This movie is an easy one to enjoy over and over again. I think how funny you find the story is relative to your age. As someone newly out of high school, I can tell you that the high school clicks portrayed in this film are a bit far-fetched. I have never heard someone say "you can't sit with us" or of being called "too gay to function". This movie is still simply witty and smart with a story line that is far different from the main stream movies that come out today.
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dianeejordan11 August 2017
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RossNolan21 June 2004I have to admit that despite being a straight, 22 year old guy I have always had a weakness for teen films so I was looking forward to Lindsay Lohan's (who really impressed me in 'Freaky Friday' and the much underrated 'Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen') latest.
It exceeded my expectations.
Lindsay is on great form, instantly likable as Cady and believable both as a regular girl and a "regulation hottie". This girl is one of the best comic actresses of her generation and has created a fully rounded character it is difficult not to root for. Not that she carries the film alone.
Of the adults Tim Meadows does sterling work in translating his character with relatively few lines. Neil Flynn (familiar as the Janitor from 'Scrubs') is even better with some great facial expressions as a father as much at sea in suburban America as his daughter. As for Tina Fey... a terrific performance of course and she is still as cute as she was on Saturday Night Live but where she really shines is in the screenplay which sounds real enough (at least for a teen film) and has some razor sharp areas (like Coach Carr's 'lessons').
Of course the key group is the titular Mean Girls themselves - Regina (Rachel McAdams), Gretchen (Lacey Chabert) and Karen (Amanda Seyfried). Rachel McAdams creates a memorable High School tyrant, malicous, power mad and cruel but not entirely virtue free. She'd screw you over in a heartbeat if you stepped on her turf, but the nonthreatening Gretchen is allowed some reward for loyalty. Gretchen herself, played by the delectable Lacey Chabert is a character of her own, not just a cardboard minion to follow orders. Neurotic, shallow, desperate, beautiful, loyal and rather uncertain she is perhaps the saddest and most sympathetic of the Plastics - a girl who certainly has the looks and money to make it to the top of the pyramid but who lacked the will or the certainty. Not a problem with Karen (Amanda Seyfried) who has an admirable certainty of herself and her abilities. In one of the films best lines after a telling off from Regina, Cady tries to comfort her:
Cady: You're not stupid, Karen.
To which Karen replies thoughtfully (without a hint of bitterness or anger):
Karen: No, I am, actually. I'm failing everything.
Indeed she is. Karen is an airhead, and if not actively proud of it, at least accepting. She doesn't seem cruel herself, possibly because she is simply too shallow and dense, but she doesn't seem a bad person. Which for the second minion (Gretchen outranks her) to the villainous is quite a remarkable achievement.
Finally I must mention Lizzy Caplan and Daniel Franzese as Janice and Damian respectively, the outsiders we are rooting for, in theory. They do good work, though I found them slightly dry next to the endlessly dysfunctional Plastics (though that may be something to do with me finding Lacey Chabert much more attractive than Daniel Franzese!)
Overall a very good piece of work from all concerned. If you like teen movies then you'll find this a very good one. If you don't, well hold your nose and try it anyway, you might be pleasantly surprised! -
ahf-2397127 October 2017My boyfriend has this on DVD so we put it on last night and watched it together. It is still good and has not dated at all.
The clique is indeed mean and one wonders whether high schools are like that today. I graduated high school a decade ago and don't remember such a mean environment, but then again that is the appeal and story of the film.
The girls are really hot and they flaunt it. Gretchen is the prettiest to me, but of course they are all handpicked to be pretty especially during their stage show.
In short, funny, mean, sexy and anyone who has attended high school is bound to identify to some degree. Fun film -
atlasmb11 September 2017"Mean Girls" feels perfectly suited to Lindsay Lohan's talents. As the new girl in school (Cady Heron) who is trying to fit in, she is extremely likable. She becomes fast friends with Janis Ian (Lizzy Caplan, who nails her performance. If you are not familiar with singer Janis Ian, check out her hit single "Seventeen") and Damian (Daniel Franzese), but gets sucked into a three-girls clique called the Plastics. With her allegiance split between the two factions, she finds herself becoming a person she does not like.
This film is notable for the break-through performances of Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried. McAdams plays Regina, the queen of the Plastics. It is a role that is similar to many that preceded, but still holds up.
Speaking of precursors, one might consider this film to be a rip-off of others that came before. Or it might be considered as merely referential. Or perhaps an homage. But however you chose to view it, it has definite references to "The Breakfast Club", "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", "Clueless", "Risky Business", and other John Hugh's films.
