The Art of Getting By (2011)

George, a lonely and fatalistic teen who has made it all the way to his senior year without ever having done a real day of work, is befriended by Sally, a popular but complicated girl who recognizes in him a kindred spirit.

Director:

Gavin Wiesen

Writer:

Gavin Wiesen

Stars:

Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts, Michael Angarano

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Freddie Highmore	...	George Zinavoy
Emma Roberts	...	Sally Howe
Sasha Spielberg	...	Zoe Rubenstein
Marcus Carl Franklin	...	Will Sharpe
Ann Dowd	...	Mrs. Grimes
Maya Ri Sanchez	...	Cynthia
Blair Underwood	...	Principal Martinson
Ann Harada	...	Mrs. Dougherty
Rita Wilson	...	Vivian Sargent
Jarlath Conroy	...	Harris McElroy
Elizabeth Reaser	...	Charlotte Howe
Andrew Levitas	...	Javier
Sam Robards	...	Jack Sargent
Alicia Silverstone	...	Ms. Herman
Michael Angarano	...	Dustin

Storyline

Believing the quote that you are born alone, die alone and everything else is an illusion, George doesn't see the point of life, school, or homework. Then he meets Sally and he now has a reason to go to school and make friends, even if he's not ready to admit to himself or to her that he likes her. The school's principal and art teacher introduce him to an alumni, and successful artist, Dustin, who can help guide George along life's path, but other distractions start surfacing, and George might not even be able to graduate from high school.

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Plot Keywords:

principal | artist | high school | rebellious teenager | teenage angst | 

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Taglines:

The toughest lesson is love.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including sexual content, language, teen drinking and partying

Did You Know?

Trivia

The cell phone George is seen using is a Nokia.

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Quotes

George Zinavoy: I'm trying to speak to you honestly.
Vivian Sargent: I don't care, I can't listen to your lies anymore.

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Alternate Versions

In the UK, the film was originally seen for advice by the BBFC in a rough cut form. The BBFC advised the filmmakers that the film was likely to receive a 15 rating, but that a 12A rating could be awarded if the strong language was reduced. When the finished version of the film was submitted for a formal rating in the UK, the number of uses of strong language had been reduced from five to one and the film was passed 12A. These cuts appear to have made their way into all releases of the film.

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Connections

Referenced in Riverdale: Chapter Seventy-Four: Wicked Little Town (2020)

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Soundtracks

Winter Lady
Written and performed by Leonard Cohen
Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment (Canada)
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

Exactly average in every way, another teen "romance".

This was one of those understated-on-purpose films which I normally adore: except I didn't. There has to be some type of excellence in these little indies which invite a second look -- great acting, original concepts, exceptional dialog, beautiful art direction, etc. -- but in this case, none of the above applies. The Art of Getting By lives up to its name by just scraping by on its formulaic mediocrity in every category.

Freddy Highmore and Emma Roberts play high school students in the city, from different from different social classes even though they both go to an expensive private school. George (Highmore) also happens to be a loner/misfit who has a bad case of that teen angst we all can recognize: everything's pointless, why bother doing homework, we're all going to die anyway, yadda yadda. He's got all his justifications figured out, and then one day he develops a hard crush on Sally (Roberts), and suddenly sees that there may be a point to things after all. But of course there are personal problems and home life to drive a wedge between their budding maybe/sorta romance, including George's inability to express his feelings in any way except through his art. So the stereotype of the misunderstood loner/misfit is carried through quite predictably, exactly as we have all seen it in two dozen other films about teenagers.

Highmore and Roberts are good-looking and competent actors, judging by what I've seen of their work elsewhere. Here, however, they fizzle. There is simply no chemistry between their characters. Roberts may be able to get by on her stunning good looks, but lip-twisting and -twitching do not a convincing actress make; she merely sleepwalks through her lines. We the audience are never shown what it is about her (other than striking eyes) which attracts George. George does have a few moments of good dialog which could have been gold in the hands of a motivated actor, but the constant wooden expressions on his face undermine them; he is blank even when tears are running down his cheeks. How the heck are we supposed to care about his personal crisis? I will say in its favor that TAOGB does have some standout minor characters; the adults in George's life which, for the most part, are well-acted. I especially liked his art teacher's over-the-top intensity. George's mom is also wonderfully cast for the role of a tired woman just trying to hold her family together. And what's up with Alicia Silverstone as a frumpy schoolmarm?!?..but it works, oddly enough.

So in short, TAOGB wasn't a disaster, but I just can't see anybody citing it for outstanding, well, *anything* in the years to come.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 June 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Homework

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$679,160, 19 June 2011

Gross USA:

$1,430,241

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,892,130

Company Credits

Production Co:

Goldcrest Pictures, Mint Pictures, Island Bound Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1