Easy A (2010) User Reviews (432)

A very easy film to like

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 2 October 2011]

What drew me to this film were the cast, on paper this was a great cast capable of great performances. And that's exactly the case watching Easy A. While there is nothing groundbreaking and while the cast drew me in initially the concept was a kind that was kind of interesting but could've gone either way.

That said, Easy A is lushly filmed with the cinematography and colour palette simply lovely. There is also a sparkling score, a good well-paced story, strong direction and a likable assortment of characters.

The two components of Easy A that really worked were the script and the cast. The script is not only fresh, but very funny too. In the cast also, I don't think there was a single cast member I didn't like, the first time in a film in a good while that's happened.

Emma Stone is truly charming and a breath of fresh air, while Amanda Byrnes with her witty humour is a hoot. Stanley Tucci gives one of his better performances in recent years and Patricia Clarkson is equally delightful. Thomas Haden Church is also hilarious, and it was really nice to see Malcolm McDowell again.

Overall, a funny and charming film and easy to like. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I love this movie so much!

[UniqueParticle · 10/10 · 18 March 2019]

Very good morals involved; this is the type of rom-com that truly warms your heart in the best way possible. It inspires me & makes me miss social interactions/high school even though it was rough for me at times.

Anyway Emma Stone can really lead a movie in a magical way. I'm glad she's been nominated/won for major awards!

Fun, hip and goofy modern comedy and '80s comedy homage

[Movie_Muse_Reviews · 8/10 · 18 September 2010]

Through much of the beginning of "Easy A," you have to find all the '80s teen comedy homages fishy. Maybe director Will Gluck and Burt V. Royal are trying to dress up a classic Hughesian formula with modern banter and social media references. Then, somewhere near the halfway point, comes the admission. Olive, played by up-and-comer Emma Stone, confesses she wants her life to have a "Sixteen Candles" or "Breakfast Club" or "Say Anything" moment. Ah, and suddenly this is homage territory -- much better. Like the rest of this hip, fun and surprisingly touching comedy, any time "Easy A" wanders down the path of cliché, a killer line or great scene nullifies it.

It all begins and ends with Stone, who can do a little bit of everything, which ought to ensure her a long career. She can do typical teen comedy lead autopilot/earn our sympathy, she can command the improvisation-like tangential dry humor that has defined the comedies of the last five or so years and she can be the sensitive, fragile Molly Ringwald type. Nothing feels forced or unnatural in her performance. She seems to be having fun and milking to goofy nature of Royal's script.

More importantly, the reason "Easy A" is so good is because it never stops being about Olive's story. A high school nobody, Olive lets her best friend (Alyson Michalka) pressure her into lying about losing her virginity. The simple lie gets overheard by the super-Christian Miss Everybody (Amanda Bynes) and suddenly everyone sees Olive differently, or sees her period. After deciding to embrace the attention as school slut (the story reaches here a bit), Olive then starts to pretend to have sex with guys in need of a reputation boost, which consequently sullies her own.

The only real problem with "Easy A" is that there's no good reason to believe Stone was this unattractive nobody given her actual attractiveness and the friends she has -- and we're supposed to believe that suddenly everyone is interested in her because she lost her virginity. Gluck tries to spin this into a positive by making it almost comical how everyone is staring at her or waiting in a perfect line for her to come down the hall, but it's the one scratch in this gem -- take it or leave it. The script and humor and situations that arise eventually more than make up for this road bump.

Gluck's filmmaking is hip and common of modern comedy while the writing is clever and spontaneous. For no logical reason, a scene when Olive's gay friend Brandon (the one she helps first) comes over, Stone and Patricia Clarkson, who plays her mother, do this quick exchange of pretending they're in the Old South and a boy has come over and asked for her. Though completely random and a bit forced, they actually work well at making the characters seem more organic, which is the challenge of most comedies, especially those made today.

Clarkson and Stanley Tucci as the parents are the comic relief. When was the last time parents in a teen comedy were genuine comic relief? They walk a fine line between wacko and genuinely caring and loving parents, but it totally works. Two more originally funny parents haven't existed on film before. Characters such as the aforementioned best friend Rhiannon and Bynes' are more by-the-book as far as being teen comedy stencils, but like every other small flaw with the film, they're covered up by all the multi-dimesional and more interesting ones. Worthy of mention are school faculty members played by Thomas Haden Church, Lisa Kudrow and Malcolm MacDowell.

Most intriguing of all is how the film actually succeeds at finding moments of genuine drama. A few well-thought-out and creative plot twists introduce an intelligence seemingly foreign to these kinds of comedies. The key once again comes from staying focused on Olive's story. The film is structured as a retelling with narration from Olive, so it's told in a reflective manner, which ultimately keeps it from veering off course. It's about Olive wrestling with this lie and her feelings about how she wants to be perceived, along with her understandable pity for the boys who request her "services." High school's rough and reputation seems to be everything. Some elements of the high-school experience in "Easy A" might be way off, but that's dead on.

