I will not pretend to be an expert of high school comedies or coming-of-age films. I haven't seen as many as I might prefer. But it's always a rewarding experience when you see ANY film and by the end think to yourself, "This is a movie that people SHOULD see." And lately that seems to be popping up more and more.
"Easy A" is a film that chronicles the trials and tribulations of Olive Penderghast, a good girl with some self-esteem issues. After telling one little lie (maybe not that little), her life, as one would expect in a film such as this, is turned upside down. But there's something different about this premise. "Easy A" takes you carefully every step of the way as you observe Olive's decline. Towards the end of the movie, I had to ask myself, "How did we get to this point?" and then immediately conclude, "Oh, that's right." Not to mention the delectable Emma Stone contributes a very complicated, warm-hearted, and knockout performance as the sympathetic Olive.
But I don't want to talk about how wonderfully the film is technically crafted. During the movie, I couldn't help but believe that this is a relatively important film for people living in 2010. Rumors, gossip, bullying, etc... are nothing novel when it comes to high school comedies. But "Easy A" deals with these ideals on a very realistic level (and cleverly being realistic with some rather cartoonish characters).
First of all, there's the idea of rumors. I know, I know. Movies show how rumors and gossip spread at a rapid pace. They get distorted. It's a fast game of Telephone that is rarely treated as a game. But director Will Gluck doesn't simply show people whispering as the main character slowly walks down the hallway. He ACTUALLY shows the information being delivered from cell phone to cell phone to cell phone to cell phone (and we all know that one text message equals 4 people reading it when the receiver shares the information). And in a matter of 30 seconds, you have seen with your own eyes how an entire high school can hear about how person A slept with person B. In an actual matter of 30 seconds.
English teacher Mr. Griffith (played by a wonderful Thomas Hayden Church) makes a point to tell Olive that he's heard a few things. She retorts with a comment regarding teachers being in on the adolescent up-to-date gossip. Griffith simply replies, "I don't know what your generation's fascination is with documenting your every thought... but I can assure you, they're not all diamonds. 'Roman is having an OK day, and bought a Coke Zero at the gas station. Raise the roof.' Who gives a rat's ass?" But for some reason, hearing Church's way of saying this commonly mentioned thought feels different and more alarming after bearing witness to all of Olive's downfalls. The amount of information freely posted online and via text message is astounding. What's even more astounding is the pace and rate in which that information is communicated, shared, and commented on by all who read or listen. 
Another fascinating topic this movie brings up (like most) is the idea of bullying. Nothing new. It exists. It's bad. But because of taking you through the very real process of Olive's actions and repercussions, the audience is able to spectate the very true effect in which an entire community scorns one individual. Like actual bullying, it's rather alarming. It did not even occur to me until the walk home that this story parallels heavily with the recent horrific event regarding Tyler Clementi. In case you've been under a rock or just a little out of the loop lately, Tyler Clementi was a closeted freshman at Rutgers. His roommate snuck a video camera into his room, video taped Clementi having sex with another man, and then posted the videos on facebook. Those videos immediately reached a large mass of viewers. The next day Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge. This only happened yesterday. And bullying has recently lead to several other deaths. (If you want to watch an impactful and powerful clip discussing this issue, watch Ellen Degeneres' speech that has recently exploded on YouTube. She has a way of getting under your skin.)
While "Easy A" is not nearly as dramatic or tragic as these recent events, it still poses a tired construct from a new angle. Yes, it is a very funny movie. Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson offer extremely charismatic and enjoyable performances as Olive's shockingly cool and still nerdy at heart parents. The movie itself is inarguably a good time. Sure Woodchuck Todd might be too attractive for some skeptical movie goers. And yes, the painting of Jesus Freaks might seem unoriginal. But if you give it the opportunity, "Easy A" can not only make you laugh, but also be proud of who you are (corny, but it made me a believer) and it will make you celebrate the fact that a little privacy didn't hurt anybody. If there's anything I've learned from Gluck's wonderful comedy, it's the idea that what I do and who I am applies to me more than anyone else I know. And that is a highly liberating feeling, even if "John Hughes did not direct my life."
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