Easy A (soon to be DVD)

Easy A. Actors: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Dan Byrd, Thomas Haden Church. ASIN: B0036TGSIK. Studio: Sony Pictures. 2010.

Summary

Olive says that even "Google Earth couldn't find her if she dressed up as a ten-foot tall building." But once she tells a little lie about losing her virginity, her status changes… quickly! Before she knows it, Olive is the talk of her high school as either "the girl" to go to, "the slut" to hate, or "the cause" for which the on-campus zealots to pray. Ironically, she sees many similarities to her life and the book she's studying at school, "The Scarlet Letter", and plays upon the parallels to her benefit until it overtakes her life and flows onto others.

Critical Evaluation

Easy A is a smart teen movie, because it doesn't rely of gross-out or physical humor to get the laughs. The main character, Olive, is confident, smart and funny. She makes fun of herself and those who are so caught up in her life, rather than dealing with their own secrets. She is realistic in her expectations, but still references the John Hughes' movies from the eighties when she talks about finding love in high school. Young adult will appreciate her strong sense of self as well as her wicked sense of humor. Adults will like the family dynamic and the unpredictability of the plot.

Reader's Annotation
Smart-girl Olive is a student who tells a little lie about losing her virginity, and watches her life change because of the school's reaction.

Genre
Humor
Romance

Challenges
Sexual content

Curriculum Ties
English: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Booktalking Ideas
What if you didn't, but said you did…
At what cost would you help boost your popularity…

Awards
n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 13 +

Why I included this title...
Easy A looked funny and smart to me, and my husband owed me a movie. Neither of us was disappointed.

More Information
Easy A will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on December 21, 2010

Graphic from Craveonline.com. Retrieved from http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=56045 on December 14, 2010.