Although it lacks the intangible innocence of the numerous '80s comedies it references, "Easy A" has a unique and lively spirit of its own and is the best teen comedy (at least featuring a female, finally!) in years. More importantly, it shows that the modern teenage sense of humor and good storytelling don't have to be mutually exclusive.

~Steven C

A very funny comedy with slightly skewed morals

[KnightsofNi11 · 7/10 · 26 November 2010]

It's always nice to see a comedy that doesn't meander around the same stupid gags insulting my intelligence time and time again. I was very happy to see a different kind of teen comedy that was much more sophisticated than the films it branches from and even parodies in many creative ways. Easy A is about a typical high school girl named Olive (Emma Stone). Olive has never been popular and has never really been noticed by anyone, and I don't see why considering Emma Stone is absolutely beautiful but that's beside the point. Anyway, Olive, without thinking things through, starts a little white lie about losing her virginity. This lie spreads to the rumor mill and spreads throughout the whole school ridiculously fast, which is one of the bigger themes of this movie that focuses on a lot of the necessary flaws of high school, one of the most incessantly emotional periods of our lives. Obviously, the rumor quickly gets out of hand and Olive's reputation as the school slut grows. Instead of backing down here, Olive exploits the rumor mill for her own social and financial gain, as guys pay her to pretend to have sex with her. The themes and criticisms of high school life in this film are valid, but thankfully they aren't overbearing and the entire movie becomes a laugh out loud blast.

First off, the dialouge of Easy A is surprisingly great for a film set around these kinds of teenage archetypes. It is much more intelligent sophisticated than the typical pandering you hear coming out of the mouths of teenagers. It adds a whole new level of respect to the film that keeps it very lively and fresh. But the dialouge isn't cocky, thankfully, and I never got the sense the writer was trying boast his wide vocabulary. He went a totally different route, and used it to the advantage of more characterization. Olive is much smarter than her peers and her language reflects that. There are plenty of other characters in the film that obviously don't come close to her sophisticated insight into the world and are the true bimbos and airheads. Their dialouge is much more typical of a teenager, and it reflects a very distinct level of characterization that had hilarious results. Needless to say I felt much smarter watching this film than some of the other crap I've subjected myself to in recent years.

Easy A also has a great variety of characters. Olive is already a very fun character who leads the story perfectly, keeping it interesting all the way through. But then there are other characters like Amanda Bynes as Marianne, the Christian nut job of the school. It's obvious to see where a person who boasts about premarital sex versus a religious zealot is leading, and these two characters are hilarious to watch interact with all their snappy and quick witted dialouge. The male roles are arguably the weakest of the film, but its not as big of a deal when the whole story primarily focuses on the social interactions between high school girls. Gossip is obviously a huge part of the story. But apart from the younger cast the older cast also fall into some hilarious roles. Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci play Olive's parents and there isn't a moment with these two on screen that you aren't laughing your head off. This duo plays off each other so well and it makes for some of the most hysterical scenes of the whole film. Then there are other great adults in the film like Thomas Haden Church as the fast talking and sarcastic English teacher who you can't help but love. Malcolm McDowell even cameos as the school's principal and has a couple of short but funny scenes. Overall you couldn't ask for a more fitting and entertaining cast.

Overall, Easy A doesn't provide anything groundbreaking or revolutionary to the comedy genre, but it is certainly a breath of fresh air that keeps my hopes alive for the comedy genre in this age where there are so many god awful comedies being released. Easy A isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination. The story sort of becomes a mess towards the end and it seems to be going off on a lot of random tangents. And then it is all resolved rather simplistically for how all over the place it was. I also have to say that the moral compass of all these characters, especially Olive, is pretty out of wack. Some of the decisions are a little strange and seem ridiculous at times, but I guess it only reflects the naivety of a teenager, and how much we still have to learn. But overall you can't complain too much when you are delivered an overall satisfying and hilarious experience.

Not a Chick Flick

[jromanbaker · 10/10 · 11 November 2022]

I have just seen this film on one of the UK's BBC channels. I had never heard of it, and only knew of Emma Stone through ' La La Land ' which bored me to tears. But what a fantastic performance she gives here playing a student in a very non-progressive school. For anyone who thinks this is just another chick flick think again. With a great deal of humour and genuine wit it shows a school which literally brainwashes its pupils into the most extreme conformist ideals. Homophobia is rampant, and any young woman who strays from the straight and narrow is cruelly abused and punished. The sexual hypocrisy of all this is made clear and made with a lot of welcoming laughter. Stone is branded as a ' bad ' woman and after studying Nathaniel Hawthorne's ' The Scarlet Letter ' she literally wears a scarlet A of her own, just like Hester in the novel. No spoilers but her eyes are widely opened to the people around her, and in turn she made me laugh and cry at the situations surrounding her. The cast is uniformly good and the direction perfect. But to return to Emma Stone; it is certainly one of the finest performances and in my opinion, she should have received an Oscar for it.

