Film opening analysis DYM

Easy A whole movie (just watch the opening)

Film: Easy A
Genres: Comedy, Romance
Setting: High School in California, summertime
Time scale: roughly 2 months

10 min opening sequence narrative: The films opens by showing the high school setting in one, continuous shot with Olive - the main character – narrating. She needs to tells us her side of the story on how everything went wrong.  

Do the events link to each other or are they distinct, unconnected events?

The events do link to each other well however there are cuts from the past, which shows her school life, to the future, where Olive is recording her side of the story on camera. As she narrates, the frame switches back to how it all started in the beginning.

Which characters are introduced and what are their roles in the film? How do we find this information out?

First we are introduced to Olive's best friend, Rhiannon who Olive has always felt inferior to because Rhiannon is not a virgin. We see them walking together and talking about boys as close friends typically do. From this the audience knows that the film is a typical high school drama chick flick. Mr Griffith is Olive’s favourite teacher however it is implied that Olive makes a lot of trouble later on creating doubt as to whether she is still his favourite student. This creates suspense and leaves the audience wanting to know more as Olive does not reveal everything yet. Maryann is a preppy, blonde, popular girl who is obsessed with God and religion and dislikes Olive because she overheard Olive telling her white lie of losing her virginity in the toilet. We know they don’t get along as Maryann calls Olive and Rhiannon 'whores' to their faces.

How much story information is revealed and how is it revealed to the audience?

Olive told a white lie of losing her virginity which spreads like wildfire around the school changing her image to that of a 'slut'. This is revealed by the fast forwarding effect of the camera frame to show everyone around school passing on gossip about Olive. It is filmed in one shot to not only create a narrative flow but also to create the feeling of the gossip traveling a long distance all over school.