The screenplay (adaptation) by Tina Fey is, at turns, clever and unsubtle. But it is a solid entry in the canon of teen comedies. -
Though my own high school days are well behind me now, this film received enough acclaim that I was convinced to give it a try. Mean Girls did in fact prove to be a rewarding experience. The film made a ton of money and launched some of its young stars into orbit.
Our story deals with a previously home-schooled girl (Lohan) now having to brave a suburban high school for the first time. She is completely clueless as far as what it takes to be cool in this new world, but she is pretty enough to catch the attention of the most popular girls in the school. The "Plastics" as they are called take the young lady into their world and over time she becomes one of them. The more popular the young lady becomes, the more miserable her life becomes, however.
The film is very funny and it hits pretty hard with its depictions of the various cliques at modern high schools. Some would argue that the characters in this film are just stereotypes, but so are most real life high schoolers. Nearly everyone fit into one category or another even back in my school days, but things seem even more fragmented now.
Tina Fey has written an intelligent script, and thankfully the film was cast well enough to carry it. Lindsay Lohan is charming, but nothing too exceptional. Rachel McAdams pretty much steals this film, and she is likely the cast member who will have the best career of this bunch. I think it's safe to say her scream toward the end of act 2 is the best I've ever heard in any film.Lacey Chabert is also worth mentioning, and she seems worthy of some better roles in the future. Overall, there did not seem to be any casting problems.
Mark Watters keeps things moving along at a brisk pace, and it seems strange to see Lorne Michaels' name in the credits of any film this funny. From what I've heard, the film had to be trimmed of more than a few parts that would have given it in an R-rating. BOO!!!!!! Hard to argue with the box office totals, though! After watching this film, I was reminded of a similar group of popular girls at my high school. They called themselves the Senior Bitch Patrol, and behaved much the same way as the "Plastics." Only back then (88-91) it was mostly about the hair. The bigger the hair, the more popular the girl. All of these girls have gone on to live boring and pointless lives since those days. Go figure....
9 of 10 stars for Mean Girls. Too bad I never had any math teachers as pretty as Tina Fey! -
jotix10022 November 2005Rosalind Wiseman wrote the novel that Tina Fey adapted for the screen. The result, "Mean Girls" is a statement about what it's like to be a student going through high school today. In fact, it presents an ugly side about how school, a place for lasting friendships, camaraderie, and just a place for learning is everything but that, according to what one witnesses. In fact, in order to navigate its cliques and groups, one needs a route map in order not to offend anyone. "Mean Girls" is directed by Mark Waters, who gives it a light touch.
At the center of the story we find Cady, a newly arrived girl who has lived in Africa and has been taught by her parents. Since they are back in the country, they enroll their daughter so she can have the experience of mixing with her peers. Cady, who is a sweet and naive girl unexposed to the real world, finds friendship with a pair of unpopular students, Janis Ian and Damian.
Cady is guided through the ropes by her new friends who suggest to her to penetrate the world of the "Plastic" trio who are the local fashionistas in their school. These young women live to dress for school; instead of studying, the trio has their own set of rules, which totally confuses Cady, who adapts, but she has no feeling for her new acquired friends.
Cady makes the mistake of liking one of the Plastics former boyfriend, the hunky Aaron. When she confesses it to Gretchen, this one tells her that is a no-no according to an unknown code of conduct because Aaron is Regina's former boyfriend, and she is to stay away from him. Cady excels in math, but she decides to play dumb in order to have Aaron like her. That develops into more than friendship until Regina intervenes.
"Mean Girls" will be loved by teen age girls, the audience for which the film is targeted. Lindsay Lohan is immensely appealing as the newly arrived Cady. Rachel McAdams and Lacey Chabert are Regina and Gretchen, respectively. Tina Fey plays one of the teachers in the school who is wrongly accused of being involved in drugs.
The film is fun to watch thanks to the young and talented cast in it. -
Mean Girls isn't your average teen comedy, which you can tell are written by adults who have no insight into the social politics that revolve around teenage life, and who consequently divide everyone into two groups - cool (jocks and cheerleaders) and uncool (goths and science nerds). And it is this inherent understanding of teen life, that writer Tina Fey has applied to the film which makes it stand out, and such a pleasure to watch.
