We've all dealt with rumors—we know once one gets started, it's impossible to stop. What's worse is that the tidbit of information everyone has heard in a matter of five minutes is nowhere near to the truth. Will Gluck's new comedy, ""Easy A,"" brings us a story of rumors started and lessons learned, but with a lot of laughs thrown in between.
Actress Emma Stone (""Superbad"") plays Olive Penderghast, your typical cute but off-the-radar high school girl on the prowl for a decent guy. Her best friend, Rhiannon (Alyson Michalka), is your average blonde hair, big-boobed cheerleader who thinks she's superior to Olive because she's no longer a holder of the V-card. To avoid an awkward weekend with Rhiannon and her parents, Olive claims she has a date with a boy from community college. When they get back to school, Rhiannon drills Olive about her weekend, assuming that Olive has finally had sex with someone. Instead of telling her the truth, Olive tells Rhiannon that she did. Unfortunately, their conversation is overheard by the school's religious beauty, Marianne (Amanda Bynes), and the rumor that Olive is no longer a virgin begins.
Since she is believed to be sexually active, Olive goes from unnoticeable to potentially dateable. When her friend, Brandon (Dan Byrd, ""A Cinderella Story""), whose struggling with coming out, asks Olive to help him convince people he's straight, Olive agrees. Olive and Brandon lock themselves in a bedroom and loudly act out a mind-blowing sex scene. Everyone overhears, changing the student body's view of Brandon. Unfortunately for Olive, a few more boys get wind of her agreement to have ""sex"" with Brandon, and what starts out as helping a friend turns into Olive ""having sex"" with more guys for money. Word gets out of Olive's promiscuity, and she's quickly labeled the school slut.
Stone shines in the movie, having come into her own since her roles in ""Superbad"" and ""The House Bunny."" Her sarcastic comments and rude language illicit multiple fits of laughter, and the fake sex scene with Byrd shows off her comedic disposition. Her chemistry with Penn Badgley (""Gossip Girl""), though not a major part of the film, brings out a cute side of Stone as well. Another actor who adds to the superb comedic value of this film is Stanley Tucci, known best for his roles in ""The Devil Wears Prada"" and ""The Lovely Bones."" Playing the role of Olive's father, the banter between Tucci and Stone, as well as Tucci's own comments, guarantee some giggles.
A major setback to the film is Bynes' character. While the concept of the character herself is a necessary part of the plot, having Bynes in the movie is not. The actress who once shined in movies like ""She's the Man"" and ""What a Girl Once"" has lost her grasp on what it means to be funny. Perhaps this below average performance will inspire the Nickelodeon-alum take a break and reallocate her once-stellar comedic personality.
Overall, the movie is a feel-good 92 minutes of laughs. Gluck has hit a high note with ""Easy A"" and his casting of Stone. Not only does she provide an energetic, hysterical personality for her character, but also serves as a role model for battling the rumor mill with your head held high. Tucci and Badgley also help to make this comedy particularly enjoyable. The film may be called ""Easy A,"" but it is obvious that Stone worked hard to make a name for herself, and with this movie, she has succeeded. Her performance makes the movie.
