Easy A

I'm sure it's a fact (that I have not researched and therefore quite possibly could be wrong) that any kid who watched a John Hughes movie while growing up experienced a better time in high school than those who hadn't. While that was all well and good for those of us who grew up in the eighties, where, you might ask, may the awkward identity seeking teenagers of today go for such guidance? The pickin's were mighty slim, until...
Director Will Gluck has dabbled in the high school movie genre before with his film Fired Up! This time around he has taken the reigns of newcomer Bert V. Royal's first screenplay and given us what could possibly be this generation's substitute for the beacon of light that is a John Hughes' film.
Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone - Zombieland) leads an unassuming life at high school. She's not really all that popular and the boys don't take much notice of her. She tells a white lie to her best friend Rhiannon (Alyson Michalka - Hellcats) to get out of a weekend of camping with Rhiannon's nature-loving, no-pants-wearing parents. Olive says that she is spending the weekend with a boy called George.
After the weekend Olive lies again and tells Rhiannon that she slept with George and she is no longer a virgin. Listening in is holier-than-thou Christian extremist Marianne (Amanda Byrnes - Hairspray). Before you can say 'Olive had sex with a guy, pass it on' the whole school knows about Olive's recently upgraded sexual status.
Inspired by the book she's reading in English - The Scarlet Letter, and drunk with all the attention she's getting from boys, Olive does not set the record straight.
Soon she starts receiving gift cards as payment for her services from guys who want to increase their social standing by pretending that they slept with/got to second base with/touched her arse.
After a shopping spree at Corsets 'R' Us Olive embroiders a big red 'A' on all of her clothes. Everyone is talking about Olive and her promiscuous ways.
But with teenagers being the incessant rumour-spreaders that they are and actions having consequences, things start getting way out of hand for our Pussy Cat Dolls wanna-be.
I. Loved. This. Movie. It has so many good things going for it; the cast, the script - everything has fallen into place perfectly.
Emma Stone is fantastic. She is witty and has great comedic timing and a really good voice! If you haven't seen her in Zombieland yet, do so immediately(I'll wait here while you do). While voiceovers don't generally work well in films, Stone's narration throughout the movie worked a treat.
Casting Patricia Clarkson (Shutter Island) and Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada) as Olive's easy-going, left-winged parents is genius; those two have some great scenes together. Also, Thomas Haden Church (Sideways) and Lisa Kudrow (Friends) are a delight to watch as Olive's English teacher and guidance counsellor (and married couple). His enthusiasm as a teacher kinda makes you want to change your university preferences you've just submitted and put teaching at the top of your list. (Note to self: change recently submitted university preferences).
It's an interesting look at the use (and abuse) of this thing we call social media; how rumours perpetuate, the foreverness of the internet - and how fast things can get out of control. Kids are keen to fit in and jump willingly on bandwagons even though they might not know where the bandwagon is heading.
One small thing - I would have liked to see Olive's conversation with the Rabbi, maybe that's on the DVD???
Things I learnt: exactly how much wood a woodchuck can chuck; there 'IS' a hell; protect yourself against sexually transmitted rumours!
A for AWESOME!
Nine out of ten.