Easy A

White Lies make for a Classy Movie
Easy A. PG-13, ***1/2, Emma Stone, Dan Byrd, Amanda Bynes, Patricia Clarkson, Stanley Tucci, Thomas Haden Church, Lisa Kudrow. Screen Gems film. Director Will Gluck. Length: 90 minutes.

This movie is about high school kids, supportive parents, the dangers of gossip and the horrors of inappropriate social networking. The supportive parents are very eccentric, but they love their daughter Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone). Olive’s mother (Patricia Clarkson) and her father (Stanlely Tucci) are weird but loving encouraging parents.
Olive attends Ojai High School in California where she is not very popular. She is kind, smart, and compassionate. Olive is an innocent girl who has feelings for people that are not liked by their peers.
Peer pressure and the desire to be liked by her classmates results in a white lie that actually makes her the blunt of ridicule. She tells her so called best friend that she had sex with a college student. The news travels and Olive finds herself the blunt of jokes and gossip. One lie leads to another. In actuality, she is a virgin.
The movie has sharp humor and an interesting story. Olive takes her distortion of the truth to help others in the school to become more accepted. It seems to work for others, but just makes for more heartache and pain for Olive.
Coincidentally her English class is studying The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The story in the book involves Hester Prynne who had an affair and is labeled an adulteress. Since the class is studying this book, Olive decides to take her scorn to the next level, so she cuts an A out of red cloth and wears it to school. The English teacher is Mr. Griffin (Thomas Haden Church). He is a sympathetic caring teacher who tries to help students overcome difficulty.
Olive must withstand the pain and agony of being accused of something she did not do. This little movie demonstrates the challenges of being a high school student when bullying, gossip, the Internet, and lies hurt individuals.
Much of what happens in the movie is straight out of the headlines in the newspapers and television. Fortunately, no one looses their life over the gossip and insensitive attitudes of others.
Emma Stone is a charismatic actress. Her humor and dialogue delivery are right on target. She is a very attractive and likable girl with a heart of gold.
When Olive realizes how hypocritical some people are, she begins to take her revenge. Ahh the sweet taste of revenge is simply telling the truth. She realizes how people will take advantage of others, but they are hypocritical, because they hide their sins.
When Olive has a chance to sing in front of the entire student body, she shocks people with her talent and showmanship. Singing Knock on Wood will liven up any crowd especially when she invites everyone to watch her on the Internet tell the truth and nothing but the truth.
“Easy A” covers lots of territory concerning taboos in society today. Texting, social networking, and misconduct show the dangers of the Internet to others. The Internet is a great source if used correctly. I believe in the positive facts, educational information, and helpful websites. However bitterness, lies, and hurtful comments have no place anywhere.
The movie has a message, and it delivers it with lots of comedy.
Terry Burns
Film Critic