George (Freddie Highmore – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) is a lonely and fatalistic teen who's made it all the way to his senior year in high school without ever applying himself. He is noticed by Sally (Emma Roberts – Scream 4), a popular but complicated girl who recognizes a kindred spirit in George and wants to become friends. But before long George starts to fall for Sally as they both try and navigate the choppy waters of their lives.
Jeremy of We Got This Covered wrote, "The Art of Getting By is a pretty good first impression from newcomer director Gavin Wiesen. He’s crafted another one of those independent, kind of formulaic off-beat romantic coming-of-age stories. The package mentions it being from the studio that brought you Juno and (500) Days of Summer, but truth be told it’s more like the recent romantic drama Like Crazy. It’s not as dramatic or depressing, but it’s more focused on the complicated characters and their troubled connections with each other. It substitutes the heavy drama for a more light approach that works as an afternoon rental, but not as a strong theatrical experience."
Kathryn Schroeder of FilmFracture writes: "There have been countless movies made about high school, the teenage angst that abounds, and the delinquent teenager who just does not fit in. Then on occasion a film of such content comes along that is different, that does not prescribe to the rudimentary storytelling that so many of these films succomb to over and over again. The Art of Getting By is refreshingly one of the rare films that looks at being a teenager with maturity and depth."