Star of the future Stone shines in very funny comedy

[Stampsfightclub · 9/10 · 24 October 2010]

Emma Stone stars as Olive, a lonely heart who lies about losing her virginity to her best friend and soon rumour spreads she is a slut. Initially mortified Olive parades around the school as a slut, wearing an 'A' on her clothing but soon she ends up in trouble.

Described as "the best teen comedy since Mean Girls" this is a must see because quite simply, it is. The comedy variety of clever performances, physical humour and beautiful word play make a combination of knockabout comedy a treat for anyone over 15 years of age that will entertain you for a glorious hour and a half.

Emma Stone in her first major leading role excels as a typical but not yet typical teenager going through life's friendship and educational battles, and thankfully with a difference. Olive narrates via an internet blog about how everything came about and her life and school reputation changed. Through some original narrative design and comic brightness audiences are easily engaged into the world of its heroine.

Stone's performance is indescribably funny. From singing alone in her bedroom to strutting around in revealing clothing and making us laugh at the same time has made her a star for the future. One scene where she pretends to have it on in a bedroom is very funny and whilst marketed as a comedy, the inevitable drama sequences show Stone as a rock.

Stone steals the film but thanks to the experience of Stanley Tucci and Thomas Haden Church we have an array of comic genius. Tucci has never been funnier.

The plot boasts some great twists and turns whilst marketing some great songs on its soundtrack. The way it separates itself from the normal comedy, by diversifying itself through visual aids such as the live web blog or plot differentiations makes it one out watch over and over again.

A couple of drawbacks include the fact Lisa Kudrow cannot shake the Phoebe tag and the ending is slightly predictable.

These minor things aside this is a knockabout comedy with a great lead performance that is certainly worth checking out.

I Loved this Film and Emma Stone

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 1 July 2011]

In California, the virgin student Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone) feels anonymous in the high school where she studies. When her best friend Rhiannon (Alyson Michalka) invites her to spend the weekend with her family, Olive lies and tells that she will have a date with a nonexistent community college student. On the next Monday, Rhiannon goes to the bathroom with Olive and asks how her encounter was and Olive lies, telling that she lost her virginity in the weekend with her fictitious boyfriend. However, one school mate overhears their conversation and spreads the rumor about Olive's promiscuity. The religious fanatic Marianne (Amanda Bynes) blames her and out of the blue. Olive becomes a notorious student.

Meanwhile, Olive is studying "The Scarlet Letter" in the English class and she identifies herself like Hester Prynne, the woman condemned by her Puritan neighbors in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel. Olive discloses the truth to her bullied gay friend Brandon (Dan Byrd) and suggests him to also lie that he had slept with a girl. Brandon asks Olive to help him and she pretends to have sex with him in a party. Then other outcast boys offer to pay Olive to improve their images while Olive's reputation degrades. When Olive loses control of the situation, she needs to take an attitude to revert it.

"Easy A" is a delightful comedy about an average teenager that is on the spot of her high school mates after telling a lie about an encounter with a fictitious boyfriend. The plot has flaws and some attitudes of Olive are unreasonable. Despite this remark, I loved this film, mainly because the sensual Emma Stone and her sexy voice. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Mentira" ("The Lie")

The Inexactitude of High School

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 18 September 2010]

Greetings again from the darkness. This is an obvious (and proud of it) homage to the great teen films of John Hughes. It is updated for this generation of teens - replete with FaceBook, texting and webcam. While this one may not have the fully realized characters of the Hughes films, it actually takes things a step further in its commentary on many topics: family life, parenting, religious zealotry, rumor-mongering and the public education system.

Writer Bert V. Royal's script delivers an intellectual and comedic look into high school life ... told through the eyes of the smart, "invisible" girl. Just a brief overview will be offered here so as not to take away from the multiple layers.

Emma Stone ("Zombieland", "The House Bunny") delivers a star-making performance as Olive. Forced into a faux-confession by her best friend, Olive experiences the efficiencies of digital gossip spreading as word leaks regarding the apparent loss of her "V card". Even though this one is based in Ojai, California, it's nice to know that high school promiscuity is still met with a certain stigma. Here that stigma is compared to Hawthorne's expert novel, The Scarlet Letter.

This sets into action a series of unforeseen events. The school's religious nuts, led by Amanda Bynes, take Olive's situation as a personal affront and spend a great deal of effort trying to punish her for her sins. At the same time, the geeks and dweebs view Olive as their savior and proceed to take advantage of the opportunity.

