“Whatever happened to Freddie Highmore?” I hear you ask. Yes, what did happen to theat adorable 21st century Charlie Bucket? After playing August Rush (in August Rush), Arthur Invisible (in Arthur and the Invisibles) and Jared Spiderwick Chronicle (in The Spiderwick Chronicles), I thought I’d be seeing the kid forever. Instead, I’ve seen Freddie Hide-more. Part of this is my fault as I pay attention to movies and not television, but part of what happened to Freddie Highmore is this. The Art of Getting By happened to Freddie Highmore.
Given the role of playing an 18-year-old teenager, then 18-year-old Freddie was somehow unconvincing, which is a pretty neat trick. As a result, the silver screen has largely shown this Charlie the bucket. But none of that is terribly relevant towards describing today’s disaffected teen scholastic adventure, The Art of Getting By.
George Zinavoy (Highmore) is a misanthrope. He’s picked the wrong year for it as if he can just meet the bare minimum, he can graduate high school. Every time work or paying attention comes up, however, George is elsewhere. For a misanthrope, he’s neither bitter nor thrill-seeking. In fact, he’s docile and mild-mannered as if he worked a day job at the Daily Planet. I think this is why the performance is so off-putting. The narrative describes a teen in trouble; the action describes a teen of complacency. Which is it, pal?
Of course, every other teen film of the decade featured Emma Roberts obliquely smoking on a rooftop. Hence, we can’t be terribly surprised when George exhibits “frustration” and escalates to the roof for alone time only to find Sally (Roberts). Oh, this is our love story, is it? Well, let’s get to it, then. This is where a better screenplay would have been nice because this one insisted upon keeping George a misanthrope even when presented with Emma Roberts.
George does have a talent for drawing, which is a mixed bag; ever since Some Kind of Wonderful I’ve been asking why we should necessarily care more for teens with artistic talent than those who bother putting time into grades. Perhaps this is the point, The Art of Getting By is about a boy trying to Get By with his Art and nothing else. Unfortunately, there just aren’t a whole lot of avenues for misanthropes with bad grades, nice as this one might be.
The Art of Getting By is kind of a nothing film. It doesn’t have much to say; it’s hero is both charismatic and off-putting at the same time, and he attracts a girl who is too good for him so the film doesn’t let their relationship go anywhere. Emma Roberts is almost certainly better off with any of the clinically depressed or cancer gigs she’ll attract in films to come. So basically, this movie is like a getting a guy with a passive disinterest in life to develop a passive interest in life. I would say Freddie Highmore was miscast, but I can’t believe anyone else would make this plot into a winner, either.
There’s that kid who once played Charlie Bucket
Hangs out in a school near Nantucket
He draws toons in brief
To deal with with “grief”
Sorry, Charlie, this film can just suck it
Rated PG-13, 83 Minutes
Director: Gavin Wiesen
Writer: Gavin Wiesen
Genre: Teen
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Teens who reflect warmly on their bleak dispositions
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: The sensible
