History Film / EasyA

* AmbiguouslyGay: Marianne, which would make her an [[ArmouredClosetGay Armoured Closet Lesbian]].

* BilingualBonus: Olive goes to a "stupid foreign movie theatre" and decides to see ''Der Scharlachrote Buchstabe'', apparently unaware of what it is and giving up on even pronouncing it halfway through. It's the 1973 German adaptation of ''Literature/TheScarletLetter''. Ironically, this was lost on viewers of the German dub, since it looked just like someone photoshopped the translation in.

** An early draft of the movie's screenplay {{lampshades}} this by having Olive say that both her parents were amused by them sharing their names with food items that they decided to name all of their children the same way. In that same draft, the names of Olive's siblings were Sage and Ginger, with Olive further lampshading this by saying, "It’s shocking, I know. We’re like a fucking pantry, us Penderghasts!"

* FateWorseThanDeath / PlaceWorseThanDeath: Olive described Micah's forced exile to his religious grandparents in Florida as that.

* HappilyAdopted: Olive's brother Chip, who is black, meaning it has never been much of a secret. The film makes fun of ObliviousAdoption when Chip remarks that "I'm adopted" and Dill, the dad, exclaims "What! Who told you?!" in mock outrage as everybody else laughs.
* HappilyMarried: Olive's parents. Subverted with [[spoiler:the Griffiths.]] At first they seem happy, in love and adorably flirty. [[spoiler:Then we learn that their marriage is falling apart -- they haven't slept with each other in ages and she's cheating enough to have caught chlamydia.]]

* {{Mascot}}: Woodchuck Todd, formerly known as Blue Devil Todd (the school mascot was changed after protests from the Christian group, who claimed the mascot depicted their school as devil worshipers).
* MeaningfulName : Not only is Olive an anagram of "I Love" [[LampshadeHanging( which she does explicitly spell out in one scene)]], her whole name is an anagram of "I Love Pretend Shag".

** The very obvious (and totally random) Quiznos Man.
-->'''Olive:''' Not now, Quiznos Guy!\\
'''Quiznos Guy:''' You're a slut.

* RealityIsUnrealistic: A clique of [[TheFundamentalist Christian Fundamentalists]] and a homophobic school principal in ''[[StrawmanPolitical California]]?'' It's more likely than you think. Not all of California is as liberal a people think.

* HeadButtOfLove: During Olive and Brandon's "sex scene." Although completely platonic considering one of them was gay it still was a pretty [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming adorable]] moment.

-->'''Nina''': Perhaps you should embroider a red "A" on your wardrobe, you abominable tramp.//

* EdibleThemeNaming: Everyone in the Penderghast family is named after food. Olive, her mother Rosemary, her father Dill and brother Chip. Her older brother, who is never seen in the movie, is named Kale. An early draft of the movie's screenplay {{lampshades}} this by having Olive say that both her parents were amused by them sharing their names with food items that they decided to name all of their children the same way. In that same early draft, the names of Olive's siblings were Sage and Ginger, saying, "It’s shocking, I know. We’re like a fucking pantry, us Penderghasts!"

* LampshadedDoubleEntendre
--> '''Rosemary Penderghast:''' No, your father is as straight as they come. A little too straight, if you know what I mean, girlfriend.\\
'''Olive Penderghast:''' I don't.
* LovableAlphaBitch: Melody Bostik, -- who according to Olive, "is the most popular girl at school, because she's really pretty and has perfect hair" -- actually seems to be decently friendly. She doesn't mind having people that are lower on the social ladder at her parties, and she greets Olive when she arrives.

* MeaningfulName : Not only is Olive an anagram of "I Love" (which she does explicitly spell out in one scene), her whole name is an anagram of "I Love Pretend Shag".

** Marianne, who usually goes out of her way to avoid swearing ("no, you insensitive rhymes-with-witch!"), screams "THAT BITCH!" at the top of her lungs when [[spoiler:her boyfriend claims Olive gave him Chlamydia.]]

--->'''Olive:''' Not now, Quiznos Guy!\\

** This may or may not have been intentional, but the actress who played the lead in the 1926 ''Film/TheScarletLetter'' was known to be undyingly loyal and a favorite to a man she called "[[NamesTheSame Mr. Griffith]]".

* BreakingTheFourthWall: The webcast, serving as a narration device throughout the whole movie.

