"How to Deal" is that rarity, a movie aimed at teens that doesn't insult their intelligence. Yes, it covers the usual subjects and conflicts. But its heroine, a 17-year-old caught up in a swirl of problems involving family, friends and herself, is genuinely trying to figure out "how to deal with it" instead of fleeing to the mall or popping open a Bud. Singer-actress Mandy Moore has an engaging personality and a calm steadiness, which draws empathy to her character, a young woman who so clearly sees other people's mistakes but is baffled by her own.

Moore's presence and a story focusing on women of different ages will draw a predominantly young female audience for this romantic drama, though the small-budget picture could get lost among the noisy summer action movies. It perhaps will perform best in ancillary markets.

Everywhere Halley Martin (Moore) looks, she sees messed-up romantic relationships. Her dad (Peter Gallagher), a soft-rock radio DJ of appalling tackiness, has just divorced her bitter mom (Allison Janney) to marry a much younger woman. Her stressed older sister (Mary Catherine Garrison) is prepping a wedding to a nice guy she fights with all the time. Her best friend (Alexandra Holden) is letting her first serious boyfriend sleep with her. Then a shaggy though amusing guy (Trent Ford) she never paid any attention to is paying a lot of attention to her, and she fights her feelings for him because she doesn't want to experience the pain and disappointment of those around her.

The script by veteran playwright Neena Beber is loosely based on two coming-of-age novels for young adults by Sarah Dessen. It is not afraid to be old-fashioned: Halley's suitor throws pebbles against her upstairs window at night to get her attention. (What? No e-mails or cell phones?) At times, though, the writing also feels contrived and the characters pro forma. Halley's dad, for instance, is such an over-the-top cad there is not much wiggle room when Beber tries to redeem him.

But the movie, directed economically by British helmer Clare Kilner, possesses an appealing off-centeredness. Grandma (Nina Foch, nice to see again on the big screen) enjoys smoking pot, and Mom often takes her anger with her ex out on household chores such as chopping vegetables and weeding the garden. Nor are the subplots always predictable. A tragedy occurs in one and its aftermath is unforeseen.

The film's major fault is that its peripheral characters stay on the periphery. The bride's new in-laws remain caricatures, and even the mother never really comes into focus. This is a family that always seems to talk past one another -- which perhaps is the movie's point. Acting styles vary with the more realistic performances coming from the younger actors, while older ones settle for broad characterizations.

Technical credits are adroit. Filmed in Toronto so it looks like Anywhere USA, "How to Deal" features music heavy on the strings and fluid cinematography by Eric Edwards. Kilner handles the large cast well, but the movie sticks too close to the surface to linger in theaters long.