Justifiably lambasted when it premiered at Sundance as “Homework,” Hollywood’s equivalent of the Witness Protection Program may have provided a new title to hide under. But there’s still no good reason to suffer through a half-baked little movie that proves indies can be every bit as boringly formulaic and artistically bankrupt as their big-budget brethren.
It doesn’t help that erstwhile child star Freddie Highmore (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Finding Neverland”) is considerably less than compelling as a whiny Manhattan prep school senior who isn’t turning in his class assignments. Classmate Emma Roberts tries to help, but our tiresome emo hero pushes her into the eager arms of a comic-book artist (Michael Angarano) he sort of idolizes.
“The Art of Getting By” is a slick-looking piece of work, but it’s the sort of movie where you’re always at least half an hour ahead of the plot. Writer-director Gavin Wiesen squanders the talents of a fine cast that includes Rita Wilson, Blair Underwood and Sam Robards, and especially the criminally underused Elizabeth Reaser as Roberts’ randy mom.