'Easy A' — 4 out of 5 stars
High school student Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone) finds herself stuck in the middle of a huge rumor when she tells a little white lie to her best friend Rhiannon (Alyson Michalka), claiming she lost her virginity to a fictional community college boy named George. But pushy Christian girl, Marianne (Amanda Bynes) overhears the conversation and broadcasts it to the entire student body. Surprised by the schools reaction, Olive decides to embrace her new reputation. After agreeing to help out a bullied friend, her reputation skyrockets and her image spins out of control, causing a series of events that could change her life.
“Easy A” mimics the style of the classic favorite, “Sixteen Candles.” Who doesn’t like to see a girl risking her reputation to help out the outcasts while secretly seeking the affection of the cutest boy in school? It also pays homage to the other high school classic, “The Scarlet Letter.” The combination of dry sarcastic humor, outrageous characters and a few scandalous outfits definitely makes “Easy A” a hilariously funny movie. It is impossible not to be able to relate to Olive in some way because everyone knows someone who has been succumbed to the infamous “rumor mill.”
Typical of a teen movie, the plot follows the same format most stories of high school do — teen girl, check. Trying to find her way through high school, check. Cute boy, check. Making up a little lie to make herself appear cool, check. But, with wit as unique as it comes and a very relatable subject, “Easy A” makes the grade. Not only is laughing out loud impossible to control but the underlying message of a girl’s journey for acceptance is the story no one gets tired of hearing.