‘Easy A’ Earns a B in my Gradebook

As an updated version of The Scarlet Letter, “Easy A” takes a look at ruined reputations and how valuable it is to be you.

Olive is the not-so-typical high school girl with a squeaky clean rep. She entangles herself in a lie and it leads to self-destruction.

"Easy A" Movie

Olive is desperate to get out of going on a trip with her best friend’s awkward family and quickly fabricates a story about a date she has already planned. The best friend assumes that Olive is sleeping with this mysterious date and starts the rumor mill.

Olive and Her Best Friend, Rhiannon

After befriending a gay guy who is suffering from bullying, Olive decides to protect his reputation by spreading word that she has slept with him. Because Olive’s reputation is on the line, she demands payment. 

Word spreads among the distressed in the school and one-by-one they ask Olive to risk her esteem for the sake of others.

Olive's Fake Identity

The lies get out of hand and “The rumors of [her] promiscuity have been greatly exaggerated.” Consequentially, Olive is pressured into ruining her life to shield a secret relationship between a school counselor and a student. 

Olive refuses to keep up the façade because she realizes that she has lost herself along the way. She begins to tear down the monster she has made because she is “not proud of this.” Olive learns the hard way that you must save yourself before you can rescue others from their problems. As custom in any teen movie, she finds a guy worth dating on her road to recovery.

Todd, Olive's Love Interest

“Easy A” is only suitable for mature audiences because of its content and humor. The cast includes Emma Stone as Olive, Penn Badgley as her sweetheart, Amanda Bynes as her foe, and Aly Michalka as her gossiping best friend. Emma Stone's sarcastic personality was showcased through Olive and she was by far the most talented in the film.

Emma Stone Narrating as Olive

There were a few aspects of “Easy A” that I disliked. First, many of the sexual references seemed to be placed in the movie with the motive of attracting attention from the audience, but were unnecessary and shallow. Also, a few of the scenes were overly dramatic, which is expected of a teen film. Finally, some of the acting was outrageous and fitting for a soap opera.

Although I had some complaints, “Easy A” earns a 4 out of 5 star grade. I admire the film’s allusions to the classic novel The Scarlet Letter and its moral lesson learned by the protagonist by the end.