Easy A (2010) PG13 - 3½ Stars

Here's a movie I thought would be another mindless teen comedy. Pleasantly surprised, and not just a chick flick, it's a very cute story on how rumors get started. If I gave 3 3/4 stars, I'd give this an extra 1/4 point just for it's charm and creativity. Embracing high school life with it's awkwardness and diversity, Emma Stone plays the perfect goodie two shoes gone bad. I just love her parents attitude. Lisa Kudrow brings her quirky persona to the guidance office while Amanda Bynes gives a good annoying performance with her pretentious religious attitude. Easy A takes a simple girl next door and brands her with the modern day Scarlet letter. She goes from the girl no one notices to the girl everyone is talking about. Why not play the part, right?

Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone), is a smart student with good grades and a loving open minded relationship with her parents Dill(Stanley Tucci), and Rosemary (Patricia Clarkson). But she's not real popular with the opposite sex and spends most of her weekends at home. Her best friend Rhiannon (Aly Michalka), is always ragging at her for not wanting to go out so Olive concocts a juicy story of spending the weekend with an imaginary man. Marianne (Amanda Bynes), the schools cheer leader for religion, happens to be in the bathroom as Olive tells Rhiannon. She instantly convicts Olive for her lucrative behavior, labeling her a promiscuous. Olive notices the next day at school, everyone is staring at her and boys are approaching her. Since this rumor has already condemned her, Olive decides to give them something to really talk about.

She starts acting out, landing her self in detention where she meets Brandon's (Dan Byrd), who's also in detention for fighting. Brandon is gay and picked up regularly so Olive helps his reputation out by pretending to sleep with him at a party where everyone could hear. Brandon is now the man on campus and Olive is the girl everyone wants to know. She attaches deep blood red A's to the front of her clothing to signify the way it feels to be labeled. Olive's English teacher, Mr. Griffith (Thomas Haden Church), tries to explain she is receiving the wrong kind of attention and sends her to see his wife (Lisa Kudrow), the guidance counselor but once this ball starts rolling, it's hard to make it stop. Olive must find a way to redeem her reputation while still making her point.

Olive Bridge Entertainment, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Releasing
Director: Will Gluck
Writer: Bert V. Royal
Producers: Will Gluck, Zanne Devine

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