Rating: 
Summary: Lessons to be learned
Review: I give this movie 4 stars, but it gets the 5th for the amount of special features included on the DVD.
The story itself may seem 'unbelievable' and one-dimensional to some, but I disagree. I think it gives a pretty accurate portrayal of what many teens go through in their lives these days.
Surprisingly enough, this movie is not solely centered on the romance between Mandy Moore (Halley) and Trent Ford (Macon). In fact, that part of the story is pretty small, but it does run throughout the film. Macon's character is able to add a lot to the movie for comedic effect; as do some others throughout the story (Halley's pot-smoking grandmother, for example). There seems to be a perfect balance between comedy and more serious topics (which are handled well).
Special features include 4 deleted/extended (or alternate) scenes; which can be watched with or without commentary to explain them. There are also 4 featurettes included on the DVD-- one about Mandy Moore, one about Trent Ford, one about director Clare Kilner, and a fairly long one about the history of young adult literature. I found them all to be very interesting, but the literature one would probably bore most people.
Other features include 2 music videos, (Skye Sweetnam's "Billy S.", and Liz Phair's "Why Can't I") the theatrical trailer, commentary for the film, and even some special DVD-ROM bonus content.
All in all, it's a very good DVD.
Think what you want about the acting or the storyline, but the movie is very good for teens who may not know how to deal with the problems they're having on the brink of adulthood.
Rating: 
Summary: Offensive Anti-Male Propaganda
Review: This is a ridiculously overheated attempt to cast all guys in the same unflattering light. The reason I find it offensive, it is aimed at teenage girls and really provides them with a distorted view of men. Each male character in this movie is presented as a jerk, a wimp, a loser, etc, etc. Don't believe it, there are decent guys in the world.On top of all that, the movie has no real narrative center. The main character (Mandy Moore) basically reacts to everyone else around her. We never get a feel for who she is, or why we should relate to her in any way. The side characters, while more interesting, are presented so haphazardly that they aren't well-developed either. I'd give it one star, but Mandy Moore is cute and fun to watch.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not that good.
Review: I expected this movie to be as good as A Walk to Remember. I was definatley wrong. Like others have said, they crammed too much into the movie. I liked the books better. I really only went to see Mandy Moore. I think she is a great actress and she should do better roles. I felt like the movie really didn't have a conclusion. Hally and Macon got together so fast, it was unrealistic. In many ways you can tell that this movie was rushed. It would have been better if they spent more time one it. I recommend renting before buying.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: I thought this was an amazing movie. But, I think this is one of those movies that you either love, or you hate. Mandy Moore kicks ass. She's hot and she is a great actor. Macon is alright. I thought this movie was different than most romantic movies. It had a little something else. Even me, being a guy, liked this chic-flick movie. I would definatly recomend buying this on DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: One dimensional
Review: I must first say that maybe one reason I didn't like this movie is because I hadn't even planned on seeing it, but I still think I would have hated it.
How to Deal is a movie constantly plagued by the over-use of teenage drama cliches, unrealistic plot developments, and one-dimensional (and unbelievable) characters.
One character for example is the grandmother. We find out somewhere near the middle of the movie that the grandmother is addicted to Marijuana. Big deal? Apparently not. This part of the movie plays out almost like a parody. Moore's character walks into the bathroom to find her grandmother smoking a joint and all her mother can say is "grandma, are you smoking the reefer again?" THAT'S ALL. Every single plot development comes up and is resolved almost immediately. No development of any plot elements or characters.
As many other reviews have stated, one major problem is that the writers tried to cram every issue a teen might face into an under two-hour-long movie. Not a good idea.
Mandy Moore is all that saved this movie. If it had not been for her, I would've walked out.
If you are both a HUGE Mandy Moore fan and a big fan of sappy chick-flick-teen-drama stories, then you will probably love this movie. If you are a fan of plot development and multi-dimensional characters, save yourself the trouble and don't even bother.
Rating:
Summary: Not Bad
Review: A good film, but Macon and Halley's relationship is rushed, one Moment tHeir meeting as distant aquaintance, the next scene, their making out, which made me more intrested in her sister'S REALTIONSHIP.
Rating:
Summary: Touching, Funny, with a small hint of sexy.
Review: In How To Deal, Haley (Mandy Moore) lives with her mom, who is devorcing her husband and older sister, who is about to get married. A touching story of how she deals when she unexspectantly falls in love. Great movie and book.
Rating:
Summary: Four and a half stars
Review: Mandy Moore shines as Haley - a teenage girl who has been through the worst year imaginable. After watching her parents go through a divorce, she swears off falling in love forever. So, naturally, she meets the greatest guy in movieland who does everything to try to convince her that her preconceived notions of love are all wrong.
It's a really good, heartwarming, charming story. If you don't already love Mandy Moore, you will after watching this movie. She's so cute, so honest, and a really great actress. It's a good story with a great cast. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: So-So
Review: I absolutely love Mandy Moore, but this movie just did not do it for me -- that is, only at the beginning of the movie. I had a really hard time sitting through it because it moved so slow. Eventually, it got a little more interesting and I managed to complete the movie. If you are a huge Mandy Moore fan, you might love this movie. If you are a mushy, romantic-type of person, you will very much love this movie.
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Movie!
Review: This movie is one of my favorites! Mandy Moore did a great job. I read the two books it's based on before hand and I have to say I like the books better (Someone Like being my favorite of the two), and I was a little skeptical on how the movie would turn out, being that both books have absolutely nothing in common. But it was a lot better than I thought it would be. At sometimes its was a little jam packed with problems, but it was still great! I recommend reading the books first. If you watch the movie first, the book won't give off as much of a dramatic feel as it could because you already know what's going to happen. Other than that, go buy the movie!
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