While she is presented as a very sharp-witted, well-grounded teenager, Olive experiences the enormous power of a reputation. All of this is balanced out by her extraordinary relationship with her free-spirited, yet wise parents played by Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci.

I can't possibly do justice to the script or the numerous topics broached, but I will say that it's a welcome new approach to teen movies. The usual schlock sex is replaced by sharp quips and real pressures. Do note that the dialogue is filled with much harsh language that wouldn't be welcome in an environment other than a high school campus. Further support work is offered by Penn Badgley as the good guy, Thomas Haden Church as a new world cool teacher, Malcolm McDowell as an old school principal and Lisa Kudrow as a guidance counselor (in a role that gives me permission to feel the disgust I usually feel when she is on screen).

Don't be scared off thinking this is another lousy teen flick. It is instead an insightful comedy that plays well for adults and teens. While you may not agree with all of the social observations, I believe you will agree the film is presented in a most entertaining and insightful manner.

Easy A is Easy to Love....

[wkup · 9/10 · 26 August 2010]

Lately the genre of teen comedies skew to the ribald and the are more sex romps than tell stories and introduce characters that you can not only root for but like. "Easy A" is a welcomed throwback to earlier teen comedies: risqué, but heartfelt.

In Emma Stone you have a Molly Ringwald for a new generation: relate-able, sexy, funny, sarcastic and lovely shines as Olive, a girl who leads her best friend (Aly Michalka) to believe she wasn't a virgin. The rumor spreads about her fabled loose ways and spurs different reactions from the school population: Brandon (Dan Byrd) wants to use it to his advantage, Marianne (Amanda Bynes) the school's self-appointed religious leader wants to shame Olive and Olive decides to run with it for her own gains.

There are many pluses with this film: A cast of young actors who are true actors who can convey the humor and uphold the tone of the film; a truly funny, vibrant script by Bert V. Royal in which not only the teens get to be smart and fully fleshed out characters but the adults (Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci as Olive's wry and whimsical parents are a joy; and Thomas Haden Church whose character is a new spin on the "hip teacher".) as well.

With Stone as the lead and the only face in the promotional poster people may think this is a "chick flick" but this film is for anyone who just likes a good film.

starsEMMA STONE WAS GREAT

[nogodnomasters · 10/10 · 25 April 2019]

Emma Stone has been typecast as a nerdy high school/ college girl. If you have seen her in other movies, her character is the same in this one. Needless to say, she does it very well, so well in fact when she attempts to act sexy, it doesn't work, perhaps a sign that they had Lindsey Lohan in mind for the part. Emma doesn't want to go camping with her BFF's family so she lied about what she is doing that weekend and later lies that she had sex. (I loved the birthday card from the grandparents with $5.00 in it.) This falsehood is spread around school. Later a guy who is gay asks Emma to say she had sex with him so the kids won't pick on him. At a party, she pretends to have sex with him while nearly the entire student body is outside the door listening. Emma is shocked she now has the reputation as a "skank." This is a weak plot point that Ms. Stone makes real for us, as well as pretending to have sex for money with half the school. There is of course the Christian crowd who are more loud and obnoxious than in real life (I think), and Lisa Kudrow who did a lousy job as a guidance counselor, or maybe she wasn't good enough to save a plot with so many cartoon characters and plot implausibilities. The movie was laugh out loud funny and that was only because we did watch all those 80's movies. For those who liked this movie, especially the confrontation with the campus Christians, I recommend the movie "Saved." Growing up in the 60's we wanted girls who had sex in our school and didn't attempt to get them expelled. Is California really that "uncool" now?

"A" is for Awesome

[jon.h.ochiai · 10/10 · 19 September 2010]

According to Emma Stone's Olive, "A is for Awesome." "Easy A" is the funny smart movie of the year. Director Will Gluck's fresh mashing of Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" in this Twitter Age is whimsical, genuine, and hysterical. Emma Stone is absolutely amazing. Writer Bert V. Royal's screenplay brilliantly captures the angst and social perils of kids of this Facebook generation. Royal completes his story with touching narrative arcs and twists, and a valiant hero in Emma Stone. "Easy A" is reminiscent of "Juno" in its clever and biting dialog. Where in "Juno" no one in real life actually speaks with those razor-like smarts, "Easy A" is witty and sharp in natural speak.

Stone's Olive is a smart ass, but never over the top. She is the straight man, self-aware of the social "no win" she finds herself imprisoned. During the staged fake tryst, Olive (Stone) locks herself with Brandon (exasperated funny Dan Byrd) in a friend's bedroom. Brandon is gay and tormented everyday at school for just being. Olive reluctantly agrees to this public staging to recreate his reputation anew. When Olive removes her thong as part of the theatrics, Brandon freaks. Olive says, "Do you think I have a gnome down there?" Brandon defends that she is not his type. Duh. Olive surmises could it be: "I have a V, not a P." Gluck and Royal orchestrate hysterically. Stone has natural impeccable timing. "Easy A" had won me over at this juncture.

