There are several films I have been looking forward to this fall, chronologically the first being Easy A, starring Emma Stone as Olive Pendgerghast, a Hester Prynne for the digital age. Going in with such high expectations often times can be a downer when the movie doesn't live up to those, but Easy A was exactly what I wanted, by evidence of my wild laughter in the theater. Rather than account what was right and wrong with the film and wax critically about it, I am going to give you a list of the reasons why you should see this hilarious piece of teen comedy.
1. Easy A relies heavily on '80s movies references to films like Say Anything, Can't Buy Me Love (bonus points for this because it's so often over looked because of the reign of '80s John Hughes flicks), and The Breakfast Club. Despite the Hughes-ian influences the film actually reminds me of a mix of Saved! and Mean Girls. How could you go wrong!?
2. Emma Stone is flat out amazing. Stone is what Lindsay Lohan could have been if she wouldn't have tripped and feel into the abyss she currently resides in. The difference is, Stone is much wittier, smarter and with a sharper sense of humor and comedic timing. As evident in Superbad, Zombieland, and now Easy A, Stone is the comedic savior we've been waiting.
3. I won't go into the specifics of the language used in this particular scene, but when Olive retorts back at a witchy classmate in English class, I was nearly rolling in the aisles laughing. Watch the movie, you'll know what I'm talking about.
4. Penn Badgley stars as Woodchuck Todd, the school's mascot and object of Olive's true desires. Badgley's character is a genuinely nice guy, and the only person that doesn't believe Olive's reputation as the school harlot. Todd is what Badgley's character Dan on Gossip Girl could have been if he wasn't on the Upper East Side.
5. After lying about losing her virginity, Olive does gay, nerdy and overweight guys a favor by saying she did this or that with them. They pay for her services in gift cards, and the occasional 20 percent off coupon to Bed Bath and Beyond. So classy.
6. In an ode to former red-headed teen queen leading lady Molly Ringwald, Olive fixes up her own clothes Pretty in Pink style. Only Olive adorns a scarlet red letter A to her corset tops and gym t-shirts. She's not a great seamstress though, so maybe she could use some pointers from Ringwald.
7. Most people probably don't recognize the name Dan Byrd, though he's made appearances on dozens of TV shows. Currently, he's on the under appreciated, poorly names, but extremely hilarious Cougar Town. In Easy A he plays Brandon, the gay boy who Olive pretends to sleep with so the other kids will get off his back.
8. With the help of Woodchuck Todd Olive performs a musical number for seemingly no reason, a la Ferris Bueller.
9. Even though in 11th grade I did read all of The Scarlet Letter for English class, not everyone did. For this and future generations we now have a more modern take on the classic story and with cut ins from the original movie, not from the Demi Moore remake, you might learn a thing or two.
10. Olive's parents are ridiculous, but provide comedic relief in her toughest reflective moments. Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson are exactly the kind of mellow, almost Hippie parents you wish you had, but don't actually exist in real life.
Easy A
★★★★1/2
Starring Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes.
Directed by Will Gluck
Rated PG-13
