The Catcher in the ‘Getting By’

Hollywood loves a slacker. It’s just something about them. Not caring about anything is sexy. It’s intriguing. It sells.

The same thing can be said about teenage romance comedies. Get a few good-looking kids on the screen, throw together a mish-mash script and you have a film that will at the very least, make its budget back.

But let’s not make the mistake of saying Gavin Wiesen’s “The Art of Getting By” is a prototypical piece of cinema designed to make cash. It’s not. It’s the total opposite.

At the same time, the elements that make this film worthwhile are a bit stereotypical; boy meets girl, boy loses girl and becomes a man to only get his babe back in an end that is totally linear, but tries not to be. We want to think the future of the characters of this film is uncertain, but it isn’t. It doesn’t ruin the fun though, but it does make it easier to pigeonhole it.

Regardless of that however, “The Art of Getting By” is a beautifully shot indie with staying power. It’s also a film that will grab you by the heart and make you long to relive your last days of high school, to retake those first unsure steps into life and love.

Nevertheless, it still feels derivative at times. Freddie Highmore’s performance as George is passionate, but is robbed out of the pages of “The Catcher in the Rye” at times. The only difference between the two is that there’s a reason behind George’s inability to focus. He’s far from a lost cause like Holden Caufield. An artist and old-soul, George sees the world in ways that many never will. But it’s not until much later in the film that we see he’s more than a cheaper, less charismatic version of Ferris Bueller. That’s when the film begins to show some depth and polish.

This change is brought upon by the cute performance of Emma Roberts as Sally. Although she’s his love interest and plays a tremendous role in the film, it feels as if she solely triggers George’s emotions; it ultimately makes her feel like a plot device. While the situations these two find themselves in aren’t out of the ordinary (cutting school together and talking about sex), they feel rushed and awkward, which robs the film of some of its sincerity.

After a while, the haphazard dialogue gets worse. The Velveeta levels rise to unsafe levels towards the end with Blair Underwood’s proclamation to young George that “anything is possible.”

Yep, like almost ruining a solid film with cheap cliche.

Luckily, for every dairy-induced phrase that is spewed, there’s a display of raw emotion by someone else that makes up for it. Jarlath Conroy’s portrayal of George’s art teacher is something that every film needs more of: heart. In spite of a lack of dialogue in the film he is able to display much-needed emotion and put this character in a context that can be understood- a petrified slacker with unlimited potential that needs a push. This is what makes the film enjoyable and not the over-written script that tries to force us to feel.

We do that all by ourselves.

Even after a sloppy “perfectly-tied” ending and some cheese in the script, the heart this film has can’t be stolen. Entertaining and witty, Highmore has escaped the chocolate factory and is clearly ready for bigger and better things. Beautiful and talented, Roberts, given a better script is capable of more. While this film won’t be what they’re ultimately remembered for, it should help get them to where they want to be.