Easy A Review

A teen comedy with a difference, and a lesson for Christians

There’s a format for making a teen comedy:

Take a teenage social outcast
Put obstacles in the way of their quest for popularity and/or the significant other of their dreams
Add one or two quirky friends
Season with a soundtrack full of Top 40 hits.

But what if you did something different? What if you took the formula and added self awareness, witty dialogue and heart? Easy A takes this route and the result is an enjoyable 90 minutes sitting in a cinema.

What's the movie about?

Olive (Emma Stone) is a highschool nobody. She has no reputation and is on nobody’s radar. However, a small lie about having sex with a non-existent boyfriend soon becomes fuel for the school rumour mill. Suddenly, she has a reputation as a high class hooker. To those in the know, she’s accepting gifts from other social outcasts to pretend she’s had sex with them, therefore boosting both of their reps. Olive has gone from nobody to infamous and nobody’s getting hurt. Right?

We all want to be noticed

Easy A taps into the deep seated human desire to be significant. To have other people notice you and recognise your existence. It doesn’t matter if you’re an introvert or an extrovert, no one wants to be isolated and ignored. Everybody is searching for a connection, something that says I belong. Olive would much rather have a reputation for being a bad girl than no reputation at all. One character, who desires Olive’s notoriety, makes the call “at least you’re being thought of.”

What the Christians did in the movie

The saddest part of Easy A is that when Olive is at her lowest and looking for help, the Christians are no help at all. Amanda Bynes plays Marianne, the leader of the school’s Christian group. She is not someone I would hold up as an example of Christian love. She’s a jerk. She’s more interested in shunning Olive than pointing her to Christ. When she does try to convert Olive, it’s a superficial attempt with no effort made to build a relationship with God or to address Olive’s hurt, her need for belonging. Marianne needs a swift kick in the head and a lesson in Christian love.

What the Christians should have done in the movie

Olive seeks acceptance through lies and misdirection. If only the Christians at her shcool had introduced to the truth. That God loves his people. That he has welcomed us into his family, not because of our grades at school, who we’ve slept with, what sport we play or our reputation. Christ Jesus, the son of God, died to rescue you. To give your life significance. “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose youa to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.” (2 Thes 2:13) Putting our trust in the ultimate truth, in Jesus Christ, is what brings genuine belonging, acceptance and significance.

The final word

If you can’t stand teen movies, Easy A isn’t going to change your mind. If you’re a teenager or spend time with other teenagers, this is a great movie to interact with. It doesn’t (thankfully) go for the gross out element of many teen movies. There’s no nudity and while there are plenty of sexual references, there are no actual sex scenes. Though do be cautious of the strong language. This is a movie unafraid to throw around the coarse language. Taking all these things into account, Easy A comes strongly recomended for those old enough for it's M rating.