manhattan prep school, but his disaffected attitude leaves little room for toeing the line. He'd rather doodle and read philosophy, and he strenuously avoids his parents (Rita Wilson, Sam Robards) whenever possible. Unfortunately, George's attitude is endangering his chances of graduating. Then he meets Sally (Emma Roberts). George finds himself falling in love with her, but an older artist (Michael Angarano) adds a complication to the mix.
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The Art of Getting By

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Critics Consensus

A sitcom-level twee mess that bakes in the typical manic pixie dream girl and boring, withdrawn boy hero.

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Critics Reviews

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Tim Robey Daily Telegraph (UK) Even by the standards of mopey teen rebels, this one really is a dreadful little prat. Rated: 1/5 Sep 2, 2011 Full Review Charlotte O'Sullivan London Evening Standard A glossy fudge. Rated: 2/5 Sep 2, 2011 Full Review Anthony Quinn Independent (UK) Rated: 2/5 Sep 2, 2011 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com The perfect title for a film in which first-time feature writer/director Gavin Wiesen is doing just that, getting by. Rated: 2.0/4.0 Sep 2, 2020 Full Review Kaleem Aftab The List A film of slight but wry observation. Rated: 3/5 Nov 6, 2018 Full Review Joseph Walsh CineVue The film takes elements of the genre and makes them its own and, more importantly, it does it well. Rated: 3/5 Aug 29, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Drew B It drags a little. But it spoke to me. Theres a specific line in it that cracked me up. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/10/25 Full Review Brittanii C This was technically a movie. There were actors, a soundtrack, and scenes and that made it a movie. Thats about the nicest thing I can say. Lacked depth, lacked coherent plot, lacked flavour, lacked lacked lacked. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/16/24 Full Review Amanda L A movie about teens that manages to grasp the ageless force of true love. While the leads are high school seniors on the brink of graduation, the narrative was pure enough to speak about what it takes to ascend from any level to something higher and unknown. As for criticisms that the heroine fell into the "manic pixie dream girl" trope—just no. She had some major demons which were in fact tightly woven into the plot, serving as catalysts for character development. I'm giving it a five because, despite the rom-com box and coming-of-age bow, its sincerity was a surprising gift. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/15/24 Full Review Cristian s Mejor de lo que esperaba, una película romántica sobre adolescentes que resulta tierna, inocente y fácil de empatizar. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/10/24 Full Review Audience Member Despite the harsh criticisms, I love how avant-garde the story was filmed. Simple and direct to the point, with just the right amount of cynicism at its core. If you ask me, it's quite refreshing to watch. And if it ain't your cup of tea? then, you probably shouldn't watch it. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Super sweet movie. I recommend it. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Art of Getting By

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Cast & Crew

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Gavin Wiesen

Director

Freddie Highmore

George Zinavoy

Emma Roberts

Sally Howe

Michael Angarano

Dustin

Rita Wilson

Vivian Sargent

Blair Underwood

Principal Martinson

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Movie Info

Synopsis George (Freddie Highmore) is a senior at a posh Manhattan prep school, but his disaffected attitude leaves little room for toeing the line. He'd rather doodle and read philosophy, and he strenuously avoids his parents (Rita Wilson, Sam Robards) whenever possible. Unfortunately, George's attitude is endangering his chances of graduating. Then he meets Sally (Emma Roberts). George finds himself falling in love with her, but an older artist (Michael Angarano) adds a complication to the mix.
Director
Gavin Wiesen
Producer
P. Jennifer Dana, Kara Baker, Gia Walsh, Darren Goldberg
Screenwriter
Gavin Wiesen
Distributor
Fox Searchlight
Production Co
Gigi Productions
Rating
PG-13 (Sexual Content|Language|Teen Drinking|Teen Partying|Thematic Elements)
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 17, 2011, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.4M
Runtime
1h 24m
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