The Art of Getting By

George Zinavoy is a bright but withdrawn high school senior who has coasted through his school years without ever doing real work. Art is the one subject that holds his attention, yet even there he mostly doodles instead of completing assignments. With graduation approaching, he keeps to himself and shows little interest in the usual rituals of senior year. His situation changes when he takes the blame for Sally, a popular classmate caught smoking on the school roof. Sally, who hides her own unhappiness behind her social standing, responds by bringing him into her world of parties, museum visits and long walks around the city. What begins as friendship between two people who recognize something similar in each other becomes more complicated as feelings develop.

The film is a drama with romantic elements, released in 2011 and running 83 minutes. It was written and directed by Gavin Wiesen, marking his first feature as director; he went on to direct All Nighter in 2017 and Spin the Bottle in 2024. Freddie Highmore plays George and Emma Roberts plays Sally, with supporting turns from Michael Angarano, Elizabeth Reaser, Alicia Silverstone and Sasha Spielberg.

Reception was modest. The film earned about 2 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.5 out of 10 from roughly 62,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.6 out of 10 from about 1,380 votes. A critics' rating of 4.4 out of 10 from 110 reviews places professional notices well below the audience scores.