Easy A

Easy A directed by Will Gluck (Sony Pictures) ASIN: B0036TGSIK

Plot Summary

Olive lies to her best friend Rhiannon about losing her virginity.  Before she can explain that she was joking.  Marianne -- a born again Christian -- spreads the rumor that Olive had sex with a college guy.  Her gay friend Brandon asks her to fake having sex with him too, so that the other students at school will stop hazing him.  Soon after, a number of guys at the school begin paying Olive to pretend to have sex with them too.  Soon she is ostracized at school.  She's willing to play the part for a time, until she is accused of giving Marianne's boyfriend chlamydia, and another classmate takes her on a date expecting sex.  These two incidents inspire her to come clean about being a virgin.
 

Critical Evaluation

While it may not seem it from the plot summary, the film is charming.  In most areas of her life Olive is intelligent and confident.  She has a strong relationship with her parents and brother.  The movie also reveals how seriously sex is taken in high school; even the pretense that Olive is having sex causes her a slut-shaming.  The film is able to broach this double standards (the girls who do it are sluts; the guys who do it are studs) and talk about STDs without every feeling preachy or pedantic.  It helps that we are in the know the whole time and have the film focalized through Olive's precocious eyes.

Reader’s Annotation

Olive lied about doing; then pretended to do it.  Now everyone is treating her like someone who overdoes it. 

Information about the author

Will Gluck has directed Fired Up!, Friends With Benefits, and Easy A.  He is working on a film adaptation of Annie for 2014.

Genre

Moving Picture

Curriculum Ties

The movie is a treatment of the Scarlet Letter, but it doesn't follow the plot of Hawthorne's work; it uses as a jumping off point of inspiration.  Still, the film may raise some compelling points for discussion if a class reads that book.  The film may also be a useful tool for starting a conversation about sex and sexuality (perhaps coupled with sex education and Doing It Right).

Booktalking Ideas

1. Focus on the humor and the frank discussion of sex and sexuality.

2.  Screen the montage where Olive gets a card from her grandmother.  It's charming and helps develop her character.  This (listening to a musical card over and over) is what she was really doing the weekend she claims (sarcastically) to have lost her virginity.

Reading Level/Interest Age

9th grade and up.

Challenge Issues

Sex (discussion of it; and making fake sex noises), alcohol, and language.

I would openly greet any patron who presented a challenge to the work, giving them ample time to detail their complaint.  I would listen attentively.  To respond to these challenges I would have some reviews of the work on hand.   I would be prepared to explain that as a public institution libraries "cannot limit access on the basis of age or other characteristics" (ALA, 1999).  I would have copies of the library's collection policy on hand.  I would be prepared to politely discuss that parents can control what their children are exposed to by coming to the library with them and examining books they check out.  If the Teen Advisory Group had written reviews of the work I'd have them handy.  While it may be of little comfort to certain parents, I would also be prepared to discuss my staunch support of intellectual freedom and abhorrence of censorship.  As a last resort, I would be sure to keep copies or a reconsideration form on hand.

Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?

Emma Stone is a currently popular actress.  I find this film to be smart and funny.

References

American Library Association. (1999). Strategies and tips for dealing with challenges to library materials. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/copingwithchallenges/strategiestips 

Pardes, B. (2007). Doing it right. New York: Simon Pulse.

Pardes, B. (2013). About me. Retrieved from http://bronwenpardes.com/?page_id=14