‘Easy’ to watch
“Easy A” already has buzz as being a teen flick way above the genre’s norm. It’s being classed with the hilarious John Hughes films of the ’80s, such as “Ferris Bueller” and “Sixteen Candles.” I was charmed by the trailers, and I think it’s that rare movie that parents and teens could enjoy together.
Emma Stone plays a high school girl whom few notice. But to help a gay male friend who is being bullied, she helps start a false rumor that he’s straight and that she lost her virginity to him. The rumor mill about Stone’s “looseness” is stoked by the school’s No. 1 Christian teen (Amanda Bynes, 24). Based somewhat on the classic novel “The Scarlet Letter,” the excellent cast includes Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci as Stone’s parents and Lisa Kudrow, 47, as a concerned guidance counselor. (Opens Sept. 17.)
New on the tube
Premiering at 10 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15 on NBC is the drama “Outlaws.” Jimmy Smits stars as a Supreme Court justice who resigns his seat, returns to the practice of law and puts together a small law firm to seek justice for the “little guy.” One of the firm’s lawyers is named Al Druzinsky (David Ramsey). Ramsey, who is black, just told Jet magazine that Druzinsky is supposed to have been adopted by a Jewish couple, who will be seen in a later episode. Ramsey is best known for playing the confidential informant/boyfriend of Dexter’s sister (a cop) on Showtime’s “Dexter.”
Scott Caan, 34, the son of James Caan, 70, co-stars in a re-make of “Hawaii Five-O,” the classic CBS ’60s police show. The title, network and character names remain the same. Caan plays Detective Danny “Dano” Williams, the sidekick of the lead detective. Caan’s Dano will be a bit edgier than the original. The remake storyline has him being a tough cop, originally from New Jersey. (Starts Sept. 20 at 10 p.m.)
Starting the same night, at 8 p.m., is the 11th season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” Two Jewish celebs compete — Jennifer Grey, 50, from “Dirty Dancing,” and soft-rock singer Michael Bolton, 57.
Starting on Sept. 22 at 10 p.m. is ABC’s “The Whole Truth,” co-starring Maura Tierney and Rob Morrow, 47. Tierney is a Manhattan district attorney and Morrow (“Northern Exposure,” “Numb3rs”) is a defense lawyer. The series’ gimmick is that we see each case from both sides’ perspectives and guilt or innocence is only revealed at episode’s end.
Also starting Sept. 22 are “My Generation” (ABC, 8 p.m.) and “$#*! [pronounced ‘bleep’] My Dad Says” (CBS, 8:30 p.m.). “Generation” is done in the form of a documentary about a group of “Generation Y” young people in Austin, Texas. The premise is that we see their (filmed) lives during their high school senior year (2000), and again in 2010. Playing the “rich kid,” Anders Holt, is British actor Julian Morris, 27, who had a recurring part on “ER.” (I haven’t found any source that says explicitly Morris is Jewish — but bio “bits” make me confident in saying he is).
“$#*! My Dad Says” is based on the best-selling memoir “S— My Dad Says” by Justin Halpern, 29. Halpern’s father, retired San Diego radiologist Sam Halpern, is a very blunt man who had an incredible climb from a poverty-stricken childhood on a Kentucky tobacco farm. The younger Halpern failed as a screenwriter and had to move back home a few years ago. On a lark, he began tweeting his father’s often comic — and almost always saucy — but sensible parenting advice. His tweets acquired a huge following and a book followed. William Shatner, 79, plays Sam (called Ed Goodson in the series). The TV show focuses on Ed’s reaction when one of his two adult sons moves back in with him.