So, I honestly loved this movie. Easy A is "easily" the best movie of its class since Lindsay Lohan's Mean Girls. An enjoyable, hilarious movie-going experience coupled with smartly presented insights into an American high school.
This film stars Emma Stone (Superbad, Zombieland). If you haven't had the pleasure of seeing Stone in something else, this film is a fantastic starter. Though she doesn't have too much experience, Stone expertly characterizes herself as Olive Penderghast, the film's very likable heroine, whose reputation is exalted and subsequently trashed thanks to a little-white-lie-turned-rumor about her losing her virginity. Next thing Olive knows, she's being sought out by the school's most unfortunate male students who offer to pay her to tell people she cashed their V-cards.
The rest of the cast is full of "oh-my-gosh-where-have-I-seen-him/her-before" actors, which, for me, made the movie experience more enjoyable. Alyson Michalka (Disney Channel's Phil of the Future) plays Olive's BFF; Dan Byrd (TV's Cougar Town) portrays Olive's gateway vanishing virginity act; Amanda Bynes (TV's The Amanda Show, She's The Man) plays the school's venomous, judgmental Christian crusader (grr...more on this later); Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada) is Olive's father; Penn Badgley (TV's Gossip Girl) plays the quirky love interest; Thomas Haden Church (Spider-Man 3, Sideways) portrays Olive's favorite English teacher and Lisa Kudrow (TV's Friends) is the school's guidance counselor. This last one drew a delighted smile from me in the theater...I love me some Friends.
The story unfurls very easily. Nothing feels forced and everything feels so well-paced and thought-out. The humor along the way is executed with a class and wit we haven't seen in a long while.
As a high school movie, Easy A will amuse it's target of 14-18 year-olds without much effort. Those who have lived long enough to appreciate the different generations of high school movies, will be able to see the subtle social commentary within the film and reflect on it.
The film addresses that age-old question: "Why can girls have sex without being called sluts?"
It's a valid issue. And one Easy A chooses to poke fun at via Nathaniel Hawthorne's high school English class standard, The Scarlett Letter. Olive takes a cue from Hester Prynne: in response to all the finger-pointing and rumor-mongering about her fake trysts, she decides to give the public what they want and begins wearing a red "A" on all her clothes. Of course, what starts out as a funny joke quickly turns into an uncontrollable destruction of all her close relationships (and in one case, a marriage).
With such an issue as the main focus, one doesn't go into Easy A without expecting sex to be front and central, unless one is exceptionally naive.
Olive's initial fake romp to help out a friend's reputation is only the beginning of a lot of frank sexual candor throughout the movie. Olive also revamps her wardrobe from conservative-yet-stylish to downright slutty, complete with corsets and stilettos. Thankfully, no nudity is seen. However, parents be cautioned.
If I had one compliant about this movie, it would be how the Christians are portrayed. With Amanda Bynes as their leader, I expected a charicature, but what I saw was a bit unsettling. These characters are seen as the villains of the film; as issue-buriers, closeted sluts, and pious pigs. This made me incredibly sad. Is this really how the greater culture sees us?
This is made worse when Olive actually seeks out help from a pastor. He ends up just being a self-righteous jerk to her. Sadly, every single Christian character outright refuses to help Olive when she recognizes she needs it.
But even with all this negative publicity, I think Christians (and young people in general) can walk away from this movie strengthened. Christians can use the movie to see how to be counter-cultural (camp shout-out!) and stand out against the modern world's assumption of Christianity.
Unlike so many of its compatriots, Easy A is not a tale of losing one's virginity, but rather the opposite. Olive is on a quest to restore her virginity (which, in point of fact, she never physically lost) and validate herself in her own terms, not the terms of her peers. Young people can see this and understand that once you've made your bed, you must lie in it. This film gives great insight into the aftermath of a young person becoming sexually active and what it can do to your relationships. The baggage and destructive traits Olive takes on in the film are prime examples (albeit extreme ones) of what can come from doing it the wrong way and what happens after. The right way is something everyone must turn to God for. The Bible gives many thoughts on the subject- whether you like them or not, they're not going anywhere.
In this situation, Olive was lucky enough to get hers back, but in reality, that can't happen. So I guess my main point is this: youth are bombarded daily with movies, shows, songs, and even books that scream at them to cash in the big V. Easy A is a refreshing breath into popular culture that looks at the morning after and cautions kids to reconsider. If only the Christian characters were this helpful...
All in all, this movie is a good one. Full of great comedic performances, a really fun soundtrack, and a lesson I didn't see coming, Easy A is a future pop culture lesson waiting to be written.
Go see it and tell me what you think!
- Danul
