• How to Deal (2003)

    For teenager Halley (Mandy Moore), love seems like an alien concept. Her mother, Lydia (Allison Janney), and father, Len (Peter Gallagher), are divorced. Lydia doesn't date, and Len is now seeing a younger woman. Halley's sister, Ashley (Mary Catherine Garrison), is about to get married and doesn't realize that her fiancé (Mackenzie Astin) is not the man of her dreams. But, when Halley meets edgy Macon (Trent Ford), she learns what love is really all about.

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How to Deal
45
metacriticBased on 29 Critics
82
Based on 26 Users

Release Date: July 18th, 2003

DVD Release Date: December 9th, 2003

PG-13 |1 hr 41 min

Plot Summary

For teenager Halley (Mandy Moore), love seems like an alien concept. Her mother, Lydia (Allison Janney), and father, Len (Peter Gallagher), are divorced. Lydia doesn't date, and Len is now seeing a younger woman. Halley's sister, Ashley (Mary Catherine Garrison), is about to get married and doesn't realize that her fiancé (Mackenzie Astin) is not the man of her dreams. But, when Halley meets edgy Macon (Trent Ford), she learns what love is really all about.

Cast: Mandy Moore, Allison Janney, Trent Ford, Alexandra Holden, Dylan Baker, Nina Foch, Mackenzie Astin, Connie Ray

Director: Clare Kilner

Genres: Romance , Comedy drama

Production Co: New Line Cinema

Distributors: New Line Cinema

Keywords: Relationships, Love, Marriage, Charming, Mother, Sister, Growing up, 2000s, Lighthearted, Touching, Amusing, Father, Family

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Ratings & Reviews

  • 63
    Carrie RickeyPhiladelphia Inquirer

    Isn't that good. But Moore is. show more

  • 75
    Chicago Tribune

    This is a movie whose title promises to show teenage viewers how to cope with the messed-up, grown-up world they are entering, not how to make it perfect -- or even how to make sense of it. show more

  • 75
    Chris KaltenbachBaltimore Sun

    There's pleasure to be had in a film that suggests teen life can be hard without necessarily being tragic. show more

See all critic reviews on metacritic.com