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The Art of Getting By

Play trailer Poster for The Art of Getting By PG-13 2011 1h 24m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
20% Tomatometer 110 Reviews 47% 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

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A sitcom-level twee mess that bakes in the typical manic pixie dream girl and boring, withdrawn boy hero.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) Sep 2, 2011
1/5
Even by the standards of mopey teen rebels, this one really is a dreadful little prat. Go to Full Review Charlotte O'Sullivan London Evening Standard Sep 2, 2011
2/5
A glossy fudge. Go to Full Review Peter Bradshaw Guardian Sep 1, 2011
1/5
You'll feel like swatting Freddie Highmore with a rolled-up newspaper the size of a railway carriage while watching this supremely annoying film, a teen drama populated by vulnerable indie moppets. Go to Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Sep 2, 2020
2.0/4.0
The perfect title for a film in which first-time feature writer/director Gavin Wiesen is doing just that, getting by. Go to Full Review Kaleem Aftab The List Nov 6, 2018
3/5
A film of slight but wry observation. Go to Full Review Joseph Walsh CineVue Aug 29, 2018
3/5
The film takes elements of the genre and makes them its own and, more importantly, it does it well. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Stephen C @bob25009 Dec 3, 2025 Funny in 01 hour and 24 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The worldwide gross is $1,892,130.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated PG-13 for Sexual Content, Language, Teen Drinking, Teen Partying and Thematic Elements!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Frank C @RT52755077 Aug 9, 2025 This movie goes way back to 2011. It's 2025 now. Found it featured on the library shelf. I grabbed it because of Emma Roberts, one of my favorite actors. It focused my intense attention throughout, and it gets it - like "honesty and fearlessness". Freddie Highmore and Emma were a perfect fit and the supporting cast was excellent 20%/46% seems a bit harsh. After all, the movie was a Sundance Film Festival nominee! See more Drew B @RT87397005 Jan 10, 2025 It drags a little. But it spoke to me. Theres a specific line in it that cracked me up. See more Amanda L @RT00328743 Mar 15, 2024 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. See more Cristian s @cristiansj Feb 10, 2024 Mejor de lo que esperaba, una película romántica sobre adolescentes que resulta tierna, inocente y fácil de empatizar. See more Jun 5, 2021 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. See more 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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The Art of Getting By

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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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