Believing the quote that you are born alone, die alone and everything else is an illusion, George doesn't see the point of life, school, or homework. He then is befriended by Sally, a popular but complicated girl who recognizes in him a kindred spirit.
For anyone not in a similar state of age-related solipsism - i.e., anyone outside the 16- to 25-year-old age bracket - this is more than a little annoying.
There are several lessons to be learned in "The Art of Getting By," though all arrive too late to save this well-meaning but dreadfully executed movie.
The vapidity of The Art of Getting By goes beyond the anthill-sized dramatic stakes. The dialogue, while occasionally epigrammatic, is tone-deaf to individual speech rhythms.
