A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about my comfort movies. After I submitted it, I realized one specific movie was missing — Easy A. Apparently the universe heard me, and on November 1st, Emma Stone wearing a scarlet “A” showed up on my screen when I opened Netflix.
For those of you who have been deprived of viewing greatness on the big screen and aren’t familiar with Easy A, here’s a rundown. Easy A follows 17-year-old Olive, who seemingly was invisible in her high school, through a wild ride when a rumor about her sex-life spiraled out of control around the school. The twist of the movie is how Olive uses the rumor to flip conventions about female sexuality on its head. Of course, like any good 2000s teen drama, personal and social repercussions follow and Olive grapples with her own identity. Overall, this movie is a refreshing take on the genre with enough humor and heart to make it one of my personal favorites. I was beyond excited when Netflix released Easy A to its library, and I’ve already watched it once since it was added (I’m definitely planning on watching it just a few more times, don’t worry).
Here are 5 reasons why you should — or shall I say must — revisit one of my favorite classic rom-coms:
- The Nostalgia Factor
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Easy A reminds me of middle-school sleepovers with my friends, laughing and eating entire boxes of Entenmann’s mini chocolate chip cookies. It also features some of our old-school favorite queens like Amanda Bynes and Aly Michalka. The vibes are very early-2000s (even though it came out in 2010) and you’ll feel all the throwback vibes.
- Emma Stone as Olive
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Emma Stone is definitely known more now for her critically-acclaimed, powerhouse performances in movies like La La Land and Birdman. But for a while, she was serving us iconic rom-com performances in movies like Crazy, Stupid, Love, The House Bunny, and Ghost of Girlfriends Past. Olive is a particular favorite of mine, as she’s fiercely feminist and strong, but also vulnerable and relatable as well.
- The Humor
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This movie makes me laugh out loud every single time I watch it! It’s exciting to see a teen rom-com that is so unabashedly goofy and fun. My personal favorite dynamic is the parents, played by Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson, but everyone delivers some great comedic timing and moments. I’m sure that if you asked a friend to name a laugh out loud moment from Easy A they could give you more than you could count!
- Penn Badgely Finally Not Playing a Creep
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As much as we can appreciate Dan Humphrey from Gossip Girl and Joe from You, it’s refreshing to see Penn play someone less terrifying. Woodchuck Todd is adorable and definitely my middle-school self’s dream guy. His romance with Olive is everything it needs to be for the movie to be a hit… they are just so adorable!
- The Feminist Elements
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Easy A is a modern take on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, but Olive embraces her label rather than hiding from it. However, the movie does deal with society’s view of female promiscuity and the double standard between male and female sexuality. While the film definitely doesn’t get too on a soapbox about the issue, it still delivers a powerful message for girls.
I could go on forever with reasons as to why you should watch (or rewatch) Easy A, but it’s about time that you find your own… I guess you’ll just have to tune in and have a girls night!
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