MovieChat Forums > Easy A (2010) Discussion > Her Adopted Little Brother Was Pointless...

Her Adopted Little Brother Was Pointless?

posted 12 years ago by Anansasem
16 replies | jump to latest

I get it was a reference to the interracial adoption phase going on in society and headlined by celebrities, probably would've worked as well with a little Asian girl.

Anyway, other than the initial joke where the father hit the wall and demanded to know who told him he was adopted, the little boy served no purpose. He had like 3 lines, and just kinda sat there looking confused during all the family scenes without giving any input, reaction, or even a cheesy one-liner to make it seem like he was actually relevant. Honestly, I can't remember one interaction between him and his 'big sister,' and I don't think Olive even acknowledges the kids existence once during the entire movie!

I mean just one scene with Olive jabbing him, rubbing his head, or yelling at him to get out of her room would've made the kid seem like less of a random accessory. If they were going to add him, they shouldn't have been so... quarter-assed about it? He was added as a running-gag that just never took off running.

Done and dusted.

[–] CaptHayfever 12 years ago

Olive acknowledges his existence when she's reluctant to say her "bad word" out loud; if he hadn't been there, she would've just said it.
I think he also helps illustrate the different parenting tactics Olive's folks use at different ages; they treat him very differently than they treat her, not because he's adopted, but because he's younger. This implies that Olive had a similar upbringing.

[–] Anansasem 12 years ago

The scene could've been just as valid if they were in a public place.

What I'm getting at is that she had heart to hearts with her mom, a sort of running banter with her dad, but her "little brother" might as well not be there. I see you're applying some sort of broad significance to his role in the family unit, but there's no personal interactions at all with the kid, which makes his presence awkward.

There's just nothing there to demonstrate they're siblings, no snarky condescending remarks that any older sis would make, no banter, no nosy-little-brother-get-out-of-my-room. Honestly his presence seemed like a gag they decided to scrap after already booking the kid for the shoot.

Done and dusted.

[–] velcronewsletter 12 years ago

yes, he seemed a little pointless

[–] Abercombie_n_Mitch 12 years ago

no snarky condescending remarks that any older sis would make, no banter, no nosy-little-brother-get-out-of-my-room.

i want to start off saying I completely understand where you're coming from, If any character was pointless he was, but adding these scenes would make it even more irrelevant because of how the family acted and how Olive and I am assuming her brother as well were brought up. Being snarky or condescending is not in Olive's personality and the family as a whole seemed very relaxed and open to one another. Some siblings do not have a catty, fighting relationship and it would be out of no where to see him snoozing in her room or for her to be giving him attitude.

follow on Instagram. @abercombie_n_mitch

[–] tyshimah3 12 years ago

The principal was also pointless.
so, what's your point?

**Michael.JACKSON**

[–] Princess_Ashmi 12 years ago

lol I thought so too.

He brought nothing to the film so what was the point of his character? Other than to say "Hey look, a white family adopted a black kid"(not trying to cause offense)

Ashmi any question

[–] starlets-geo 12 years ago

I have a much more important question about the little brother. Olive said George was a friend of her brothers. This begs the question, is the little brother a prodigy or did Olive loose her fake virginity to a little kid?

Nothing is mentioned, yet Rhianon does not blink an eye when Olive says George is a friend of her brother?? I agree with CaptHayfever that says the little brother is their to show what kind of upbringing Olive got. The fact that he is black is for the slower viewers to figure out his parents our liberal (but not weirdos like Rhianon's).

P.S. Anybody know if the blu-ray DVD has more extras than the regular DVD? Is there any other scenes with the little brother that didn't make the movie?

[–] Thomasina 12 years ago

Olive has two brothers. One is older, in college, and not seen in the movie; one is younger, adopted, and seen in some of the scenes set at Olive's house.

[–] starlets-geo 12 years ago

Did they ever say it? It just through me off on the 2nd time I saw the movie and wondered about it.

[–] Thomasina 12 years ago

It's been about a year since I've seen the movie, but my recollection is that while Olive is trying to get out of a blind date or a double date or something that Rhiannon wants to set her up on, Olive tells Rhiannon that her imaginary "boyfriend" George goes to college with her (Olive's) brother. Then, later on when you see that Olive also has a younger brother, the natural assumption is just that Olive has two brothers, one older and one younger.

They don't spend a lot of time explaining the situation since is clearly not the point of the movie--but I never found it confusing, because it is well within the range of normal human experience for people to have older brothers. Even if they also have younger brothers!

Edited to add: Just looked it up: it wasn't a double date that Rhiannon wanted her to go on; it was a camping trip with her super-weird parents.

[–] queencat18 12 years ago

The older brother thing bugged me, too. She mentions him once, then never again. He seemed even more pointless than the little brother

"Oh my God! You put a living room where the crack den used to be!"

[–] starlets-geo 12 years ago

Exactly, they could have spent an extra 10 seconds passing by family photos with a picture of the whole family and shown an older brother. First couple of times it never registered in my head. It has really only bugged me after multiple viewings (easy A and Mean girls are my go-to feel good movies).

I do crack up at the scene with the last time Olive spent time with Rhianon's parents. With the topless mom and the dad with the bong : )

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] notacastingcouch 12 years ago

The whole exchange with,

"Why does that matter? i'm adopted"

"Who told you!"

That was worth the character in my opinion. I love that scene! i also love the little family dynamic they had. Watching 'the bucket list' together was sweet. People complain about silly things like this. If he was a white kid, people could just as easily ask why Olive's adopted brother couldn't have been black. Why does it matter? diversity is good. Creating a norm is good.

[–] northernlassmag 10 years ago

Loved that line and the while set up. It was worth that for me too.

[–] northernlassmag 10 years ago

I waa kind of looking for an explanation (I even watched the commentry to find out, no such luck) but I think it was a comment on the modern family unit. It's becoming quite common on TV what with Modern Family and Grace and Frankie that families today are not 2.4 and all the same colour. I actually liked it and the humour with the father Dill was brilliant in that scene.