Cady Herron (played by Lindsay Lohan) is starting her first day of school - and she's 16. She's been home-schooled all her life (in Africa), and is totally unprepared for and untutored in the ways of an American high school. She quickly befriends Janis Ian (Lizzy Caplan) and Damian (Daniel Franzese), two of the biggest social outcasts in school. However, after a chance encounter in the canteen with the plastics (teen royalty), otherwise known as Regina George (Rachel Macadams), Gretched Wieners (Lacey Chabert) and Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried), Cady's world begins to change dramatically as she is sucked in by the rules and cliques of Girlworld.
The dialogue in the film is sharp and witty, not the OTT Dawson's Creek or O.C. teen-speak. The teenagers actually look like teenagers, not like 30 year olds playing teenagers. And what holds the film together are the great performances from the actors. They're all perfect. Lindsay Lohan is perfect as Cady, the clueless girl who gets a taste of popularity and has to have more. Lizzy Caplan is a revelation as Janis, a punk character who would be sidelined either as a freak, or as a candidate for a makeover, in any other teen movie. But it is the actresses who play the plastics who truly stand out. Lacey Chabert is ideal as Gretchen, the insecure, 2nd-in command girl, who fakes her friendship with Regina just to be considered popular. Amanda Seyfried, as the ultimate dumb blonde Karen, has impeccable comic timing. And rising Hollywood star Rachel Macadams, as Regina George, is the stand-out in the film as the manipulative bitch who has to stay on top at all costs.
Mean Girls isn't just a film for teen girls and gay guys. Most of my (straight) male friends love it, and everyone I know who's seen it recognises elements of the film and the characters from their own secondary school experiences. Mean Girls is, as Gretchen would say (in keeping with "British" slang, even though I'm English and the term just doesn't exist!), that the film is just So Fetch. -
dicksosa8 May 2004Although this movie is no Heathers in its cruelness it still has comical wit and crass jokes. The movie basically takes a girl who has never been to public school until she was 16, as she's been in Africa with her parents, and throws her into to her Junior year of high school. Now that in itself is a decent plot that can either lead to a movie full of wisely placed cracks or a horrible flop. This film is much more the former.
The cast of actresses does a decent enough job, and they do have enough timing to deliver punchlines with an effective manner. One of the best parts however is Tim Meadows of Saturday Night Live, who is the principal of the high school. His dry style blends well into the movie to provide a great relief from the cliche jokes that can inhabit a film like this.
Another great aspect is the subtle political jokes thrown in this movie, knocking how kids in our society are raised by MTV and it's idea of what is cool. The jabs aren't a main part of the movie but I found extremely funny.
The movie has the trite ending as you would expect of a film like this, however there is enough unexpected parts of the film that it doesn't really subtract from the film as an enjoyable experience. So even though the film seems like it would be a pile of steaming dog mess, it isn't. It's a well blended strawberry margarita on a lazy Sunday afternoon at the beach. Definitely worth a watch. -
christian12323 November 2004Lindsay Lohan plays a teen girl trying to get along at a new high school. This time, she plays a girl home schooled in Africa, whose first experience at a public school is marred by a clique of nasty girls called the Plastics, who use gossip and other torture techniques to try to ruin her social life.
The story makes it sound like another generic teen film but this one is actually quite funny and realistic. The most cynical person will point out that this is a cheap rip off of Heathers and they are similar. While Heathers is a good movie, mean Girls is an even better movie. I think Mean Girls is very good for a number of reasons. First, the script is actually creative and smart. Tina Fey seems to understand that teens want comedies they can relate to and she did that with Mean Girls. Of course, there were a few lame scenes but nothing that kills the film. Tina Fey should leave SNL and focus on her career in movies.
Second, the acting is very good and convincing. Rachel McAdams offers the best and funniest performance as Regina. Her character is very mean (hence the title) yet I found it so hard to actually hate her. She has this charm that sucks the audience in on her and its so hard to hate her. Lindsay Lohan also gives a good performance as Cady. Her best scenes are with Rachel. They have very good chemistry together. The other plastics are played by Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried. They also give good performances and the scenes that have all the plastics together are very entertaining. The rest of the supporting cast are pretty good and Tina Fey also has a small role as Cady's math teacher.
Another reason why Mean Girls is so good is because it's actually funny for people over the age of 21. It's not just for teens but also for adults. Mark Waters is proving to be very good at directing harmless comedies like Freaky Friday and this one. He keeps the film short yet enormously entertaining. I really don't understand how someone could actually give this movie a one. I understand some people finding it over the top or stupid but it doesn't deserve a one. In the end, this smart and funny teen movie deserves to be seen. Rating 8/10 -
dskywalker013 April 2021This has become a classic because it's the ultimate chick flick: it shows how mean girls can be towards each other. It's a necessary message embedded in a funny, silly film with some really good actors, such as a young Rachel McAdams, although I also have to admit I'm a little biased because it was a part of my own coming of age - I grew up wearing pink on Wednesdays. It's valid entertainment IMO.
