The Art of Getting By is one of those films which is not for everyone and touches each person in a different way. It got me…I was giggling through almost the entire film. It’s just so darn charming and cute while also being depressing and weird. It’s about an unmotivated high school senior who can’t seem to do any work. It’s not that he doesn’t care or can’t focus…he doesn’t have any extra stress or problems that any other kid his age has, he just realized that one day he’s going to die so what’s the point? What’s the point of this movie? Why does it have to have one? It’s a love story, it’s a coming of age story, it’s a magnifying glass on a few weeks of one boy’s life.
At first, George (Freddie Highmore – the kid from August Rush) seems like a smart alec who gets his way out of doing work in school. Rather than make up excuses, he honestly lets his teachers and parents know that he just can’t do it. A.D.D.? No, they’ve tried everything on him…he’s just the “Teflon Slacker”, believes that we’re on the downhill side of the end of times and proclaims, “I fear life.” He befriends the popular but complex Sally who is beautifully portrayed by Emma Roberts. I just wanted to pluck her from the screen and squeeze her. Her glance alone will make you smile. That is until you realize she’s a horrible treacherous hussy!
Freddie Highmore and Emma Roberts in The Art of Getting By
Obviously his principal (Blair Underwood) and teachers (Alicia Silverstone, Jarlath Conroy) see something in him because they keep pushing him and giving him chances to succeed. To escape expulsion, they allow him to be a liaison for Career Day where he meets Dustin (Michael Angarano), a past graduate of the same school who seems to be another lost soul. Dustin became a free-spirited painter and George instantly takes to him. He even takes Sally to visit Dustin’s studio aka place I can afford to live and paint in Brooklyn. George’s mom and stepdad (Rita Wilson, Sam Robards) are there, but not really. They say the right words and go through the motions of trying to help George, but they’re too concerned about their own problems to deal with his.
on repeat
The movie is just so melodramatic and tense that sometimes you wonder when the movie is going to change or even begin. Is this it? Is this the movie I’m watching? The groundwork is set as you go deeper into the state that George is in. You feel something for him and want him to succeed but there’s just nothing behind his blank stare. It’s almost as if he’s wasting space and air. In the romance with Sally, you just want him to open his eyes and take a chance. With school, you want him to just do one assignment and finish something. At home, you want him to hug his mom and stop being distant. In life, you just want him to live. The major conflict comes up weeks before graduation where his principal and teachers task George to complete every assignment he’s missed (which is all of them for the entire year) or not graduate.
Just like art, some people will get it...and some people won't
The added bonus to this film is the music. The soundtrack is indie fantastic with The Shins, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Pavement and The Boxer Rebellion. The songs compliment the story so well and enhances the mellow drive of the movie. All the parts are well-acted and you know that we’re going to see Freddie Highmore and Emma Roberts succeed in many future roles. I couldn’t help but smile and enjoy The Art of Getting By…it’s an innocent tale of a boy who probably doesn’t deserve a movie but everyone has a story and why shouldn’t that story be told if it’s told well? The ending falls to the typical cliches of film making, which I wish it hadn’t, but at least it leaves the audience with some closure. Again, this movie isn’t for everyone but if you’re drawn to the film or have any inkling to see it, do it.
Tags: Alicia Silverstone, Blair Underwood, Emma Roberts, Freddie Highmore, Jarlath Conroy, Michael Angarano, Rita Wilson, Sam Robards, The Art of Getting By
Matthew Fong created advancescreenings.com and is the lead contributor. He watches every type of movie and will try almost anything twice. You can follow him on twitter here: @matthewfong
