Sunday Similar Standards: Emma Stone

Welcome to a new semi-regular weekly feature here at Movies with Abe. On those weeks where reviews are sparse, I’ll be taking a look at an actor or actress whose body of work boasts many roles that may not be as diverse as those taken on by other actors or actresses. This is hardly a judgment on their abilities; rather an analysis of the kind of parts they play so well.


In honor of her new film “The Help,” the star of this inaugural Sunday Similar Standards is Emma Stone. The 22-year-old actress, who is actually a natural blonde rather than a redhead, made her feature film debut in “Superbad” just four short years ago and has already amassed an impressive resume. Here’s a quick look at the familiar characters she tends to play. You’ll find Emma adopting the role of the surprisingly mature flirt boasting above-average intelligence and an often uncontrollable wit, who has no problem romancing the less cool kids on the playground.

Superbad (2007): An unexpectedly smart and sweet high schooler named Jules with a soft spot for dork Seth.

Zombieland (2009): Known only by her city codename, Wichita, a zombie apocalypse survivor who practices deception with her onscreen little sister Little Rock and effortlessly seduces Jesse Eisenberg’s Columbus.

Paper Man (2010): A bored babysitter named Abby who manages to infuse some mostly platonic life and energy – and soup – into Jeff Daniels’ Richard as she babysits for his fake child.

Easy A (2010): A good-hearted high school loser named Olive who gains spectacular attention by pretending to have slept with most of the boys at her school and wearing a “scarlet letter” A on her chest.

Crazy Stupid Love (2011): A highly motivated but unfulfilled law student named Hannah desperate to be swept off her feet but perfectly capable of resisting the charms of Ryan Gosling’s master playboy Jacob.

The Help (2011): An aspiring journalist named Skeeter in 1960s Mississippi astounded by the behavior of her white friends who has the courageous idea to write a book from the perspective of African-American maids.

Anything different?

Friends with Benefits (2011): In a minute role, she plays exactly the type of person that her normal characters would mock: a John Mayer-obsessed girlfriend that just wasn’t right for Justin Timberlake’s Dylan.

What’s next?

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012): Trying a new genre, Stone takes on a role familiar to comic book fans but not as much to movie fanatics: Peter Parker’s original (blonde) love interest, Gwen Stacy.

The verdict:

Stone does a great job playing this part, and she’s managed to make a big impression after only a few years, so I very much look forward to seeing what she does in the future.