Easy A (2010)

A clean-cut high school student relies on the school's rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing.

Director:

Will Gluck

Writer:

Bert V. Royal

Stars:

Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Emma Stone	...	Olive
Penn Badgley	...	Woodchuck Todd
Amanda Bynes	...	Marianne
Dan Byrd	...	Brandon
Thomas Haden Church	...	Mr. Griffith
Patricia Clarkson	...	Rosemary
Cam Gigandet	...	Micah
Lisa Kudrow	...	Mrs. Griffith
Malcolm McDowell	...	Principal Gibbons
Aly Michalka	...	Rhiannon
Stanley Tucci	...	Dill
Fred Armisen	...	Pastor
Juliette Goglia	...	Eighth Grade Olive
Jake Sandvig	...	Anson
Morgan Rusler	...	Mr. Abernathy

Storyline

After a little white lie about losing her virginity gets out, a clean cut high school girl sees her life paralleling Hester Prynne's in "The Scarlet Letter," which she is currently studying in school - until she decides to use the rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing.

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Plot Keywords:

school | student | friend | rumor | high school | 

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Taglines:

The rumor-filled totally FALSE account of how I ruined my flawless reputation.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements involving teen sexuality, language and some drug material

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 September 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Easy Girl

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£277,975 (UK) (22 October 2010)

Gross:

$58,401,464 (USA) (17 December 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Screen Gems, Olive Bridge Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Spain the Socialist Party in the city of Valladolid, PSOE, wanted to censure and withdraw the posters of the film because they claimed that the posters were offensive to women.

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Goofs

When Olive tries to right her wrongs, she talks to Evan in an ice cream parlor to persuade Evan to tell the truth. When Evan refuses, Olive crushes an ice cream cone but, in the next shot the cone she crushed is still there.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Olive Penderghast: The rumors of my promiscuity have been greatly exaggerated.

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Crazy Credits

The end credits are appearing through a road while we see cars, bikes passing near us.

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Connections

Features Sixteen Candles (1984)

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Soundtracks

"Sexy Silk"
Written by Jack Hammer, Jessie J (as Jessica Cornish), Justin Broad, Ashton Millard, and Paul Herman
Performed by Jessie J (as Jessica Cornish)
Courtesy of Ash, Paul, and Justin Productions

User Reviews

The Inexactitude of High School

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.