Movie Review: Easy A Minus
By Megan Carroll
The only things that deserves an “Easy A” in this film are Emma Stone, Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson’s performances in this quirky teen comedy. Easy A is reminiscent of films like Say Anything, Can’t Buy Me Love or any John Hughes film ever made. The unfortunate thing is Easy A totally missed the cohesive feel and purpose those other films had in abundance.
Stone plays Olive, who inadvertently finds herself caught up in the high school rumor mill. Olive never knew that one lie about making it with a community college guy would change her social status and give her the power to help or truly hurt others in her life. As we all know, though, one lie leads to another and soon Brandon (Don Byrd), a gay student, persuades Olive to say she had sex with him so that people would stop bullying him. After this move, Olive begins her own faux-virginity ring because all the guys want to brag about their supposed sexual exploits with her. Olive is the narrator of her own story and deals with all of her new found attention by diving head first into the deep end; or is it head first into a Victoria Secrets catalog? Adding a new corset-concentrated wardrobe to her new found popularity, she also embroiders a red A to her clothing inspired by Hester Prynne from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.
Of course, all the best laid plans have a way of turning on you and soon Olive finds herself the most hated person in school. Being the town’s fake tramp did not play out as she thought and she soon finds herself devising a plan to make it all right.
I had consistent struggles with this film. We are supposed to believe that the drop dead gorgeous Stone is the one girl to whom no one pays attention? That is a stretch. Then we are supposed to believe that it would be so scandalous to discover that a high-school girl had sex? Really?!? But as quickly as those thoughts creep into my mind, Stone’ performance and the quick-witted writing whisks me away again into laughter. The fast paced banter back and forth, especially between Stone, Tucci and Clarkson, made me feel like I was watching a long episode of the Gilmore Girls, and that superb writing and comedic timing is what kept the movie afloat. Compared to any teen film made in the 80’s or by John Hughes, this film feels void of true heart. I feel bad for this generation, that this is their inadequate version of a true teen movie. Easy A is an easy watch and well written, but I just don’t know how long it will stick with me.
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