Mean Girls (2004)

Having been home-schooled and raised in the African bush, Cady is unprepared for the cut-throat politics of public school.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 9-AUG-2005
Media Type: DVD Product Description

Cafeteria Catfights

There are so many ways for a movie like this to go wrong that it's amazing how successfully it portrays the reality of that most bloodthirsty jungle, high school. If you go broad you end up with revolting bottom of the barrel humor, ala the American Pie franchise. If you go dark you risk losing the excitement and exuberance of high school, a place where human personality is constantly evolving. The high water mark for films of this kind was hit by Clueless, which is frothy, smart, sly, and fun. Welcome To The Dollhouse resides at the opposite end, though thoroughly brilliant it is at times so painfully honest that it's difficult to watch. Mean Girls faultlessly rides the fence between theses poles, the pitch and tone are just right - tough-minded enough to be real, silly enough to be charming.

Tina Fey, who wrote the screenplay and plays Ms. Norbury, beleaguered math teacher, deserves high marks - her script drives the film's fate. Director Mark Waters is also responsible for another fine picture that runs the gauntlet between silly and insightful - Just Like Heaven, with Mark Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon. In that movie he made me believe a man was falling in love with a ghost - and got me to care about them. On the other hand, he also directed House Of Yes, an appalling Pinter-esque, drawing room gabfest intended to impress intellectuals - watch that turkey at your peril - Parker Posey notwithstanding.

A movie of this sort does not rely on good acting, which is fortunate. What Ms. Lohan does might be described as charming the camera, but it would never qualify as acting. However, Waters has surrounded her with eye candy and talented character actors, which can cover up a world of sin. Tim Meadows, as Principal Duvall, brings an impeccable dry, ironic delivery to the table while Rajiv Surendra, as the math uber-geek, threatens to run off with every scene he's in. Rachel McAdams is convincing as Regina, the Barbie doll come to life - one can only hope she's an amazing actress and nothing like that in person. Surprisingly, Amy Poehler is thoroughly uninteresting as Regina's mom, a part that had comedy home run written all over it.

Ms. Fey probably knew it would be hard sustain this high-wire performance for 3 acts. Mean Girls does bog down after a bit, and the resolution is downright facile. But by then you already like it so much that it just doesn't matter. Poor Cady, Lindsay Lohan, goes from being home schooled in Africa to surviving the watering hole politics of an American high school, things just got a lot tougher. Recommended. September 1, 2008

TOTALLY AWESOME MOVIE!

ALL THE ACTORS DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB!!!!!!!! This is a movie we all can relate to from our childhood. FOR THE PRICE ITS A MUST BUY! I HIGHLY RECCOMEND IT! August 19, 2008

Cute Movie

I've watched this a number of times with my 7 year old daughter. Some of it is still over her head, but it's funny, and gives us some things to talk about (friendship, treating peole nice, etc). May 4, 2008

Good

This movie is actually pretty good. My husband even liked it. I actually woudn't normally watch anything like this, but I was genuinly surprised by it. Its not a regular high school comedy. And I was surprised that I actually liked Lindsay Lohan in this. What happend to her? She could have been a pretty good actress one day. This was probably the tip of the iceberg for her... Its probably not the most realistic of movies, but it was pretty enjoyable, and even funny at times. February 4, 2008

Generation Repulsive

This is by no means Lohan's worst film in terms of quality, since it is very well made. No, what makes this film cinematic enemy #1 for me is the fact that it's a comedy and not a drama, as it should have been. As it needed to be. Tina Fey apparently gets her kicks by making light of the needless ordeal that is the SOCIAL high school experience.

I remember hearing great things about this film. One of those great things was that it was not like the other teen films out there. Films such as Lohan's two previous ones, Freaky Friday and COATDQ. And for the first half, WOW, was it different! And certainly good! The atmosphere captures high school life to a tee, and the interaction between the characters is realistic.

But by the time the climax came and everyone was in the school gym, "apologizing" to each other and falling backward into the "trusting" arms of their classmates in a clever but misused parody of a religious revival, I was actually in tears. Tears of sadness for my generation. How truly empty it all feels. My generation seems so irreversibly jaded that it makes me wonder if art has a point anymore? What gets me REALLY worked up is that Tina Fey could have used a question like that as the entire basis for this film! Instead, she just plays the decline of western civilization for laughs. Shame on you, Tina. Shame on you.

Don't get me wrong, I have a sense of humor, but the humor here should have been used to CRITICISE the modern state of teendome, not to trivialize it. I hope someday a film will be made where a girl like Cady revolts against the madness of high school and teaches her peers to change the world instead of how to merely survive it. Truely this film is a reflection of America in the 2000's. Bring on the real teens! (2010's that is.)



February 2, 2008

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