How to Deal (2003)

28% of critics liked it
(93 reviews)
63% of users liked it
(48,004 ratings)

Teen pop star Mandy Moore stars in the romantic comedy How to Deal. Directed by British filmmaker Clare Kilner, the script is based on two of author Sarah Dessen's popular teen novels: Someone Like You and That Summer. Halley (Moore) is a teenager trying to make sense of the faltering romantic… More Teen pop star Mandy Moore stars in the romantic comedy How to Deal. Directed by British filmmaker Clare Kilner, the script is based on two of author Sarah Dessen's popular teen novels: Someone Like You and That Summer. Halley (Moore) is a teenager trying to make sense of the faltering romantic relationships within her immediate social sphere. Her mother, Lydia (Allison Janney), can't seem get a date, while her father (Peter Gallagher) is getting remarried to a woman that nobody seems to like. Halley's wedding-obsessed sister, Ashley (Mary Catherine Garrison), is engaged to Lewis (MacKenzie Astin), a guy that is completely wrong for her. Meanwhile, bad boy Macon Forrester (Trent Ford) won't leave Halley alone. Just when she decides to become cynical about love because of all the romantic disappointments around her, a troubled situation involving her best friend Scarlett (Alexandra Holden) changes her outlook. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 42 min.
Directed By: Clare Kilner
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Jul 18, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Jun 1, 2004
Studio: New Line Cinema

Critic Reviews

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
The pop diva goes down with the bubbles in this hopelessly shallow soap opera.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
I've seen a lot of dumb teen romances in the last couple years, but How to Deal, is a welcome exception.
A.O. Scott, New York Times
After a while the bad lighting, graceless editing, sluggish dialogue and self-conscious performances begin to seem like marks of authenticity, as if the movie had been made not just for and about teenagers, but by them.
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com
Painless to watch, but it's marred by some significant flaws.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
A bad, unimaginative story posing pretentiously as the very opposite.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
Another soundtrack-driven, disposable, not entirely objectionable teen movie.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Even Moore fans may find this hard to deal with.
Mark Collette, Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas)
Fails to acknowledge the real problems teenagers face.
Kurt Dahlke, Apollo Guide
The girlies get a bevy of extras, including a cast/ director commentary track, four deleted scenes, and three short featurettes.
Kurt Dahlke, Apollo Guide
Will enthral pre-teen chippies with its wholesome, marshmallow-peep-sweet vacuous-ness.
Daniel M. Kimmel, Worcester Telegram & Gazette
[T]his is a movie that teenage girls -- and nearly no one else -- should enjoy.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
"Love is a big scary concept," she says. Indeed Halley, now can you please pass some of that ganja your funny little grandmother is smoking?
Mark Palermo, Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
In delivering its message of teen perseverence, How to Deal piles on "issues" without finding a reasonable connective narrative.
Jason Anderson, eye WEEKLY
Overcrowded with characters and subplots, the film gives short shrift to the parts that should matter.
Todd Gilchrist, FilmStew.com
How To Deal eventually folds because it stacks its deck against a true belief in the possibility of love. . .
Eugene Novikov, Film Blather
Would probably hold a special place in my heart regardless, due to the fact that it portrays a Star Wars geek as actually desirable, but this is a good movie by any standard.
Mark Dujsik, Mark Reviews Movies
How to Deal is about dealing, I guess; I mean, that's what the title says after all.

Read all 17 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Red L

I guess this is a chick flick, but I enjoyed it. Poor Halley suffers through her parents getting divorced, her best friend getting pregnant, her grandmother moving in - all at the age of 17. Because of all these failed relationships, she decides no love affairs for her, but of… More
I guess this is a chick flick, but I enjoyed it. Poor Halley suffers through her parents getting divorced, her best friend getting pregnant, her grandmother moving in - all at the age of 17. Because of all these failed relationships, she decides no love affairs for her, but of course fate has another plan for her.
Jennifer X

Uhhhh, Mandy Moore is cute with short hair.
Rachel F

Loved it. It was really good and funny.
Bobby H

This movies actually pretty funny for a chick-flick. You've got to love the weed smoking grandma in this. Seriously! It's worth a watch.
Leigh R

Cute.
Dannielle A

I didn't like this story line. I know Mandy Moore could do a lot better picking movies, but she does act well in this one.
Joseph E

The problem is learning 'How to Deal" with mandy Moore and her problem with trying to overact, and how she can nver bring that emotion required for that specific scene.
Yinalí R

Very real and intelligent.
Sunil J

Could have had a little more charm but Mandy Moore was likeable.
Sarah B

I was interested in the central relationship, but they mucked about with it so much, so badly and so unconvincingly I just switched off. The premise was also terrible.