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dedebee24 January 2005The teen-movie genre returns with "Mean Girls," and it comes back with a vengeance. What could have been a tired and clichéd retread of "Heathers" is actually a clever and witty flick thanks to the talents of screenwriter Tina Fey. Fey, head writer for "Saturday Night Live" and co-anchor of their "Weekend Update," has an amazing flair for satire, and what better way to showcase it than with a analytical glimpse at the world of high school cliques? Lindsay Lohan is Cady, the previously home-schooled daughter of two zoologists, growing up in the African wilderness while Mom and Dad conduct their research. When the 'rents decide to settle down, Cady gets her first taste of public schooling, which is almost as wild as the jungles and safaris she's used to. Cady is introduced to the different factions that populate the cafeteriaincluding the nympho band geeks, the nerdy Asians, the cool Asians, the varsity jocks and of course, the Plastics, teen royalty led by the manipulative Regina George (Rachel McAdams).
Cady is encouraged to infiltrate the Plastics by her new friends Janice (Lizzy Caplan), a gothy and arty outcast who possesses a Janaene Garafalo-style wit, and the flamboyantly out-and-proud Damian (Daniel Franzese), who fears the Plastics but admires their fabulousness. Cady agrees to the sabotage scheme, but it's not long before she succumbs to the glamorous life of the Plastics and starts to engage in their underhanded activities, such as writing in their "Burn Book," in which nasty (and hilarious) things are jotted down about every girl in their high school.
It all might sound like the typical teen fare, but the result is nothing like that. The cast is surprisingly flawless, from Lohan (who brings a depth to her role that Hilary Duff could only ever dream of achieving) to the entire supporting cast, which is filled with current "SNL" members and alums. Fey herself shows up along with Tim Meadows as sardonic members of the high school faculty, while Ana Gasteyer and Amy Poehler portray parents who just don't understand. Poehler steals every scene she's in as Regina's "cool mom," desperately trying to fit in by doing things like offering minors alcohol at her home, because she'd rather have them drinking there than somewhere else.
The younger members of the cast don't let the veterans walk away with the whole show though. Caplan and Franzese own their roles, Franzese particularly when Damian displays his adulation for Christina Aguilera during a holiday talent show. The other members of the Plastics shine as well. Besides the deliciously vindictive McAdams as the Queen Bee, the crew includes former "Party of Five" actress Lacey Chabert as the gossipy Gretchen and Amanda Seyfried as the clueless Karen, who's not above making out with her first cousin (because "there's cousins, and then there's first cousins and second cousins ").
Fey, with the help of director Mark Waters ("Freaky Friday," "The House of Yes"), has infused the film with her trademark comedic brilliance. The jokes and gags come at a break-neck pace, but the punch lines aren't the only hilarious aspects. Little touches such as Gretchen's dad being the inventor of Toaster Strudels and Regina's MTV obsessed little sister are details that will inspire laughter long after the movie is over. Even the particulars about the background characters should provide endless chuckles (just try to think about Trang Pak, the girl in wheelchair and her little person-sidekick, and the Middle-Eastern, hip-hop-obsessed mathlete/"Bad-Ass MC" after the movie without smiling).