Olive is a smart and decent high school student in Ojai, CA. She is never in trouble— in fact nearly invisible. Olive gets caught in a lie, to avoid going on a camping trip with her BFF Rhiannon (charmingly spacey Aly Michalka) and her disturbing New Age parents. Olive tells Rhi that she had a one night stand with a college freshman over the weekend—really she was comically alone at home. School Christian Crusade Leader Marianne (gloriously bitchy Amanda Bynes) overhears Olive's restroom confession. Literally at the speed of light Tweets and texts broadcast Olive's promiscuity. Later Marianne tells Olive she will be judged by a higher power. Olive responds, "Did I just get saved?"

"Easy A" opens with Olive's webcast, which is genius. She confesses, "There are 2 sides to every story. This is my side—the right one." Olive's good intentions to resuscitate social outcasts by "fake rocking their worlds" soon make her a pariah. She is getting Auto Zone gift cards to have faux sex with boys seeking credibility. Olive's favorite teacher Mr. Griffith (disguised aloof Thomas Hayden Church) becomes concerned when she transforms, and wears bus tiers emblazoned with the scarlet letter A. She is reading "The Scarlet Letter" in English class. Also worried is Griffith's Guidance Counselor wife (wacky Lisa Kudrows). Olive's parents note the red flags. Her Mom (wonderfully loopy Patricia Clarkson) remarks that she looks like a stripper-- albeit "high end" according to her Dad (hysterically wise Stanley Tucci).

However, on a transactional date Olive realizes that someone crossed the whore line. Fortunately, "Lobster" Todd rescues her. Todd (gentle and strong Penn Badgley) says he dismisses the rumors about Olive. He always remembers the beautiful 7th grader, who was kind to him. Olive too has always been in love Todd, since then. This is the distinguishing charm of "Easy A". Although Olive is in the adolescent abyss, the people that know her soul like Todd and her parents have faith in her. In a hilarious dinner scene Olive requests that her parents dismiss the rumors of Chlamydia—apparently no big deal. Even her Dad tells her vehemently and comically, "I would take a bullet for you." Her Mom understands completely. While gazing at the stars she tells her daughter that when she too was young she slept with a lot of people—"mostly guys".

"Easy A" poignantly captures and reminds us of the painful teen angst of fitting in, and just being allowed to be. When overweight dweeb Evan (sympathetic Jameson Moss) begs Olive to say that she had sex with him, she asks him why? Brandon says, "Just look at me." You can see the heartbreak in Stone's visage. While Olive is confronted by picketers, Todd tells her, "Screw all these people, Olive!" Ultimately, "Easy A" gets an "A" for its story about having the courage to take a stand, doing what is right despite what people think. Emma Stone is our hero on this journey. She is cute and has such a radiant spirit. She wins us over whether she is singing "Pocket Full of Sunshine" in the shower or seeing the suffering in her eyes when she realizes that she shattered the life of someone dear. "Easy A" is one of the best movies of the year. It's the kind of movie that is dismissed by the Academy, when it shouldn't. Perhaps, one day.

Easy A

[JoBloTheMovieCritic · 10/10 · 20 July 2019]

10/10 - nothing but good things to say about this movie and Emma Stone crushed it

Excellent Tribute to John Hughes

[kurt_kennett · 8/10 · 19 September 2010]

Just saw this with my daughter who is 13. She has just recently seen all the John Hughes 80's movies (Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, etc.) and said it felt just like one of them. I couldn't agree more - great direction and just a hint of a wacky feel to it. Realistic, fun and interesting *normal* parents that don't take the world too seriously and want to be there for their kid.

The only parts that didn't hold up was a couple of logistical things (like a girl that good looking not having any guys following her around, and having a best friend who is such a ditz). All in all though the plot stuck together, was edgy in a few ways, and thoroughly entertaining. I'd put it on the shelf right next to the John Hughes films, and that is a distinguished place indeed.

The smartest high school teen comedy I've ever seen.

[rooprect · 8/10 · 6 February 2020]

There's a rare comedy zone that exists above pratfalls & cheap gags, above situational laughs, somewhere near satire but not quite that obvious. It's a peculiar zone, sort of like the classic "Edward Scissorhands" where the filmmakers are clearly showing you an exaggerated reality, but not so exaggerated that you lose touch with its relevance. And through this wacky prism we see our own lives with a hilarious spin if the actors can pull off the right deadpan delivery. Very few movies hit this zone, movies like "Catch-22" (1970), "Dr Strangelove" (1964), "Joe Vs. the Volcano" (1990) or "Punch Drunk Love" (2002). And here, I'm happy to announce in the most unlikely genre (high school teen comedy) we have a great addition to the list: "Easy A".