'''Girl:''' [[spoiler:Oh my god. Did you hear that Brandon ran away from home? Yeah, totally; he left his parents a note that said "I'm gay, bitches" and then he skipped town with some big hulking black guy!]]\\

* {{Confessional}}: Olive attempts to confess and seek advice from a priest, but the other half of the confessional is empty. "Shoulda seen that one coming."

* EdibleThemeNaming: Everyone in the Penderghast family is named after food. Olive, her mother Rosemary, her father Dill and brother Chip. Her older brother, who is never seen in the movie, is named Kale.

* FateWorseThanDeath: Olive described Micah's forced exile to his religious grandparents in Florida as that.

** The 1926 B&W film, from which clips are shown.

* HappilyMarried: Olive's parents. Subverted with [[spoiler:the Griffiths.]] At first they seem happy, in love and adorably flirty. [[spoiler:Then we learn that their marriage is falling apart - they haven't slept with each other in ages and she's cheating enough to have caught chlamydia.]]

* MeaningfulName : Not only is Olive an anagram of "I Love" (which she does explicity spell out in one scene), her whole name is an anagram of "I Love Pretend Shag".

* PlaceWorseThanDeath: Well, a place worse than [[spoiler:Chlamydia]], at any rate:
-->"And if there's one thing worse than [[spoiler:Chlamydia]], it's [[OnlyInFlorida Florida]]."

** Every computer is a Sony, and every mobile phone is a Sony-Ericsson. The reason for it being Sony specifically (other than computers and mobile phones being used in the film of course) is that Creator/ScreenGems is a Sony company.

* WasActuallyFriendly: Marianne really hated Olive. But when Olive showed her a bit of kindness and support, she quickly changed her attitude and wanted to be friends instead. It didn't last long, but that's for entirely different reasons. [[spoiler:Marianne's boyfriend cheated on her and got a venereal disease, then lied and pretended he got it from Olive.]]

* LovableAlphaBitch: Melody Bostik, -- who according to Olive, "is the most popular girl at school, because she's really pretty and has perfect hair" -- actually seems to be decently friendly.

* ActivistFundamentalistAntics: Marianne's group is shown doing this. First against the school mascot, then against Olive. To the point of picketing ''fellow students'' with hateful slogans, Westboro Baptist Church-style.

-->"[[TooMuchInformation I slept with a lot of people... mostly guys]]"

-->'''Olive:''' Ironically we were studying "Literature/TheScarletLetter". Isn't it always the way? The book you read in class always seems to have strong connection with whatever angsty adolescence trauma is going on. Except for ''Literature/HuckleberryFinn'', 'cause I don't know any teenage boy who ran away with a big, hulking black guy.
-->''[Later...]''
-->'''Girl:''' [[spoiler:Oh my god. Did you hear that Brandon ran away from home? Yeah, totally; he left his parents a note that said "I'm gay, bitches" and then he skipped town with some big hulking black guy!]]
--> '''Olive:''' My apologies to Creator/MarkTwain.

** Olive does an imitation of a [[SouthernBelle Southern Belle's]] accent when her mother jokingly tells her that Brandon has come to ask for her hand in marriage (also in an accent).

** "Goddamn shit!"

* DeadpanSnarker: Olive.
-->'''Marianne:''' There's a higher power that will judge you for your indecency.
-->'''Olive:''' Creator/TomCruise?
** "I thought fake losing my virginity would have been more special. Creator/JudyBlume should have prepared me for that."

** Lampshaded at least once;
--> "Turns out she bore her punishment with humble silence: two concepts I'm not comfortable with."

* DoubleEntendre: The title itself refers to a school course with a reputation for being easy to do well in, to Olive's reputation for being sexually easy, and to how easily the actually virginal Olive gets a reputation for promiscuity.
** It also refers to the eponymous letter of ''Literature/TheScarletLetter''.

* LovableAlphaBitch: Melody Bostik, - who according to Olive, "is the most popular girl at school, because she's really pretty and has perfect hair" - actually seems to be decently friendly.

** Also implicates TheUnfairSex.

* ShoutOut: By the bucket load. Olive's excitement at having "a gentleman caller" may be one to ''Theatre/TheGlassMenagerie''; references are made to, complete with clips, the many films of Creator/JohnHughes, with several of their more climactic scenes re-enacted in the film. The [[WholePlotReference majority of the plot]] is also a reference to ''Literature/TheScarletLetter''.

-->'''Olive's Mom:''' No judgment, but you kind of look like a stripper.
-->'''Olive:''' Mom!
-->'''Olive's Dad:''' [[HighClassCallGirl A high end stripper, for governors and athletes.]]