If there's anything to complain about in this film, it's the overt sexualization of teenage girls. Of course, the actresses are older than they play, with the exception of Lohan (who, at 17 years old, brings an R. Kelly-like meaning to "The Parent Trap"). Parents might see the Disney-friendly actress in the trailers and bring their young children, but this movie is not for those under high school age (girls are called "sluts" and "whores" throughout). However, that doesn't mean anyone who's older than the class of 2004 shouldn't check "Mean Girls" out. Fey, Waters, and the entire cast have made sure the experience will be enjoyable for everyone. -
claudio_carvalho17 April 2005The teenager Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) has just arrived in United State of America, after being raised in Afrika without going to conventional school. Their parents are zoologists, and her mother has been her tutor and she was educated at home-school, being an excellent student in mathematics. When she arrives in the high-school, she looks for a spot in one of the groups, becoming friend of the rejected Janis Ian (Lizzy Caplan), unfairly called of lesbian by the other girls, and the gay Damian (Daniel Franzese). When The Plastics, the most closed clique in the school leaded by the evil Regina George (Rachel McAdams), invites her to join their selected group, Cady accepts the invitation, trying to reach their dark secrets to disclose to her friends, but later she changes her behavior with her friends. When she has a crush on the former boy-friend of Regina, Aaron Samuels, Regina looks for revenge, plotting an evil plan against Cady. "Mean Girls" is a silly and funny teen movie, supported mainly by the gorgeous and charismatic Lindsay Lohan. The story explores the behavior of the teenagers, trying to find their true personality while molding their characters. The cast is very funny, and the story is totally based on the American culture and behavior of the American teenagers. Anyway, it is a good entertainment. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Meninas Malvadas" ("Mean Girls") -
Nephalim17 April 2005Minor Spoilers Ahead, watch out! This would've been a good movie if it had gone for utter farce and didn't try to so overtly deliver a moral, which ironically would've gotten the point across.
Now I'm going to assume by the language and content that this movie was written for mid-teens. High-schoolers. However, the way it's delivered treats its audience like children that need to be walked from one idea to another. Instead of potentially coming to the conclusions the movie advocates ourselves, we're hand-held through some sloppy voiceovers from Cady Heron, the lead character played by Lindsay Lohan. The whole point of the movie is that these so-called "plastics" live pointless, hollow lives, thriving merely off the failures of others. This is extremely clear already, and doesn't need to be spelled out for us.
While I'm on the subject of theme, I'd also like to address some of the hypocrisy this movie demonstrates. Going into it, one expects that this will attempt to demonize the clique nature of high school culture. Instead, it promotes it. All conflict in this movie comes from cliques clashing, and the happy resolution has the characters disassociate from each other into their own cliques. The only thing this film does is address problem cliques, like the "skank army" led by Rachel McAdams' Regina George, ensuring that with their destruction, the other cliques can live in peace. It's a wasted opportunity, if nothing else, that could've showcased just how ridiculous clique systems are.
And then of course there's the blatant shallowness, disguised as marketing. The lead is the attractive (I think we can all agree) Lindsay Lohan, and while she's befriended by the average-looking Janis and Damien, they end up playing very minor roles. Instead, we're bombarded with beautiful people for the majority of the film. Beautiful Cady pursues hunky Aaron despite the machinations of pretty Regina. And even when Cady tricks Regina into gaining weight which makes her apparently lose her "hot body," she still looks amazing. A couple of overweight students are thrown in so that Cady can, in the profound conclusion, assure us that you can still be beautiful without being a supermodel, but the film ignores these characters just as much as the Mean Girls it vilifies do.
Why does Cady have to desire the typical teenage heart-throb over, say, the quirky but kind-hearted Damien? Why can't Janis be happily homosexual? Or at least ambiguous? Why does the film have to assure us, at the end, that she IS, in fact, straight? Why must every fat person persist to be a sponge for comedic abuse instead of an actual character? Why couldn't any of the pretty girls realize that being pretty doesn't (or, at least, shouldn't) matter and stop putting so much effort into it? What seems to be an effort to break down preconceptions ends up reinforcing all the stereotypes we've seen before.
If you don't want to look into it, it's entertaining enough. Many of the jokes are rather obvious, but it has its moments, particularly Rachel McAdams getting suddenly hit by a school bus during a heated confrontation with Lindsay Lohan. Watching it, I was thinking to myself, "Man, arguing in the road? Someone better get hit by a bus," and lo and behold, BAM. I laughed extensively, and my vote would've been lower without it. -
P-kin320 June 2004"Mean Girls" is a fun movie that can be enjoyed thoroughly by the adult set as well as its seeming target audience, teens. The flick opens up with Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) embarking on her first day of the jungle that is high school ever as she has been home-schooled in Africa her whole life. After some initial bumps in the road, she manages to befriend two "artsy" misfits, Janis (Lizzy Caplan) and Damian (Daniel Franzese). Surprisingly, however, she is also quickly welcomed into the Plastics, a group of uber-popular girls who seem to be simultaneously admired and resented by all. On Janis's urgings, Cady infiltrates the Plastics, and her mission becomes personal when the Plastics leader, Regina (Rachel McAdams), stabs Cady in the back.
"Mean Girls" is indeed an exaggerated version of reality, but its depiction of the brutality and ridiculousness of high school and the need to find and stay true to oneself within a social construct manage to ring true. It does not stray away from or gloss over the dark humor that high school inevitably draws out nor is it apologetic in its over-the-topness. The result is a hilarious, well-written/performed film that is unpredictable and worth seeing.