If I lost you with my opening paragraph don't worry, all I'm saying is that this movie is really funny. Emma Stone plays "Olive Pendergast", a 17-year old girl at a California high school who, after years of being a faceless nobody, suddenly gets thrust into the spotlight when strange rumors of her sexual promiscuity spread like wildfire. The "Easy A" in the title is a reference to the parallel story of "The Scarlet Letter", the 1850 novel about a woman accused of adultery and forced to wear a demeaning "A" for her sins. But here we see a cool, modern take on the situation with Olive proudly and spitefully wearing her penance in front of the entire school of her accusers.

And that's what makes this such a fun & hilarious flick. It's that, the whole time, Olive is almost like the puppetmaster and controller of the crazy events that happen as things quickly escalate. Emma Stone is perfect for the role with her sarcastic wit and deadpan apathy even though her life is rapidly going into the trash can. Thus the chain of events becomes like what I described in the opening paragraph: an exaggerated reality delivered with deadpan precision. If you've ever seen a Bill Murray flick ("Groundhog Day"), that's how Emma's character comes across.

Throw into the mix some really witty zingers, some hilariously bizarre characters and a healthy buffet of references to classic 80s teen comedies (movie buffs, you can make a game of trying to catch them all), and you've got a great experience. The whole presentation is like a 80s John Hughes film on steroids. John Hughes would populate his high schools with instantly recognizable archetypes (the jock, the nerd, etc), and here we have the same approach but way off the deep end. Instead of being antagonized by the jocks, Emma's character must match wits with the Jesus freaks who sit around with a guitar singing bad religious diddies (another parallel with the antagonists in "The Scarlet Letter").

From beginning to end, "Easy A" is very well written, clever, poignant and just plain hilarious. And on top of it all, it delivers a powerful message that every teen, as well as most adults, should remember regarding how to navigate this crazy judgmental society we live in. As you're watching this, you realize that the microcosm of high school applies to our entire civilization. Whatever age you are, definitely give this flick a go.

Easy A tries too hard to be liked

[Floated2 · 3/10 · 26 November 2010]

Easy is a pretty simple straight forward story with an odd message. The plot is rather awkward and weird but for the most parts is plays out. Right from the start the film reeks a bit of desperation, as if it's trying too hard to be liked, much like many of its characters. Olive's feature-length confession, a 4th-wall breaking running monologue, is an awkward device that never seems sincere, while the turns the plot takes, particularly one involving a counsellor and a student, are simply too much to swallow. The film goes downhill in my opinion, from the part where it gets more religious. The scene with Olive going to church. It seemed like that was meant for the original R rating of the film.

The characters try hard to be liked but many of them I just don't ended up liking, in particular Olive, her parents (they too hard to be funny), Brandon, and the teacher- Mr. Griffith. Though I did like Amanda Bynes character- she should have been in it more (the best scenes involved her). Easy A is rather shallow and disgusting for a PG-13 film. In my opinion, I think the film would have been better had they kept the film being rated R. The jokes would have been better with a few more swearing and probably more sexual content. The message is obscured by mayhem here as Easy A's moral roots are undercut by its attempts to be one of the cinematic crowd. It just doesn't work for me. Maybe I'm not in the target audience but the film still could had been better. I also felt like they could have added an extra 20 minutes to develop the supporting characters (Rihannon, Marianne, Brandon). Things just felt unfinished and unanswered.

Stone shines in this funny teenage comedy with echoes of John Hughes

[george.schmidt · 8/10 · 4 December 2010]

EASY A (2010) *** Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Dan Byrd, Thomas Haden Church, Patricia Clarkson, Stanley Tucci, Cam Gigandet, Lisa Kudrow, Malcolm McDowell, Alyson Michalka, Fred Armisen. Stone shines as a teenager facing a scandalous rumor – of being a harlot – that only snowballs when she cannot control and instead embraces the innuendo to largely comic affect echoing some John Hughes and of course "The Scarlett Letter". Director Will Glick ably gets a lot of mileage from virginity jokes and the like from the fairly smart and funny script by Bert V. Royal but gets more mileage from his even brighter supporting cast particularly the always welcome Clarkson & Tucci as the acridly humorous (and highly, capably understanding) parents. Stone's star is on the rise and she also rises above what would have been another ordinary teen farce but her trademark pluck and smoky voice add panache to what could have been a lackluster role. A nice surprise for a change in a genre that needs fresh blood!

Stone is excellent

[Mr-Fusion · 8/10 · 27 February 2023]

A modern retelling of The Scarlet Letter, "Easy A" strikes it gold with a winning formula: snappy dialogue + '80s movies + the irresistible charm of Emma Stone; and maybe a dash of "Mean Girls". A relatable tale of high school social strata and the chaos that comes from letting a rumor get out of hand. There's plenty to love here between the cast, performances and the feel-good story. And it's just so damn quotable.

