Netflix Raunchy Comedy Based On Classic Literature Launched Actress Into Superstardom
By now, you’ve probably noticed that solid cinematic adaptations of classic literature are hard to pull off … after all, it’s hard to faithfully adapt all of that text into a short runtime, and it’s even harder to create a film that appeals to both fans of the book and general audiences. Every now and then, though, a movie manages to do the impossible by synthesizing the spirit of the original literature while creating something refreshing and new. One such example is Easy A, the raunchy sex comedy on Netflix that helped make Emma Stone into a household name.
An Unlikely Adaptation
Easy A is a loose adaptation of the classic Nathaniel Hawthorne novel The Scarlet Letter. If you need a recap (hey, high school English was a long time ago), this book was about a woman who commits adultery and has a child while her husband was presumed lost at sea. The novel takes its name from the fact that part of her shame-based punishment is to constantly wear a scarlet letter “A” for adultery, though she ultimately proves to be the prevailing moral force in a world full of weird misogyny.
Overcoming The Relentless Rumor Mill
As an adaptation, Easy A takes more than a few liberties with the story: it takes place in a modern-day high school and features a girl who doesn’t have a kid…in fact, she hasn’t even had any intimate encounters. When she lies about a romantic encounter, though, a rumor spreads like wildfire that she is very promiscuous. This leads to many misadventures for our plucky young protagonist, but she defies the assumptions about herself by stitching a red “A” into her clothes because she has been reading The Scarlet Letter in English class.
Easy A’s Cast Is A Blast From The Past
There are plenty of reasons to watch Easy A, including the incredible cast. The student cast includes Gossip Girl alumnus Penn Badgley and All That star Amanda Bynes. Meanwhile, the adult characters are played by a series of incredible screen legends, including Lisa Kudrow, Stanley Tucci, Fred Armisen, and Malcolm McDowell.
First and foremost, though, Easy A is Emma Stone’s movie. This was her breakout role, and it’s not hard to see why: she manages to project irreverent strength and gentle vulnerability at the same time. In the best possible way, her performance feels wonderfully “meta” because even as her character defies assumptions and stereotypes, Stone defies any attempts to simplify her endearingly complex character.
Reception And Legacy
For Sony, one thing that certainly wasn’t complex was this film’s great box office. Against a budget of only $8 million, Easy A earned a whopping $75 million. Weirdly enough, the movie never got a sequel, though one was announced in 2019 and teased in 2021 (maybe the studio is waiting for the 20-year class reunion).
Easy A will likely always be a standalone film, but it can stand with pride: on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie currently has a critical rating of 85 percent. In general, reviewers argued that the film stood on the backs of better teen comedies that had come before it. But even if this film isn’t perfect when graded on a scale, it serves as “a smart, witty showcase for its irresistibly charming star, Emma Stone.”
Stream Easy A On Netflix Today
GFR SCORE
That’s about where I land on the film as well … as an 80s kid, I thoroughly enjoyed the teen comedies of yesteryear, but I often cringe at modern attempts to recreate their raunchy magic. Easy A feels a bit like a magic trick in that it channels the spirit of those films while cleverly reversing their plots. “Boys will be boys” misogyny provides the undercurrent of many 80s cinematic staples, but here it serves as a force for our protagonist to subvert for her own benefit.
Will you think Easy A makes the grade, or is this a movie you’ll want to send to detention? You won’t know until you stream it on Netflix.