Lindsay Lohan shows us once again that not only is an actress with range and a deft comedienne, she is also extremely likable and charismatic. Other stand-out performances go to Caplan and Franzese as well as Tina Fey (who plays a teacher), Amanda Seyfried (as one of the Plastics, Karen), and McAdams. McAdams, probably best known as the title character in "The Hot Chick", is an actress who continues surprise me with her great comedic skills (don't believe me? Watch her deleted scenes from "The Hot Chick" DVD. I liked them better than the whole movie!!).
All in all, this flick is great fun and more well-done than might be initially expected! -
=G=4 November 2004"Mean Girls" is another bop fodder comedy about a high school junior who, having been outschooled all her life, goes to public school and tries to become one of the in crowd, a trio of shallow hotties called the "Plastics", only to find she's become a back stabbing beyotch like them and subsequently realizing the error of her ways...yada-yada-yada. Always lively and light hearted, this slampoonfest of the teen female's peer pressure cooker problems is a fun romp full of the usual high school peer group stereotypes all slogging their way through campus social life. Fresh and funny if a tad silly (ok, a lot silly), "Mean Girls" will play best with teen females. (B)
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jessica-stephan18 November 2005I thought this movie hit the nail right on top of the head. It is teenage girls to a 'T'. Being a teenager myself it makes me ill the way the girls treat each other. For what really? To make themselves feel better, but inside they are really the ones who are hurting. Like the teacher said on the DVD special features, "If girls all got along, we would rule the world". What do you think about that one ay? Most guys I ask about this movie say thats not what girls are really like and I say well hang on a sec yes they are. There are girls out there who act beyond their years and those are the girls who ended up at the end of the movie. They saw what was really going on and they stepped up and changed their attitudes. It should teach all teenagers a lesson or two.
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AfricanBro20 January 2024I had completely forgot about how ridiculed home-schooled kids were before watching this. There was some humor that probably wouldn't be received well today. So this was very nostalgic. I loved the 'why god created the rifle' bit, so the funniest part was at the start for me. But a lot of laughs throughout.
There's no way the new mean girls movie will be this funny or turn into another culture phenomenon. Regina is a pretty genius mean girl in this, I don't remember thinking that the first time I watched it. But I was a kid then and I used to one of those guys who only enjoyed action movies. If nothing was blowing up, wasn't worth the watch. The characters here are super stereotypical, like on the nose, straight textbook. They're all paper thin characters.
It's a laid-back watch with a simple premise, but it easily stands out as one of the best and most memorable movies from the 2000s. It's odd how movies used to be so straightforward and just worked. I can't think of many recent ones that pull that off successfully and become a hit too. Movies like this one from that era remain timeless, just as enjoyable now as they were back then. -
The_Void15 December 2004Usually, I find that teen comedy is an enjoyable, but brainless genre. Not that there's anything wrong in that, as it normally makes for fun viewing, but when one comes out that isn't empty in the brain department, it is an event of particular note; and Mean Girls is a film that fits that description. Hollywood's hottest teen starlet, Lindsay Lohan stars as Cady Heron, a sixteen year old home-schooled girl that has lived in Africa all of her life. Because of her life in Africa, Cady thinks she knows about survival, but she's about to learn it all again when she starts high-school for the first time and comes into contact with an A-list clique known as 'The Plastics', headed by the very 'mean' Regina George and her slightly less mean, but very loyal cronies; the very sexy Gretchen Wieners, and Karen Smith. The movie is very obviously written by a woman, and it seems to be geared towards teen girls more than any other audience; but there's still much for other people to enjoy about it.
Mean Girls is keen to draw parallels between how teenagers interact within the society of a high school, and how animals act in the jungle. This is a fair comparison and one that will probably ring true for most people that have attended high school. However, that isn't where this movie's main asset lies; it's the hilarious way that the girls interact with each other that is. The first hour of the movie is hilarious, and it's great fun to sit and watch as the girls manipulate, connive, bitch and back-stab their way through one another. Unlike other teen comedies, such as American Pie; this one doesn't rely on big set-pieces to bring in the laughs, and most of them spring from its witty and intelligent script; and it's funnier for it. However, a great first hour gives way to a rather trite final third, but it doesn't completely spoil the movie. It doesn't quite work because the movie has been living up to its title throughout, so when it stops being mean and starts being sentimental; it doesn't really fit what it's being building up to all the way through. However, the final third does allow the film to bring out its message, which is warm and actually has some meaning behind it.