This is one of those "good mood" movies, something that always leaves me smiling. Bonus points for synopsizing The Scarlet Letter, which is good news if you didn't have to read it in high school like some of us.

Easy A is Big Fat F 0*

[edwagreen · 1/10 · 28 February 2012]

Absolutely ridiculous film where a high school teenager allows rumors about her alleged promiscuity to build upon her reputation.

There is absolutely nothing satisfying about this farce, and it is plain stupid to the core.

Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson play her way out parents. Tucci is known in the film as Dill and what a dilly he is. Both parents must think they were beyond the flower children of the 1960s.

Regarding the guidance counselor affair with a 22 year old student in the school, is the message here that counselors need some sort of psychological evaluation?

Awful best describes this film.

A poignant and witty comedy

[acedj · 9/10 · 12 February 2020]

Olive is your average high school girl that just wants to make it through unscathed. In an attempt to avoid an unsavory experience with her bestie's parents (nudists) she makes up a story about a date with a college kid. One thing leads to another and Rhiannon elicits a false story from Olive about how she lost her virginity to the fake kid on the fake date. Things spiral out from there and Olive begins having fake sex with boys in her school to help their image. Olive ends up fully embracing the theme of the Scarlet Letter, dresses quite trashy and in the end losses all of her friends. Not straying too far from her though is Todd, a classmate that has loved Olive pretty much his entire life.

I love Emma Stone and would watch anything in which she stars. She definitely shines here. This movie, though presented as a comedy, does show the perils of judging others. Great job done by all.

Pleasantly Surprised

[halliebenfer · 9/10 · 29 August 2010]

I attended a free preview of this movie and without having done any research on the movie and just based on a short synopsis, had pretty low expectations walking into the cinema. It's always great coming out of a cinema being pleasantly surprised by an enjoyable movie and that's exactly what happened! I've always been a fan of fast witty dialogue and this movie definitely delivers! Virtually every character in the movie whether minor or major seems to have something funny to say, and while there wasn't a lot of ROFL moments, there were quite a few LOL's throughout the movie! To me, it's one of those movies perfect for a Friday night to unwind from work without having to use too many brain cells (but enough so that you don't walk out of there thinking you'd wasted your time and intellect!) - it's one of those movies that i'll definitely be purchasing on DVD when it comes out!!

Easy to love

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 8/10 · 23 December 2010]

Being a teenage girl is no easy task, believe me. In Jr. High I had a boyfriend and the first thing on young teenage minds is the curiosity if there is sex in the relationship, fun rumors began to spread and it was one of the worst times in my life. Funny enough, this isn't something that just started when I was a child, or my older sister or my mother or my grandmother. Girl's reputations have always been fragile since the beginning of time, even Shakespeare knew when he wrote Much Ado About Nothing. The Scarlet Letter challenged the double edged sword of how if a man sleeps with a woman, he's a pimp, a lady's man, or just simply "the Man". If a woman sleeps with a man, she doesn't get as kind treatment, we get the names "slut", "whore", or "tramp". No matter how much you know it's the truth that you're not those names, it hurts. But what if a girl actually took pride in those names and love the attention she got, even if it was too rough to handle? Emma Stone proving that she's leading lady material handles herself extremely well in this terrific re-imaging of The Scarlet Letter for teenagers that will prove to be more positive and every pre-adult lady should watch.

Like most high school kids, Olive Penderghast just wants to be popular. So much so that when her best friend, Rhiannon, asks Olive how her weekend went, she decides to whip up a spicy white lie just to make things interesting. But that minor exaggeration begins to take on a life of its own when it reaches the ears of motor-mouth gossip Jesus freak Marianne, and in no time the entire student body is abuzz over unassuming Olive's unrepentant weekend of debauchery. Of course not a word of it is true, but that doesn't stop everyone in school from talking, and an amused Olive from deciding to go with the flow. Playing the role of the hussy to the hilt, the girl who used to be invisible begins dressing provocatively and turning heads in the hallways. The students aren't the only ones taking notice, either; Olive's English teacher, Mr. Griffith, is concerned that the kind of attention she's receiving isn't healthy for a developing girl, and his wife, the school counselor, is in full agreement. As Olive takes note of the parallels between her own situation and the plight of the Scarlet Letter heroine Hester Prynne, she realizes that she may be able to manipulate her newfound notoriety to give fellow classmate Brandon's popularity a much-needed shot in the arm. Olive never thought her little game could possibly have any negative effect on anyone but herself, but when loose lips start sinking ships all around her, she realizes that it's high time for the truth to come out.

