Satire and breakout role for Emma Stone

Rating: 7/10 (28 May 2016)

When this movie came out the posters and advertising misrepresented it as another dumb teen flick. In fact it is a star vehicle for Emma Stone to gently mock and satirise high school life.
I haven't seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off since it came out ( decades ago) but the one thing I remember about it was the lead character had confidence to spare. It is the same in this. Emma's character 'Olive" narrates to the camera and tells an improbable story. But she inhabits the role with just the right tone.
As per usual what ruins Olive's reputation enhances the reputations of the misfit boys at the school. This is a very gentle poke at that double standard.
I doubt that losing ones reputation (at high school) has been a big deal since the 70's but who knows what a strange place US high schools might be. So the key plot element which has 'Olive' supposedly losing her virginity and how that changes peoples perceptions of her is a bit of a stretch. However if you buy that contrarian idea then you are in for a treat.
The best parts of the film are Emma Stone hamming it up for the camera - satirising the situation she finds herself in. There are some obvious film homage moments and a few somewhat distracting cameos from Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson, Thomas Haden Church, Lisa Kudrow and Fred Armisen. That is not to say that Tucci, Clarkson, Kudrow and Armisen are bad but they are could have all been replaced by cardboard cutouts and the central story would have still worked out. Of the 'adults" Haden Church has the best lines.
If you liked this you would probably like 'Freaks & Geeks' where lead character Lindsay Weir explores some of the same territory. Mainly this film film will be remembered for Emma Stone eating the carpet in almost every one of her scenes.
One day if the "Beyond Clueless" writers update their documentary 'Easy A' would be a worthy addition.