As mentioned, Lindsay Lohan heads a great cast of young talent. This is my first encounter with this actress, and I'm fairly impressed by what she's done here. Although her performance isn't magnificent, teen starlets have come with an expectation of being rubbish recently, and Lindsay proves this trend wrong here. The rest of the cast is made up mostly of lesser-known teen stars, but all excel in their roles and there isn't a weak link amongst them. The soundtrack to the film isn't particularly good and comprises mostly of teen-friendly fluff songs (including Kelis' extremely rubbish 'Milkshake'), which fit with the film; but you do get the impression that they're just there to please the teen crowd when the film would have been better without them.
Despite some flaws that I've mentioned, Mean Girls still stands out as a refreshing teen comedy. Although it doesn't surpass the film it took influence from; the magnificent 'Heathers' by a long way, it still has some nice moments and a brain to boot. -
I thought this a really entertaining film. With a spirited cast, a very good script, a good soundtrack and a nice romance what more could you possibly want? Lindsey Lohan is lovely as Cady Heron, better than she was in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. She is given great support from an excellent supporting cast, from the likes of Tina Fey and Rachel McAdams. The script was dark and humorous, my favourite bit was when all the girls start fighting after they discover that they are being badmouthed in a book. And there is always time for a romance that doesn't always interfere with the story. In fact, my only real complaint is that it gets a little sentimental, but apart from that, an enjoyable and engaging film, with a 8/10. Bethany Cox
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RobTheWatcher9 July 2022Mean Girls is an absolute classic comedic movie. It's entirely original and extremely well done. The story line is clear and it's hilarious throughout. There are so many timeless scenes in this that always remain funny. Thankfully this was made in 2004 because if it was made now, it wouldn't be allowed to be this funny and would be so PC. Great movie.
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filmbuff-0570629 December 2023I'm 25, and I saw Mean Girls for the first time when I was 16. My Pastor has a daughter named Gretchen who is my age (this review is a day-early birthday gift for her), and this is one of her favorite movies.
I actually saw the movie because of her enthusiasm for it, and to my surprise, (I'm a guy after all), I loved it too. Even now, it's one of my favorite comedies. And I don't think it's a "guilty pleasure" or anything, it's legitimately a great comedy and teen movie.
The movie stars Lindsay Lohan as Cady Heron (pronounced "Katie", not Caddy, that's one of her pet peeves!), a girl who goes to high school after being homeschooled in Africa.
She befriends a clique at the school, headed by a brat named Regina George. She then fits in with them...until she falls for Regina's ex-boyfriend Aaron.
Mean Girls, which is nearly 2 decades old, is still a hit with many teens and adults today. Much of this can be credited with the iconic lines that are still quoted today, like:
"Oh Danny Devito! I love your work!", "Karen, you can't just ask people why they're white!", "On Wednesdays we wear pink", "Get in loser, we're going shopping...", and I'm sure I could name a few others.
In fact, my friend Gretchen will say that something awesome is "so fetch", just like Gretchen from Mean Girls does, and so if I hear her say that I jokingly snap: "Stop trying to make fetch happen, Gretchen! It's NOT going to happen!"
These lines and numerous moments make the movie very funny, hence why this is one of my favorite comedies.
The cast is great too, and not just Lohan. Other clique members are played by actresses Racheal McAdams, Lacey Chabert, and Amanda Seyfried, and the like. Most of these stars got into other roles later on, but this was at the start of their careers.
Other notable actors include Tim Meadows, Amy Poehler, and Tina Fey, who also wrote the funny and clever script.
As an adult man, most movies aimed at teen girls haven't really appealed to me, but Mean Girls is a fantastic exception. I think what ultimately makes it work is that whether it's 2004, 2024, or 2054, this movie will always resonate with the teens who watch it.
From the lessons on the dangers of cliques, false friends, and simply growing up in high school, Mean Girls has a lot to say for the teens of all generations- and that's what makes it such a great movie in the teen movie genre. -
For a topic so incredibly important in today's culture and society, it seems odd that "Mean Girls" is both a comedy and a drama on the subject. It tries to prove a point and make an important statement, but at the same time it's a parody so the lessons it gives fall flat and end up being run over by the banal jokes and overused ideas this film is.