I think this is a very important film for girls because unfortunately this generation doesn't read as much as they should, plus as much as I loved the book The Scarlet Letter, it wouldn't appeal to everyone. We need a new update to grab someone's interest and I was really impressed with the way the cast and crew handled this film. Emma Stone has a lot of charisma, such maturity for a young lady and she carried herself so well. She even provides comic relief to give the drama little break. Same with Amanda Bynes, almost taking on the character played by Mandy Moore in Saved as the "holier than thou" bible thumper who feels that if you have sex before marriage, your soul is damned. Even Lisa Kudrow did a great job, as a high school counselor who puts Olive in a bad situation blaming Olive for her crime and you are just in shock and feel total sympathy for Olive when she realizes that her reputation is destroying her mentally. Easy A provides great education for both teens and adults(parents or soon to be parents) on how hard it can be to be a teenage girl. I wish that I had a film like this when I was 13 because I would have felt a lot better knowing that a lot of girls go through the same thing where you feel so hated for doing something that you didn't do. Easy A is easily one of the year's best films and I'm very happy with the way it was handled, very classy, sexy and funny, I would highly recommend it.

8/10

A hugely enjoyable High School comedy.

[MOscarbradley · 8/10 · 16 March 2019]

As female-orientated High School comedies go "Easy A" is a lot better than most. It may not be particularly original but it's smart and funny and in Emma Stone it had a star in the making. She's terrific and she's just the lynch-pin of a terrific cast that includes Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson, superb, as her parents, Thomas Haden Church as an embarrassingly hip teacher, Lisa Kudrow as his equally embarrassing Guidance Counsellor of a wife and a whole host of marvellous young ladies as various friends and rivals who spread the rumour that Miss Stone isn't just a virgin any longer but an all-out slut. It was written by Bert V. Royal and directed by the obviously very talented Will Gluck, (it was only his second film), and is well worth seeking out.

Okay, but ultimately souless

[evan_harvey · 5/10 · 25 September 2010]

Saw Easy A tonight. It's pretty average. It's a film that had multiple references to classic 80's Brat Pack flicks, and so that raises it above the standard teen movies. Older audiences will get the 80s references more than the younger ones. There's quite a few laughs to be had, and some snappy dialogue. The basic idea of the film is good (a re-working of The Scarlett Letter, which the film unashamedly references and possibly over-references).

However, the main problems are ultimately fundamental flaws in the script. Olive (the smoking hot Emma Stone) is too cool. She's too self- assured, and too smart. It doesn't have the authenticity of teen life, unlike Mean Girls which had it in spades. Olive wasn't the cynical outsider the role called for; she was the confident adult narrator. Films that portray the hero coming out stronger at the end work for a reason, but the character was the same throughout.

The end of the film is a love story and fixes everything in only a few scenes, but it's tacked on, and felt contrived. The core of the film is the 'Scarlett Letter' concept, and it's a clever concept, but it kind of got muddled anywhere outside that. Olive's character didn't really suffer any great despair (at least the drew any empathy), so the ending (where she miraculously found love in about 5 minutes) was more a marriage of convenience than one of passion.

Overall, it was a strong film. Very confident, witty and well-paced. At the end though, it was just souless. No real losses or triumphs, no character development. Olive was just as smart and self-confident at the beginning as she was at the end. The audience didn't cheer Olive through the rough times because there weren't any that felt rough. We didn't really care that she hooked up with a decent guy at the end, as that subplot was woefully malnourished and not given any real development time.

Commercially? Okay. Artistically? Disappointing. It could have been the next Clueless or Mean Girls, but kind of wasted it's potential.

Worth seeing if there'e not much else on, and definitely worth seeing for Emma Stone in tiny blue shorts.

A fun and enjoyable comedy

[Gordon-11 · 8 August 2013]

This film tells how a school girl uses rumours to advance her cool factor, but her publicity stunt spirals out of control.

I thought "Easy A" was about easily getting A grades, but that is far from what it actually is. The school girl in question bows to social pressure, pretends to be promiscuous in order to be cool, and to help some disadvantaged schoolmates along the way. How she helps Brendan in the bedroom is so hilarious, I laughed hard! In just a few days, her world is turned upside down, she feels differently about herself and everyone else feels differently about her as well. For a comedy, Olive's emotional roller coaster is portrayed convincingly. I also liked her open minded and supportive parents, although they have minor roles in the film, they provide a safe haven for her to grow up and become independent.

"Easy A" is a fun teenage school comedy with a great moral story. It even tells how social pressure makes us do regrettable things. It's easy for people to relate to the story, and that's a big contributing factor to "Easy A" being a fun and enjoyable comedy.

Loses a lot of steam in the second half

[cricketbat · 5/10 · 3 August 2018]

I'm conflicted about Easy A. The story is interesting, but the plot is uneven. It loses a lot of steam in the second half. Emma Stone is fantastic, as usual, but the rest of the characters are mostly flat and uninteresting. Also, for a movie that portrays a strong "don't judge" message, it sure judges Christianity pretty harshly.