How to Deal (2003)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Clare Kilner

Writers (WGA):

Sarah Dessen (novels)
Neena Beber (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 July 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Rule #1 There are no rules.

Plot:

A teenager (Moore), disillusioned by too many examples of love gone wrong, refuses to believe that true love exists. Then this new guy (Ford) comes along...

Plot Keywords:

High School | Wedding | Dance | Mother Daughter Relationship | Bride

US TV Schedule:

Fri. July 17	12:00 PM	OXYGEN
Mon. July 20	1:00 AM	OXYGEN

Cast

Mandy Moore	...	Halley Martin
Allison Janney	...	Lydia Martin
Trent Ford	...	Macon Forrester
Alexandra Holden	...	Scarlett Smith
Dylan Baker	...	Steve Beckwith
Nina Foch	...	Grandma Halley
Mackenzie Astin	...	Lewis Warsher
Connie Ray	...	Marion Smith
Mary Catherine Garrison	...	Ashley Martin
Sonja Smits	...	Carol Warsher
Laura Catalano	...	Lorna Queen
Ray Kahnert	...	Donald Sherwood
Andrew Gillies	...	Buck Warsher
John White	...	Michael Sherwood
Alison MacLeod	...	Sharon Sherwood

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, drug material, language and some thematic elements.

Runtime:

Philippines:99 min | USA:101 min | Argentina:102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Brazil:12 | Iceland:L | USA:PG-13 (certificate #39293) | Australia:M | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | USA:PG-13 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Birchmount Collegiate, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Focus Features

Trivia:

Mandy Moore cut her hair short because she felt it suited the role; the movie producers weren't happy about it. In the end they compromised and had her wear hair extension for some of the movie and then have her having her hair cut put into the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Scarlett goes over to Halley's house to discuss symptoms she is eating grapefruit. After complaining that Halley's 'perfume' smells she puts the plate of grapefruit to her right. But in the overhead shot of her and Halley we see that the grapefruit is still on the pillow in her lap.

Quotes:

Macon: When I ask you to go out with me this Friday night you're gonna think you're the one asking me because you're gonna say 'yes Macon, I would love to go out with you because I know we'll have a totally great time together. In fact, I'd been hoping you'd ask me all week.'
Halley: You wanna go out on a date with me?
Macon: See, I told you you'd ask me.

Movie Connections:

References Sixteen Candles (1984)

Soundtrack:

It's on the Rocks

Entertaining

I found this movie to be funny, serious, entertaining, a little sad in parts, but overall, it didn't suck! I don't think it would win any awards, but it served its purpose well - it entertained me for a couple of hours - isn't that all we ask of a movie?

It deals with some VERY serious teenage problems - parents divorcing, finding new partners, teenage pregnancy, young love (and old love), and the cruncher, whether to have sex or not. It covered just about most of the problems teenagers face these days.

It was essentially a good movie and dealt with these issues quite well - not too heavy, not too light.

Mandy Moore was pretty darned good too - she has a nice little career ahead of her me thinks! :)