If you haven't read the book that this movie is based on, I suggest you do. Rosalind Wisemen's "Queen Bees & Wannabes" is a perceptive, beautiful and interesting achievement in teen psychology. This "movie version" is just pure cliché.
The cast, for one thing, isn't all that great. Lindsay Lohan is just alright, hardly believable and generally irritating as the awkward, "virgin" of a high school protagonist who supposedly has no idea about kids her age or girls that are complete bitches. According to the film, she's lived and traveled in Africa her entire life and therefore knows nothing about American culture. "I thought there was just fat and skinny," she says, observing the self-consciousness she sees her classmates facing.
Is she serious? Is she that incredibly blind? How hard is it to pick up a magazine, or notice people or understand that body types come in all packages besides FAT and SKINNY alone? Has she honestly never had any of those feelings? How is "I've lived in Africa" a possible excuse for being that moronic? Still, when you get past the plot faults and the unfunny one-liners, the movie is a small gem in itself, right? After all, how often IS this topic parodied or discussed...and done with feeling and a little substance? The problem is that "Mean Girls" tries too hard. Way too hard. "Close your eyes and raise your hand if you've said something behind a girl's back...now open them." Shock. Surprise. D'uh.
I saw the movie hoping that since it was supposed to hit on a hard subject with sincerity, it would address something a little more perceptive. It would have done so much better as just a comedy that didn't completely mirror Wiseman's book (most of the lines Lohan has are direct quotes that may pass over your head if you haven't read it). And what was up with Lohan getting the guy at the end? He was such a LOSER. And Regina didn't face any consequences for her constant harassment and disgusting teen sex life, she was just accepted as a "regular person" in the end. Where's the moral in that? What are we to learn from this? Nothing. So why, why why is this movie acclaimed as an "eye-opener"? So, if you want a funny teen comedy that you can relate to and laugh at and then forget about....rent "Mean Girls". If you want something more poised, elegant yet gruesome and brutally honest, try "Thirteen". It does a MUCH better job. -
For most people, high school is Hell. The girls are usually worse than the guys. Yes, guys can be jerks, don't get me wrong, but girls will go out of their way to make every waking moment torturous for their prey. I loved how "Mean Girls" showed how cruel the "plastics" in high school really are, but they got the ending all wrong. We all WISH the real queen-bees of high school could get hit by a bus and realize their evil ways, but the fact of the matter is that things like that don't usually happen. Sure there are exceptions, but I knew the queen-bees in high school. They never changed. They stayed mean all through high school and out into the real world. I see them wandering around town years later and they're just as mean as they were back then. When they're mean in high school, they usually don't change. They end up marrying someone mean, having mean children, and then running the PTA. (No offense to anyone who's in the PTA).
Anyway, I really enjoyed the movie. Especially how Lindsey Lohan was able to get out of the mean group. I just wasn't to crazy about the fantastical ending. Lindsey Lohan was able to get out because she hadn't been in it for very long, but for those who've made it in the plastic group all the way up until junior year, there's usually no hope for them. -
jrfranklin0120 December 2004I'm not into love stories or the so called, "Chick Flicks", nor do I care much for teen comedies. One of my friends rented this movie and brought it over. He has a thing for the lead, Lindsay Lohan. I think he's crazy, as she's WAY too young for him. Anyway, I sat down for about ninety minutes of what I thought was going to be cinematic torture. Thirty minutes into the film I had changed my mind. Don't get me wrong, I still thought I was the wrong demographic, but I admired "Mean Girls" message nonetheless.
After being home-schooled her whole life, teen Cady Heron (Lohan) is enrolled in public school. This part of the film I could empathize with since I was home-schooled myself (7th and 8th grade). Cady tries hard to fit in with everyone. But being brought up in a different culture, she doesn't understand the other students' peculiarities and perspectives. She no sooner begins to fit in with a couple of "odd" characters before she is recognized for her beauty by a pretentious all-girl trio known as The Plastics. And Cady, caught between two different groups of people, gets sandwiched in the middle in her efforts to "be cool". Not uncharacteristic of youth. In the process, Cady herself becomes plastic, pretending to be a flippant and vain teenie bopper. Her metamorphosis from the normal and kind Cady Heron to the plastic and superficial one, ends up catching up with her in the end, as she risks losing all her friends.
"Mean Girls" is a film that isn't geared toward adults, obviously. It attempts to entertain teens and still try to convey meaningful themes all kids should know about - goodness, decency, and friendship. I give it 7/10. -
OfficialChinaT30 October 2019This movie is one of my faves and one of the most quotable movies of all time!