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Mean Girls

Review By: Lena Aburdene
LenaAburdene@TheCinemaSource.com

Mean Girls is a brilliant gem of a movie in a world filled with predictable and eye-roll worthy teen films out there today. Not only is this the film that solidified Lindsay Lohan as Hollywood’s “it girl” but it also showcased fantastic performances from one of the most talented casts in a film this year.

Lindsay Lohan plays Cady Herron, a sweet and unassuming girl who has been home schooled all her life, due to the fact her parents were anthropologists living in Africa. She finally goes to a real high school as a junior and finds assimilating isn’t as easy as she thought. She befriends school outcasts Janis (Lizzy Caplan) and Damian (Daniel Franzese) but soon after, she is recruited to join the most popular clique in school, The Plastics. Regina George (played by Rachel McAdams who is the star by far in my opinion) heads this clique and is a lethal mix of cold, callous and self absorbed. Gretchen Weiners (Lacey Chabert) and Karen (Amanda Seyfried) are her little cohorts who will do anything to please their leader. The two are not very smart, spoiled and shallow, but a lot less harmless then the queen bee, Regina. Cady is recruited by Regina and reluctantly joins the crew to please Janis who is looking to infiltrate the group and expose their secrets. Soon she gets wrapped up in the glamorous world of popularity and finds herself becoming what she thought she hated most.

Perhaps this movie was such a hit because it defied the stereotypes of bubble gum teen films that have become a trend in recent years. Mean Girls is reminiscent of the old John Hughes films. It’s edgy, a little bit dark and has the Tina Fey flair (who penned the script) that adds a certain hilarity only Saturday Night Live can get away with. Not to mention certain cast members of SNL make appearances in the film, not only giving a comedic familiarity but also showcasing the talents that make them some of the greatest comedians out there.

Lindsay Lohan is obviously the perfect choice for Cady Herron. She’s a cool girl who seems completely unthreatening and sweet. She’s more approachable than anything else. But the real stars of the show are The Plastics, in particular Rachel McAdams. Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried are equally as talented but McAdams couldn’t have been more perfect as the evil queen bee. Amy Poehler who plays her mother is probably the funniest character in the film, playing the stage mother