Mean Girls

Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey, Amanda Seyfried, Lizzy Caplan, Tim Meadows, Amy Poehler, Ana Gasteyer, Lacey Chabert, Daniel Franzese, Neil Flynn, Jonathan Bennett, Rajiv Surendra
Directed by: Mark Waters
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
2004

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: The new girl (Lindsay Lohan) in school is befriended by the most popular girl (Rachel McAdams) and her clique. However, when she falls for her new friend's ex (Jonathan Bennett), their friendship is severely tested.

Review:

Tim: It took me a laughably long time to finally getting around to seeing Mean Girls. The film is popular and has become a bit of a cult classic, but it was over 10 years before I finally saw it. That gave me some interesting perspective for the film. Yes, the movie is funny, entertaining and well made. This is a really good movie. With a decade of perspective, I was stunned at how impressive the cast was. That's one of its biggest strengths.

This movie made me sad for what's become of Lindsay Lohan. She's become a joke in Hollywood. This movie showcases how talented she was and what a career she could have had if she hadn't ruined it with her bad behavior. Lohan was relatable, fun, and made for a strong lead in this film. I would likely never say that today, but she was very good here. Rachel McAdams was well cast as Lohan's foil, the popular mean girl. McAdams really embraced the role and her performance felt natural. She wisely never made her character a caricature. It's a solid performance. Tina Fey wrote the screenplay and added in a good supporting role as one of the teachers. She's a funny lady and really contributed to the film. Amanda Seyfried is good as a really dumb blonde girl. Lacey Chabert was fine as the other popular girl. It was fun seeing Lizzy Caplan as one of the less popular girls. She gives a good performance and elevates the role. Tim Meadows was nicely cast as the principal and has a few very funny moments. Jonathan Bennett was okay, although I wish there was a better actor in this role. I also liked seeing Neil Flynn. Overall, the cast is crazy good and it's a big reason why I liked this movie so much.

While Mean Girls does occasionally stray into the "too convenient" territory with the story, for the most part, it proves to be exceptionally smarter than the average high school comedy. Too many of those films feel like they were written by bored students in between classes. This felt like an exceptional effort and I give Tina Fey great credit for the script. Director Mark Waters deserves credit for bringing the story to life. He directs a movie that maintains a strong sense of momentum. There's only a few places here and there where the film dragged, and only for a few moments. I also thought that while being a bit edgy and cool, this film also delivered a powerful message about how words can hurt people and how petty and mean girls can be in high school. The film wraps up a little too neatly (that wouldn't happen in real life), but I appreciated the overall message.

Mean Girls might not quite reach greatness, but it's a very, very strong movie. It's one of the better efforts of the genre and a movie I had fun watching. While Lohan is certainly an actress I tend to avoid these days, this is one of her best films and one worth checking out.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



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Easy A, Admission