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The Art of Getting By
The Art of Getting By Image
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Metascore
36 out of 100

Generally unfavorable - based on 28 Critics What's this?

User Score
5.9 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 18 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Emma Roberts, Freddie Highmore, Michael Angarano
  • Summary: The Art of Getting By stars Freddie Highmore as George, a lonely and fatalistic teen who's made it all the way to his senior year without ever having down a real day of work, who is befriended by Sally, a beautiful and complicated girl who recognizes in him a kindred spirit. (Fox Searchlight)

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 28
  3. Negative: 13 out of 28
  1. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Amy Biancolli
    Jun 16, 2011
    75
    The movie turns lighter and less morose as it rolls along, which is good for viewers who prefer a bit of honey to offset the bitter taste of hormones.
  2. Arizona Republic
    Reviewed by: Bill Goodykoontz
    Jun 18, 2011
    60
    Thanks to Highmore's performance, George is worth sticking around for - and thanks almost exclusively to Highmore and Roberts, so is The Art of Getting By.
  3. New Orleans Times-Picayune
    Reviewed by: Mike Scott
    Jun 17, 2011
    38
    Right off the bat, things start falling apart for Wiesen's film. While Highmore is more than capable of playing smart and tender, he has yet to figure out how to believably portray so much as a shred of the danger or rebelliousness required for this role.

See all 28 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 1 out of 7
  1. remm-
    7
    i thought, as the big red machine looked for this dvd, that i probably just wasted a dollar. i was pleasantly surprised. it's not ground breaking, but it is absolutely entertaining.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. Bullet97
    5
    I don't know why critics are beating the crap out of this thing. The Art Of Getting By is not awful, it's just average. But the thing that keeps this movie from being mediocre is the chemistry between Friedie Highmore (who has been gone from the face of the Earth for 5 years) and Emma Roberts. This is a couple that is very likeable and you want them to wind up together. But the movie surrounding them doesn't live up to their great chemistry. Sure, there's some funny and sweet moments, but the whole movie's one giant cli'che. It does nothing new, and the acting, character development, or writing doesn't distract me from that. Also, the movie feels very rushed and no character feels welldeveloped. TAOGB isn't terrible, in fact, I'd actually watch it again if I caught it on TV, but it's nothing you just have to see.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. MarcDoyle
    3
    I agree with Bullet97 - it's not terrible, but it's the casting of Freddie Highmore which ultimately kills it. He looks like an infant compared to the smoldering Emma Roberts. You feel bad for the kid, but seriously, they needed a guy that actually looked a bit more like a high school senior that would get into this situation. And casting the jailed dad from Gossip Girl to play essentially the same role here as the guy's step-dad? Poor. So.. once you realize it's going to be bad, you start to have fun with it. I laughed. For some reason, a group of girls in my Santa Monica theater gave it a round of applause at the end. What's that about? Hmmm.... The music? (Wasn't bad - good Pavement song.)… Expand
    • 0 of 1 users said yes

See all 7 User Reviews

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