* UnreliableNarrator: Olive states at the very beginning that this is ''her'' side of the story. Also, she is recounting events, but she was not present for every event she recounts--most of them, yes, but the phone conversation between Micah and Mrs. Griffith was a key exception.
** The most important exception, though, was the conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Griffith after Olive had left the room, where Mr. Griffith was trying to get his wife to have sex. Olive wasn't there, so how could she know what was said? Later, Mrs. Griffith told her that she had not had sex with her husband in some time in a way that seemed to put the blame on Mr. Griffith--did Olive in her recounting of events shift the blame to Mrs. Griffith because she was angry at her?

* WholePlotReference: This movie mirrors the plot of ''Literature/TheScarletLetter'' and its characters... [[PopCulturalOsmosis Ironically, neither the writer nor the director of the film have read]] ''Literature/TheScarletLetter''.
** Olive is Hester in that she is unjustly accused of being a whore. Olive is also [[spoiler:Hester's husband Chillingworth when she exposes Mrs. Griffith's infidelities but comes to regret it]].
** Mrs. Griffith is [[spoiler:Rev. Dimmesdale who pretends to be a pillar of moral character]].
*** Really an aversion or subversion. Hester Prynne really did commit adultery, whereas Olive didn't do any of the things that the rumors about her supposed, which, when you think about it, might be why Olive was not comfortable with Hester's "humble silence". Hester bore her punishment because, a puritan herself, she accepted that she deserved it. Olive knows herself to be innocent. Likewise, Dimmesdale really was a decent man who felt terrible remorse and begged Hester to name him and expose his guilt. Mrs. Griffith, by contrast, turned out to be [[spoiler:a liar, a cheater, and willing to potentially wreck a teenage girl's life]].

* MonochromeCasting: One common criticism of the film is that it's so very blatantly ''white''. [[note]]Which, to be fair, Ojai, California really, really is. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ojai,_California#Demographics Almost 90%, according to the 2010 Census]].[[/note]]

* WithFriendsLikeThese: Olive and Rhiannon. At one point Olive points out that Rhiannon calls her [[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch "bitch"]] a lot, noting that it is not actually a term of endearment. Later on, Rhiannon actually tries to ''get Olive expelled''.

* ShoutOut: By the bucket load. Olive's excitement at having "a gentleman caller" may be one to ''TheGlassMenagerie''; references are made to, complete with clips, the many films of Creator/JohnHughes, with several of their more climactic scenes re-enacted in the film. The [[WholePlotReference majority of the plot]] is also a reference to ''Literature/TheScarletLetter''.

* AttentionWhore: A [[DownplayedTrope downplayed exampled]]. Olive initially likes the increased attention the rumors gain her, which is why she does not work harder to stop them at the beginning of the film. As the story progresses, however, she begins to grow more and more dissatisfied with the results.

* BrainyBrunette: Olive, she is quiet witty and engaging.

-->'''-later-'''

*** [[spoiler:At the end, almost every major character in the film is shown on a computer, watching Olive's confessional webcast. In this sequence, we also see Brandon and the aforementioned [[RaceTropes (though non-hulking)]] black guy watching the film adaptation of ''Literature/HuckleberryFinn''.]]
** Olive and Mr. Griffith talk about "Literature/TheScarletLetter," and how most students only watch the movie, and talk about how hot Creator/DemiMoore is. At the end of the movie, one student is watching the webcast, and when he realizes that Olive is ''not'' going to do anything risque, he states that Creator/DemiMoore at least got to take her top off.

* ItsAllAboutMe: Rhiannon have a tendency to be this, and Olive actually tried to call her out on it.

* ActivistFundamentalistAntics: Marianne's group is shown doing this. First against the basketball team, then against Olive. To the point of picketing ''fellow students'' with hateful slogans, Westboro Baptist Church-style.

* AlmostKiss: Olive and Woodchuck Todd when they were in eighth grade. Woodchuck Todd chickened out, and later shared his first kiss with [[spoiler:Rhiannon]].

* CantGetAwayWithNuthin: Olive is a straight-A student who has never been in trouble before, but when she gets sent to the principal for nothing more serious than using a bad word (and not even that bad a word), he threatens to expel her if she is ever in trouble again.

* GenreSavvy: Olive, who regularly references other teen high school movies (and how things don't seem to be going quite the same way).

