Easy A Gets an "A"

Easy A is the story about a girl named Olive (played by Emma Stone) who deals with a rumor about herself the best way possible, by owning it! Paralleling Hester Prynne's life in "The Scarlet Letter", Olive takes on the false allegations against her by becoming the harlot everyone says she is, and uses it to her advantage.

Olive's rival at school is Marianne (played by Amanda Bynes) who exacerbates these rumors about Olive in the most vicious ways possible. Easy A accurately describes the harsh reality of the high school rumor mill, and the persistence of a rumor despite the obvious truth. This movie throws the actors into characters that they would not normally portray. For instance Alyson Michalka plays the foul mouthed best friend to Olive, when the audience knows her from her career with Disney. One of the unique features of this teen-based movie is that it demands a lot from the audience. Its off-the-cuff references and quick but witty banter between characters would be easily lost to a passive viewer, and it really challenges audiences of every age to know their pop culture.

 Some good things to know before seeing this movie are:

• 80's teen movies. This movie draws heavily on this generation of teen movies, especially John Hughes films and Can't Buy Me Love with Patrick Dempsey. Easy A is like a reimagining of Can't Buy Me Love in that it shows the female side of a deal made involving social gains, but has a very real and raw twist at the end.
• Judy Blume Books. This author of many socially controversial books is referenced during the film and the theatrical trailer. She is important because she addresses the topic of sex in a similar way as to the movie in many of her novels.
• Be prepared for very hard language and intense situations dealing with the subject of sex and the consequences there of.

Despite a lot of recent teen movies, Easy A shows a very serious and very true to life record of events, steeped in satirical humor. This story is not just a tale with a steady rise in conflict; it is an ongoing series of up's and downs for many characters all at once, not just the main one.  All around Easy A is an excellent movie even if it is demanding to watch. In theaters September 17th.