by Tony Johnson
Arts & Entertainment editor
High school is a universe unto itself, and nothing new in the world of film. Moviegoers anticipate the familiar setup, leaving the genre stale. But Easy A is an easy exception. Olive, (played by Emma Stone who is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s leading ladies by default) is the last person introduced during the opening credits; showing a grimacing omen of things to come before things take “a turn for the scandalous.”
Though loosely based off of Nathaniel Hawthorn’s classic required reading The Scarlet Letter, Easy A is in a league of its own. It shows the transformation of a girl who steps from the role of a passive “non-entity” to that of the “it girl” spawned from rumors of lust while longing for her former invisibility.
Though at times the plot plays it safe, director Will Gluck’s sharp direction and writer Bert V. Royal’s witty script give the movie an identity. Stone’s performance is an unrelenting delight. While providing plenty of laughs, it relays a message and stays true to the reality of high school with easy grace and shows how much rumors can really transform a person. B+
