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One of the box office success stories (though on a small scale) for 2002 was the wholesomely good A Walk to Remember, starring acting newcomer Mandy Moore. That film was considered to be high quality, clean entertainment for teens, and the actress looks to be continuing in that same vein with her upcoming How to Deal, to be released by New Line Cinema.

The screenplay for the film is based on two popular novels by author Sarah Dessen, who maintains an online journal that seems to be followed by a fairly devoted group of fans. The two books, Someone Like You and That Summer, have a different set of characters, but the stories will nonetheless be combined for one tale about a teenage girl who falls in love for the first time.

Moore will play a young girl named Halley, who has seen a lot of circumstances where love goes terribly wrong. Her parents (played by Peter Gallagher and Allison Janney) have divorced, while her best friend Scarlett has wound up in some unfortunate circumstances of her own. Halley comes to the conclusion that true love doesn't actually exist, but she questions that judgment after she meets the perfect guy.

How to Deal seems destined for a very similar box office performance to that of A Walk to Remember, particularly since the same combination of star appeal and author fanbase exists for both films. It should be a fine option for young people who don't necessarily go in for toilet humor and sex comedies. (Kim Hollis/BOP)

Vital statistics for How to Deal Main Cast Mandy Moore, Allison Janney Supporting Cast Alexandra Holden, Peter Gallagher, Dylan Baker, MacKenzie Astin, Trent Ford Director Clare Kilner Screenwriter Neena Beber Distributor New Line Cinema Trailer Click Here for Trailer Official Site http://www.howtodealmovie.com/ Rating PG-13 Running Time 101 minutes Screen Count 2,319 Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture

Comparison films for How to Deal
Title	Date	Opening	Adjusted Opening	Screens	PSA	Adj PSA	Total BO	Adjusted Total	Mult
Crossroads	2/15/02	17.01	17.68	2380	7149.00	7149.0	37.19	38.66	2.19
Walk To Remember, A	1/25/02	12.18	12.66	2411	5051.00	5051.0	41.23	42.86	3.39
Where the Heart Is	4/28/00	8.29	9.27	2437	3402.00	3660.8	33.65	37.64	4.06
October Sky	2/19/99	5.91	7.04	1495	3953.00	4513.3	32.48	38.70	5.50
My Dog Skip	3/3/00	5.86	6.55	2331	2514.00	2705.2	34.10	38.14	5.70
Tuck Everlasting	10/11/02	5.27	5.47	1185	4446.00	4446.0	19.16	19.92	3.64
Moonlight Mile	10/4/02	1.88	1.95	434	4338.00	4338.0	6.79	7.05	3.37