Mean Girls-2004
Director Mark Waters
Starring Lindsay Lohan
Scott’s Review #1,433
Reviewed July 21, 2024
Grade: B+
Upon its release, I doubt the creators of Mean Girls (2004) knew how influential the film would become.
Not only did it become a box-office hit, but it also became a Broadway musical, with a reboot twenty years later.
It’s also one of those films everyone has heard of and immediately knows what it’s about.
After reading a self-help book about high school social cliques, Tina Fey, who stars in it, wrote the screenplay. The book also delved into school bullying and its damaging effects.
Mean Girls, the film, is intended to be a comedy and skirts over the horror and contempt that is the reality of vulnerable students being picked on by mean girls.
I doubt that in real life, ‘mean girls’ victims’ would appreciate a comedy based on their terror and ridicule.
A darker version, while depressing, would also be closer to reality. I took Mean Girls as a fantasy.
Nonetheless, the film is a roaring success if for no other reason than its examination of the insecurities and hierarchies of the high school (and middle school) years, which 90% of adults would likely soon forget.
This is powerfully done through comedy, allowing us to laugh at the characters’ over-the-top and hypocritical actions across different scenarios.
It’s fun to watch because it takes us back to a time in cinema when its star, Lindsay Lohan, was an up-and-coming sensation, and before co-stars Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried were Oscar-nominated.
Cady Heron (Lohan) is a sophisticated yet naïve student, educated in Africa by her scientist parents.
When her family moves to the suburbs of Illinois, Cady gets to experience public school and the cruel laws of popularity that divide her fellow students into tightly knit cliques.
She unwittingly finds herself in the good graces of an elite group of cool students dubbed “the Plastics,” but soon realizes how her shallow group of new friends earned this nickname.
They are led by Regina (McAdams), a rich, popular mean girl.
Things quickly go south after Cady becomes smitten with Regina’s ex, Aaron (Jonathan Bennett).
Despite the title, the film is for anyone with teenage angst, a crush on a fellow student, or feeling either left out or part of a group at the expense of other unpopular kids.
The message of Mean Girls is universal and therapeutic, as audiences can cheer along with Cady, especially when she exacts her revenge on the queen bee, Regina, hilariously.
The cat-and-mouse play between the two characters is merciless and delightful in the cruel measures to one-up the other in pure comical fashion.
Lohan and McAdams deserve kudos for energetically infusing the characters with likability, even in scenes where they should be hated.
Cheering when Regina gets hit by a bus never felt so good.
The writing is astounding and surprisingly good, with vicious, quick wit and humorous scene after scene.
Wisely, the film ends after one hour and thirty-seven minutes, which is a perfect length for a teenage comedy. Anything longer might have made it drag because the ending isn’t unexpected or a huge surprise.
Since we assume Cady will emerge victorious, which she does, the conclusion is satisfying, and the event hints at a sequel.
The film is peppered with diversity, which is also an enormous win. The principal of North Shore High School, Mr. Duvall (Tim Meadows), is black, while other ethnic characters also appear.
This provides a nice progressive message.
Watching the film twenty years following its release, I never expected to enjoy it quite so much as I did.
This is a testament to the power of Mean Girls (2004), director Mark Waters, and Tina Fey, who create something that holds up well.
