Movie Review: 'Easy A' Earned an A... At Least in My Gradebook

Easy A movie poster, property of Screen Gems and Sony

Easy A AWESOME!

Since I saw the first trailer in theaters, I've wanted to see this movie.  I honestly don't even remember what movie I saw that day with friends, but I remembered this movie's preview.  I remember saying to Brian after I got home, "There's this movie Easy A coming out, and it looks really funny.  We should see it."

Brian replied, "Oh yeah?  What looks good about it?"

Well, the premise seemed interesting: virgin girl, through lies and rumors, is seen as the biggest slut in the school.  However, the main thing that hooked me from the get-go was the actress, Emma Stone.  "The girl just has this dry wit... everything she says just seems like it would be funny.  I think you'd like it."

And I was right.  The greatest decision the filmmakers made was to cast Emma Stone as Olive Penderghast.  Although she's been in quite a lot of movies, I find that she's still sort of an unknown.  Hollywood needs to get to know this girl.  She's very funny in this film, from her dry voice to her comical expressions, and she completely embodies the character.  Underneath all of her sarcastic joking and wit, her pain is always just visible below the surface.  She's at the same time a fragile teenager and an empowered woman.

What's interesting in this movie, is the deeper issue at heart:  women and sexuality.  Or rather, society's view on women who have sex.  It isn't good.  Near the beginning of the film Olive agrees to pretend to have sex with her friend Brandon (Dan Byrd) in order to improve his reputation.  You see, everyone in school thinks he's gay, and although he is, he's not quite ready to come out.  So they "get it on" in a bedroom at a party while all the drunken high school boys listen at the door.  Brandon emerges a man.  Olive emerges a slut.  The double standard is horrific, yet all too true.

The film also makes cheeky references to other high school movies - mostly John Hughes fair from the 80's - and has a big musical number near the end simply because Ferris Bueller did too.  All in all, I found this movie to be very funny and smart, cheesy and sophisticated, and something to be admired.

You get an A, Easy A.

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For Brian's review, click here.