The Art of Getting By

Indie, Teen Angst
3 stars
Good acting, but an unexceptional film. Freddie Highmore stars as privileged teen with a seemingly high IQ, artistic ability, and a good support system, who chooses not to apply himself and moons over dream girl, Emma Roberts. The impressive cast includes Rita Wilson as his mom, Blair Underwood as the school principle, and Alicia Silverstone (!) as his frumpy English teacher. We’ve all been through teen angst to varying degrees, but with this kid I just wanted to shake him by the shoulders and scream "Get over yourself!". Clearly Highmore’s character belongs in a school for gifted students, but his trials and tribulations are no more exceptional than anyone else’s. The ending was predictable, but I found myself hoping Robert’s character would decide differently than the outcome. A much better independent teen angst film, which also co-stars Emma Roberts and is available on DVD, is It's Kind of a Funny Story, where the teen checks himself into a mental ward and gets a good education on life. Skip this movie and rent It's Kind of a Funny Story instead.