Mean Girls
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Mean Girls
Directed by: Mark Waters (also directed Freaky Friday, Mr. Poppers Penguins, and Bad Santa 2)
Screenplay by: Tina Fey
Based on the book: Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman, a self help book for high school girls and dealing with cliques.
Starring: Lindsay lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey, Tim Meadows, Amy Poehler, Ana Gasteyer, Lacey Chabert, Lizzy Caplin, and Daniel Franzese.
Released April 30, 2004
Budget: $17M ($23.8M in 2021)
Box Office: $86.1M Domestic ($120.7M 2021), $43M Internationally ($60.3M today), Total: $129M ($180.8M in 2021)
Ratings: IMDb 7/10 Rotten Tomatoes 84%
Metacritic 66% Google Users 89%
Nominated and won some Teen Choice and MTV awards. In November 2012, Rotten Tomatoes included the film in its 'Top 50 Greatest Teen Comedies' list and In March 2021, The New Yorker listed Lindsay Lohan's performance in the film as the 11th best of the 21st Century so far.
Plot:
We open with some tribal sounding music and what appear to be parents talking to a young child, who turns out to be Lindsay Lohan, Cady. Voice over tells us it's her first day of school, that she had been home schooled in Africa. She goes into a class and after a few funny interactions, and she ends up bumping in to Tina Feys, Ms. Norbury. Tim Meadows Mr. Duvall then comes in to introduce Kady, and low key hits on Ms. Norbury. At lunch, she's shown eating in the bathroom. The next day she sits with Janice and Damian. The skip class and we're introduced to the Plastics, Karen, Gretchen, and Regina George, evil incarnate. A montage of people talking about Regina. Cady is given a map to survive school, with a lunch room map to help her navigate. Regina saves Cady from a guy hitting on her, and invites her to sit with the plastics for the rest of the week. She's convinced to do it, and finds her crush in math class. At lunch the next day, she begins to learn the plastic rules. She divulges the crush was Aaron Samuels, Reginas ex. She's approached to join the Matheletes, and she goes shopping with the plastics. They see Jason, Gretchen's crush, with another girl and Regina calls her mom acting like she's planned parenthood. It was Fetch.
-S:
-2004 Lindsay Lohan was 18
-Do you wonder if Rachel McAdams hates that she took this role? She was 26 when she shot this movie.
-In reference to the lunch map, do you think it could be made today? Asian nerds, unfriendly black hotties, etc?
The girls go to Reginas house and we meet her little sister and mom, who has an obvious boob job, and asserts there are no rules, because she's a "cool mom." In Reginas room, which was her parents room, she finds the Burn Book and accidentally has a comment about Damian added. Janis tries to convince Cady to steal it, which she refuses, and hey have an awkward encounter with Ms. Norbury. Cady is then caught in a phone attack with Regina. She starts to talk to Aaron more and is invited to a halloween party. She doesn't know about the 'slut rule' and shows up as a scary bride. Regina falsely tells Aaron some lies about Cady, simultaneously stealing him. Cady admits to hating Regina and goes to Janice and Damian, they hatch plan to take her down. Cady begins to attempt to sabotage Regina, peppermint foot cream for her face, holes cut in her shirt, and they backfire. Regina tells Cady her history with Janice. She leverages Gretchen for info. Then the talent show. Damian sings, Kevin raps, and Cady and the plastics perform to Jingle Bell Rock. Gretchen thinks Regina is mad at her, and she finally cracks. trap but she
-S:
-it is surprising how fucking mean these girls are... Watching it objectively and as a parent.
-The whole slut halloween thing... I don't care what grade my child is in, she's not going out dressed like that while she still lives at home. What I can't see, i can't stop.
-Think girls are really this underhanded?
