REVIEW: Easy A

MOVIE
Easy A

CAST
Emma Stone, Penn Badgley

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
September 17, 2010

DIRECTOR
Will Gluck

STUDIO
Screen Gems (Sony)

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 35 minutes

GRADE
A (96)

STARS
***1/2

REVIEW:

There are many different types of the well known movie genre "Comedy." These what I call, "genres within genres," can include "rom-coms," "dark comedies," and "raunch-fests." But Emma Stone, who is known for her supporting roles in movies like Zombieland and Superbad, with the help of director Will Gluck, makes the world's first "sexless sex comedy." This new genre is formed into Easy A, a smart, sexy, and often very funny movie filled with heart and talent throughout. It's still hard for me to decide who was the best character or which was the best part.

Olive Penderghast was just a regular unknown teenager with loving parents and a best friend who slightly cared for her. Her life was going peachy keen until she lies about spending a weekend with a college student and supposedly lost her virginity. In case you little kids out there don't know what virginity means and are reading this, don't ask about it until you reach middle school. So as the rumors spread, Olive becomes a bit more noticeable out of all of the social outcasts she used to be a part of. Coincidently, she is studying The Scarlet Letter in school, which is about a woman who has an affair with a minister and is sentenced to wear a red "A" for the remainder of her life. So Olive, knowing the trouble she'll get in, changes her entire look and becomes the school's "slut" and fakes "doing it" with a bunch of social outcasts. You can probably see the outcome of what's going to happen next.

As much as the movie looks like a raunchy sex teen comedy, Easy A is much more than that. I can admit that this movie is pretty raunchy with frequent mention of sex, but in between all of that, Easy A has a heart that can warm you up at times. Also, this movie does teach a lesson to teenagers out there: never attempt to spread rumors, because you never know where they can lead. This is a lesson that kids of all ages should think about, but this movie was just an add on to that message.

Another helping factor to the movie's magic is the casting. Everyone is casted perfectly, as if they were born to play those roles. For example, Amanda Bynes after a 3 year hiatus plays a Christian-strict clasmate that can be either be your best friend or worst enemy at times. Another set of actors I can say were also perfectly cast, and probably the funniest of the ensemble cast were Stanley Tucci and Particia Clarkson as Olive's mellow, cool, and very funny parents. But the one actor in this movie that shines brighter than the rest is none other than Ms. Emma Stone. After this movie, I can see a very teriffic career ahead of her coming really soon. She helps put the spark into the movie, which can really help to a movie. But she's not the type of "spark" Megan Fox was to the Transformers movies; she is an up and coming actress whom, whatever she's in adds something to the movie. Up and coming actors should't try to get into main leads so fast. This girl had to wait a few years to become a main lead. But it was well worth the wait. So I say to Ms. Stone, welcome to the show.

I must say, though that even though this was given a well deserved PG-13 rating, this movie pushes the boundaries at times with talk about sex, high schoolers pretending to have sex, etc. This isn't a kids movie one bit. My little sister really wanted to see this due to seeing the previews and commercials. I told my parents I'd go to see if it is inappropriate at all. As it turns out, it was even inappropriate for my age level, and I'm a mature 13 year old. So for those parents who want to take even their middle school kids, tell them to wait until high school when the candor in this movie is more understandable. So believe it or not, Easy A really is a high schoolers movie.

So overall, Easy A is a well made teen comedy for the teens and the teens at heart. This movie is basically an hour and a half long episode of Degrassi with more comedy, less drama, not to mention this movie is probably better than Degrassi in the first place. It's really hard for myself not to admire of how much people can do with low budgets and a slightly original storyline. After seeing this, I can't wait to read The Scarlett Letter in high school. But to those who want to read the book and know nothing, DON'T see this movie, since it spoils the entirety of the book. So all in all, once you see Easy A, I'll guess that some who read this will give Easy A and "Easy A."

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