Review-Art of Getting By

The Art of Getting By is a new independent film about a boy, a girl and figuring things out before graduation. The movie centered around George(Freddie Highmore, best known from Charlie and Chocolate Factory), a high school senior that does not see the point of doing anything. He believes that since we are going to die, doing things like schoolwork does not matter. He has gone through the school year without doing any assignments. For some strange reason, his principle(Blair Underwood) keeps giving him chances to correct things. He lives with his stressed out mom(Rita Wilson) and stepfather(Sam Robards) he does not respect. He admits that he is scared to live. Then, he meets Sally(Emma Roberts),  a girl in his graduating class that he opens up to. They share a connection with their dysfunctional family as Sally's mom(Elizabeth Reaser) is recently divorced and is making up for lost time. Their friendship ends up affecting everything they know and see about themselves. The movie works well as a study of how one person can change your outlook on life. It hits a hull in the middle of the third act but corrects itself towards the end. Even though the movie Charlie Bartlett handles some of the same topics better, it is a good movie for those who like indie films.