Cady, Janice and Damian begin to try to get Aaron to catch Regina cheating on him. Cady gives some exposition on being in the plastics vs not. She intentionally dives in math to get Aaron to tutor her, and they kiss, and Cady tells him Regina is cheating on him, and Aaron breaks up with Regina. The plan then moves on to break up the "Army of Skanks." Regina tries a dress on and she can't fit into it, and the "hot body" is gone. Ms. Norbury tells Cady she's failing math, which riles her and she rants into the burn book. Cady three way ambushes Regina, which devolves into 4 panel call back and forth, where Gretchen tells Karen the Regina says people don't like her because she's a "slut," when Karen tells Regina she doesn't want to hang out, she's told: "Boo you whore." and is hung up on. At lunch the next day, Regina is told she can't sit with them because she's wearing sweat pants, which she admits is the only thing that fits. She leaves, bumps into a large girl, and is called a fat ass. Army of Skanks is crossed off. Cady has become the queen bee, and convinces her parents to leave her for a night and she decides to throw a small get together, which isn't small. Aaron arrives and they can't find each other, then Regina arrives. Aaron and Cady talk in her room, she admits to being good and math, is caught by Regina and vomits on Aaron, who calls her a Regina clone. As he leaves, she's then caught by Damian and Janice for not coming to her art show and they have it out, and calls her a mean girl and a bitch, and she knows she's right.
S:
-I swear, if I ever hear of my kid intentionally doing badly to spend time with a boy... ugh.
-I hate to use this term, but I hate how toxic these kids are.
Regina realizes the bars she's been eating are weight gaining and loses her mind. She adds herself to the burn book and turns it into Mr. Duvall. As he's talking to the girls, Regina is shown to be dropping copies of the burn book all through the school. As class lets out, all the girls start fighting, and Regina watches the frey. The girls have gone wild. Mr. Duvall pulls the fire alarm and all the girls are told to meet in the gym. For an attitude re-adjustment. Mr. Duvall doesn't do well, and Ms. Norbury shoots her shot and has the cliques directly address their issues. Regina asserts she's a victim and when asked if anyone feels personally victimized by Regina, everyone raises their hands, including the teachers and mr. Duvall. Ms. Norbury gives Cady a chance to own up, but she doesn't. Then everyone is supposed to write apologies and trust fall. Janice reveals the whole plan to take Regina down, she storms out of the gym with Cady following. Cady tries to explain herself, but Regina isn't hearing any of it, and as she's telling her off and telling her to shove it up her... She's hit by a bus. Cady is shown at home, and how divided she has become from her parents, and she is grounded.
S:
-Popping the fire alarm doesn't make the sprinklers go off, only heat.
The next day, no one will speak to her, Janice and Damian moved her seat, she eats lunch in the bathroom, in math class, Ms. Norbury is being investigated for selling drugs. Cady admits to writing about Ms. Norbury in the burn book. She started apologizing, with Regina, Ms. Norbury who gives her a lot of crap, apologizes and is forgiven. There is a montage of everyone getting ready for the spring fling, and Cady is shown wearing a mathletes shirt. She is participating in a mathlete competition, while the spring dance is occuring. The competition is tied, and each team chooses the girls. As she judges her, she realizes that doesn't mean she still can't lose... She gets the answer correct and they win. Cady goes to the dance, and wins the queen title. She gives a speech, brakes the crown in pieces, and gives them out to everyone. She, Damian and Janis make up. She and Aaron make up and kiss, Ms. Norbury and Mr. Duvall are shown dancing. Reginas spine healed, and she channeled her rage into sports, because those girls weren't afraid of her, Karen used her special talent for the morning weather report, Gretchen found a new clique, Aaron went to Northwestern and they still saw each other. Girl world was at peace and if any freshmen plastics tried to change that... well, they wouldn't get hit with a bus.
S:
-I like the feel good ending. Getting hit by a bus would probably make you re-think some life choices... BUT, everyone getting along like that? It's totally unrealistic. There will always be cliques, groups, people who embrace and reject that also; as well as people who think they're better than everyone else... But I like the idea of being able to change, grow, and learn also.
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