Easy A (2010)

Directed by: Will Gluck

Starring: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Dan Byrd, Patricia Clarkson, Stanley Tucci, Lisa Kudrow, and Malcolm McDowell

Genre: Comedy / Teen Comedy

Rated: PG-13

Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone) has a big problem. What started as a lie to her best friend about losing her virginity to a fictional college guy, quickly turned into something potentially life-ruining. Her lie is overheard by the school’s resident Christian extremist, Marianne (Bynes) in the ladies room, and quickly spread around the school like wildfire. Olive begins getting a lot more attention, and she likes it.  When her friend Brandon asks her to pretend to have sex with him to save his social life, she agrees, but it soon backfires and she becomes known as the school slut. Now she has to figure out a way to let the entire school know the truth in order to save herself.

I thought this was a decent teen comedy. I’m not usually a fan of this genre, but this was a refreshing look into the teen world. For one thing, the protagonist is intelligent and witty. She is able to hold her own, despite the fact that her world is crumbling around her. She has strength and  a great sense of humor. I loved how some of the jokes were based on classic literature such as Huckleberry Finn and the writer, Sylvia Plath. It went along nicely with the fact that this is sort of a modern version of The Scarlett Letter. It was great to see a film that knows its subject matter and goes about displaying it intelligently. I also love how she references the classic John Hughes movies of the 80s, and then the film later pays homage to them. It recognizes the original teen comedies and then makes the formula its own.

The acting was good. Emma Stone lead the film with ease as our heroine, Olive. This is her story and she nails the role. Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson are absolutely hilarious as Olive’s permissive, “cool” parents. Amanda Bynes’ religious zealot character was believable, but still incredibly annoying. The rest of the actors fit their roles well, but the performances don’t really stand out. They all fit cohesively into the mix.

The dialogue was well-written and very  witty. The story, while not original, was well-put together and felt realistic. (Whether or not this would actually happen, has been subject for debate on many a message board.)

The movie is still flawed, however. Some of the characters were incredibly unlikable with no redeeming qualities, although, at the end of the film, I think we’re supposed to forgive them for their actions. Also, I didn’t feel a lot of narrative closure at the end of the film.

Overall: It was a decent entry into the teen comedy genre. It was witty, the jokes were intelligent – not all based on sex and bathroom humor as so many teen films are. Worth a watch, but I’m glad I waited for it to hit DVD/Netflix Instant Watch. It was fun, but it didn’t “wow” me.  Still, it will probably find its way into my collection at some point.

6.5 / 10