* GoingCommando: When Olive fakes sex with Brandon, she gives him her panties and presumably spends the rest of the party in her short dress without any.

* HolierThanThou: Marianne.

* MeaningfulName : Not only is Olive an anagram of "I Love", her whole name is an anagram of "I Love Pretend Shag".

** Olive gets paid in gift cards for every business from Home Depot to Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Except for Lobster Shack, a {{Bland Name|Product}} for Carrows Restaurant. Or Red Lobster.

* WithFriendsLikeThese: Olive and Rhiannon. At one point Olive points out that Rhiannon calls her [[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch "bitch"]] a lot, noting that it is not actually a term of endearment.

* TheCastShowoff: Creator/EmmaStone is definitely not a bad singer.

** Olive gets paid in gift cards for every business from Home Depot to Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Except for Lobster Shack, a [[BlandNameProduct Bland Name]] for Carrows Restaurant. Or Red Lobster.

-->'''Girl:''' [[spoiler: Oh my god. Did you hear that Brandon ran away from home? Yeah, totally; he left his parents a note that said "I'm gay, bitches" and then he skipped town with some big hulking black guy!]]

* [[ClusterFBomb Cluster S Bomb]]: Mrs. Griffith's breakdown when she decides to [[spoiler: confess that she has been sleeping with a student, and that she has given him an STD]].

* HeroOfAnotherStory: Brandon. Who is apparently [[spoiler: starring in a modern retelling of Literature/HuckleberryFinn with the [[HoYay subtext]] made text.]]

* MoodWhiplash: It's a pure comedy until a [[spoiler: DateRapeAverted scene]].
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Olive has this ''seconds'' after [[spoiler: informing Mr. Griffith that his wife is sleeping with a student, gave him an STD and is trying to blame it on Olive.]]

* ReallyGetsAround: Olive unjustly gets this reputation. [[spoiler: Her mom]] embodied this trope in her youth. Also, [[spoiler: Mrs. Griffith seems to consider herself to be this]].

* WasActuallyFriendly: Marianne really hated Olive. But when Olive showed her a bit of kindness and support, she quickly changed her attitude and wanted to be friends instead. It didn't last long, but that's for entirely different reasons. [[spoiler: Marianne's boyfriend cheated on her and got a venereal disease, then lied and pretended he got it from Olive.]]

* GenreSavvy:
** Olive, who regularly references other teen high school movies (and how things don't seem to be going quite the same way).
** Mr. Griffith, who seems to know he is in a highschool movie.

* BreakTheHaughty: The look on Marrianne's face after [[spoiler:the podcast]] says that she's now questioning her entire existence.

-->'''Olive:''' "Ironically we were studying "Literature/TheScarletLetter". Isn't it always the way? The book you read in class always seems to have strong connection with whatever angsty adolescence trauma is going on. Except for ''Literature/HuckleberryFinn'', 'cause I don't know any teenage boy who ran away with a big, hulking black guy."

-->'''Girl:''' [[spoiler: "Oh my god. Did you hear that Brandon ran away from home? Yeah, totally; he left his parents a note that said "I'm gay, bitches" and then he skipped town with some big hulking black guy!"]]

** It also refers to the eponymous letter of ''Literature/TheScarletLetter'',

--> '''Rhiannon''': I had to hear from Jackie Rudetzky that you hooked up with some gay dude in a party! Do you have any idea how embrassing that is?"

* AManIsNotAVirgin: Played with; although no actual sex is had, Olive starts trading on her reputation to allow guys to ''pretend'' they had sex with her in order to boost their standing around school.

-->'''Olive''': Not now, Quiznos Guy!
-->'''Quiznos Guy''': You're a slut.
** Olive's family makes sure to scratch "Watch TheBucketList" off of TheBucketList.

--> '''Dill''': What is the rumor mill churning these days? Anything interesting?
--> '''Olive''': Not much, it's a little low in grist.
--> '''Dill''': Nice word play, you must be related to me.
--> '''Olive''': Only by marriage.

* RealityIsUnrealistic: A clique of [[TheFundamentalist Christian Fundamentalists]] and a homophobic school principal in ''[[StrawmanPolitical California]]?'' It's more likely than you think. Not all of California is as liberal a people think.

* AttentionWHore: A [[DownplayedTrope downplayed exampled]]. Olive initially likes the increased attention the rumors gain her, which is why she does not work harder to stop them at the beginning of the film. As the story progresses, however, she begins to grow more and more dissatisfied with the results.