Maybe not quite an A. But a solid B+

Rating: 7/10 (28 August 2014)

High school is a weird time in a person's life. And it's about to get a whole lot weirder for Olive Penderghast. Olive is a nice, if rather anonymous, girl. She's not popular. She's not unpopular. She's just there, pretty much invisible. Then, in the interest of shutting up her somewhat annoying best friend, Olive makes up a story about having lost her virginity to some college guy. Unfortunately this phony confession is overheard by Marianne, leader of the pack among the school's group of young religious zealots. Marianne spreads the word all over the school. Olive isn't anonymous anymore. Everybody all of a sudden is very interested in her. She uses her newfound notoriety to help out her gay friend Brandon, pretending to sleep with him so he will be accepted by his peers. This works for Brandon, but not so much for Olive, furthering her reputation as a dirty slut. At this point Olive decides to go all-in, fully embracing her new image as the school's resident tramp. And this makes for a pretty fun movie.
Easy A is an homage to all those teen comedies of the 1980s we know so well. This movie may not be quite as good as those other movies it pays tribute to. But it's certainly good enough to provide some solid entertainment. The best thing this movie has going for it is Emma Stone who is absolutely fabulous in the role of Olive. Olive is a smart, charming, witty, endearing girl and Stone brings all of that out wonderfully. It's a star-making performance. The movie doesn't have very many huge laughs but it has its amusing comic moments and Stone nails each and every one of those moments. What the movie may lack in big laughs it makes up for with smarts. It's a very well thought-out movie, scripted with a structure that really works in delivering the story in the best possible way. It's a very simple story but the way it is laid out makes it work well. And while Stone is clearly the star, and weighted with carrying the film on her shoulders, the supporting cast adds a great deal to the proceedings as well. Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci are terrific in playing Olive's exceedingly quirky parents. Thomas Haden Church plays one of Olive's teachers in a way that makes it very easy to see why he is Olive's favorite. And all of the younger performers fall comfortably into their roles as well with Amanda Bynes making a particularly good impression in the important role of God-loving Marianne, a great antagonist for Olive.
This movie takes Olive on quite a strange trip. Once she starts down the path of fake whoring there's the sense she may not quite understand what she's getting herself into. Things could get rather messy. But you always believe she'll be resourceful enough to extricate herself from whatever messes she may create. And you'll definitely be rooting for her to do so. Olive is a character who is very easy to love, full credit to Stone for making that so. Olive's smart and very charming. And so is the movie. Yes, it could stand to be a touch funnier. But there are enough laughs here to satisfy. Easy A definitely makes the grade.