Entertainment : \'Easy A\' is funny take on serious issues facing teens

“It's a funny, engaging comedy that takes the familiar but underrated Emma Stone and makes her, I believe, a star.” Roger Ebert

“Easy A” opens Friday, October 15 and plays through Thursday, October 21 at 7 pm nightly, and Monday, October 18 at 2 p.m.

This teenage comedy, about a young girl who starts a rumor that she lost her virginity to a college boy to enhance her reputation, is rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements involving teenage sexuality, language and some drug material, and runs 90 minutes.

“The movie works because it’s funny, yes, but also because it's smart. When Olive (Stone) begins wearing the scarlet letter "A" on her clothing, borrowing the idea from the Nathaniel Hawthorne novel they are reading in class, she shows a level of irony that I'm afraid is lost on the student body, but not on us. I think it may always be necessary that we like the hero or heroine of a comedy. I certainly liked Olive. I'm pretty sure that's also how an actor becomes a movie star.” Ebert again

I also read in Entertainment Weekly that Amanda Bynes stands out in this movie, as Marianne, the self-righteous, prissy, religious type who believes it’s her job to spread the word about Olive and save the souls of her fellow students.

There are a lot of teenage flicks I’d recommend skipping, but this isn’t one of them. Like “Juno,” the subject matter may be hard to handle, but for those of us who really want to know what our kids are facing in today’s world, “Easy A” is a must-see.

HAWKS VS MICHIGAN

Saturday at 2:30 p.m. the Iowa Hawkeyes again rush the big screen at the Palace. There’s no charge for admission and you are welcome to bring in beer or wine coolers (no glass, please). No other snack items will be allowed, but the concession stand will add hotdogs, brats, pizza and nachos to its regular menu. The doors will open one hour before the game.