MovieChat Forums > Easy A (2010) Discussion > One thing I don't get

One thing I don't get

posted 10 years ago by Sabsi_123
3 replies | jump to latest

At the end of the "Knock on Wood" scene Olive tells the principal that he needs to talk to Mrs. Griffith since she will be able to convince him not to kick Olive out of school. But, why would Mrs. Griffith help Olive or in any other way be helpful in her not getting into trouble with the principle?

It would only make sense if Mrs. Griffith would convince the principle not to kick Olive out of school if Olive would still keep the secret of Mrs. Griffith's affair (and therefore make sure the secret doesn't come out). But, Olive told absolutely everyone about it on the webcast. Why would Mrs. Griffith care about Olive's well-being anymore? Guilty conscience (if she even has such, since Olive calls her pure evil)?
Olive has nothing on her part that can make her so sure that Mrs. Griffith will help her in staying at school. Furthermore, all the things Olive did (not applying to school dress code, doing a dance/song in front of the whole school, which is very sexually suggestive, insulting the Principle/not acknowledging his authority, etc.) were made by her on her own, and Mrs. Griffith doesn't even know about them and none of this was triggered by or is in relation to Mrs. Griffith and her secret. So, Mrs. Griffith cannot undo the things Olive could get suspended for in the end.

So, yeah, in what ways can Mrs. Griffith be helpful to not get Olive kicked out of school?

[–] northernlassmag 10 years ago

I didn't actually notice that until you said.i think it was intended to be sneaky.Now I'll never be able to Un see it again. Lol.

[–] Ltay328 10 years ago

I didn't think Olive told everyone. I think she only told her husband. So she was only facing her husband not losing her job. So I think Olive knew she would still speak up for her because she knew that Olive could speak up and she'd lose her job. I could be wrong but I'm watching it again now, so it'll become completely clear soon.

[–] GreyHunter 9 years ago

I just assumed it was a more general "Once you find out the situation, you won't be expelling me because one of your own employees was just part of a vicious attempt to slander a minor at your school" than an actual suggestion that the principal talk to Mrs. Griffith and have her change his mind. Imagine the liability involved if a school administration punished a student after a member of said administration crossed some huge ethical lines with regards to that student. So Olive was just pointing him in the direction of a situation that could cost him his job if he mishandled it (by, say, expelling a 17 year old girl when one of his own employees was screwing a student and screwing over the student that was falsely accused of having sex with the first student.) The principal already made it clear that he wanted no scandal attached to his tenure in office, especially not a sex scandal (remember his rather crude reference to keeping the girls "off the pole"?) Hence the idea that he'd be quickly convinced not to expel Olive once the truth came out, even if Mrs. Griffith didn't actually directly advocate for her.

Not that any of this matters. Principals can't unilaterally expel students. Suspend, yes. Expel, no. That would be the province of the school district, not the local principal.