‘Mean Girls’ Movie Review: A Worthy Companion Piece To The 2004 Film That Inspired It
From Gaius Bolling
The original Mean Girls is a teen movie classic that has managed to appeal to every demographic, gender, and race. Coming up on its 20th anniversary in April, the film spoke to a generation that discovered it at the time of its release and continues to do so to audiences that allow it to maintain its timeless quality. Thanks to Tina Fey’s wickedly smart script and an unforgettable ensemble cast, Mean Girls is a tough act to follow, which makes it fitting that the only project that could step in the film’s shoes, are its very own. In all the years that have gone by, fans have wanted a proper sequel (that made-for-TV follow up doesn’t count) or a reunion of some sort (the Wal-Mart Black Friday commercial was a nice touch) but the most significant adaptation of the material was a stage musical that premiered in 2018. With Fey providing the book for the musical, Mean Girls took to the stage and managed to build its own following before having to end its run in 2020 due to the pandemic. Thankfully all roads for the musical adaptation didn’t end with that final curtain call because it has now received the big screen treatment and it makes a strong case for itself as a solid companion piece to a movie that many know and love.
Many beats of this take follow the 2004 film. Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) has moved to a Chicago suburb from Kenya, Africa and she quickly learns that people in high school aren’t immediately accepting. Seeing that she’s out of her element, she is befriended by Janis (Auli’i Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey) who detail all the cliques in school, including social royalty known as “the Plastics.” The trio consists of “Queen Bee” Regina George (Renee Rapp), eager-to-please second-in-command Gretchen Wieners (Bebe Wood), and dimwitted Karen Shetty (Avantika).
Cady is warned away from them but she’s unexpectedly asked to join the table of the plastics by Regina. For reasons of their own, they want to induct Cady into the group and, although reluctant, she is urged to by Janis and Damian to cause a sense of dissension from within because the group, particularly Regina, isn’t known for being nice to people she deems beneath their clique. Complimenting matters, Cady begins to fall for Aaron Samuels (Chrstopher Briney), who happens to be Regina’s ex. As Cady’s own popularity grows, it causes friction within the plastics as Cady gains popularity footing on Regina but also begins to lose herself in the shallowness of the high school hierarchy.
It should be noted that I was not familiar with the stage musical on which that adaptation is based. The 2004 film is my only frame of reference so there was a bit of hesitation on my part going into the movie because so much of its inspiration is ingrained in my mind. Needless to say, despite not having that familiarity, this take on Mean Girls asserts itself as its own thing right from the get go. Knowing that a significant portion of the audience would be familiar with its musical roots, the movie expertly opens as if it is a stage play. Using Janis and Damian as narrators, the song “A Cautionary Tale” introduces the audience to Cady and cleverly teases what’s to come by setting up a performance that is being captured on a cell phone. The moment keeps the film decidedly current while also providing a tool to treat the production as a heightened version of a live show.
Directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr., in their feature film directorial debut, find he proper balance of embracing the source materials musical sensibilities while also tapping into a story they know the audience will be familiar with. Many of Fey’s lines from the feature film are re-used here, and while some might lack the punch of the delivery from that of Rachel McAdams or Lizzy Caplin, they’re usually soon followed by new zingers that give this version its own identity. It’s safe to say that Fey has not lost her touch when it comes to new ways to illicit laughs from the audience and she gives the dialogue and situations a 2024 touch that allows the material to keep up with the times. For instance, the “Jingle Bell Rock” moment from the feature film, shifted to “Rockin’ Around the Pole” in the musical, ends in a way that makes sense in the age of viral moments being captured on cell phones and then spread on social media.
Some of the moments many will know from the 2004 film get a bit of a remix here that works. “You Go Glen Coco” get a fun musical assist while the trust fall, complete with “she doesn’t even go here”, doesn’t feel as if it has just been lifted from the original movie. New dialogue is added to a lot of the scenes that have become instantly quotable over the years and they’re allowed to have their own identity. To accept much of this, one has to go into it with an open mind and accept that there might be some tweaks from what you know.
The music, provided by Fey’s husband Jeff Richmond, with lyrics by Nell Benjamin, is catchy in all the right ways. Lacking in self-seriousness but hitting all the right notes that make the tunes expertly age-appropriate, many of the musical numbers attack with great energy and enthusiasm from its talented and game cast. All of the songs performed by Regina George are crowd-pleasers with “Meet the Plastics”, “Someone Gets Hurt”, and World Burn being true highlights. Karen gets a fun song called “Sexy” that features lyrics that hilariously poke fun at all the stereotypes associated with the way girls dress on Halloween, while the group number “Revenge Party” allows the whole production to shine. The biggest compliment that can be given about all the musical numbers is that they move a story along we’re associated with in a new and fun way while also being superbly staged. Rightfully, Mean Girls never tries to be Chicago or The Phantom of the Opera in its staging. In the best way possible, it feels like a high school production with much more polish, which is suitable for the source material.
All of the performers do a great job of making the roles their own. This isn’t a case of who did it better because some of their choices are different from the actors in the feature film. This is more like having an alternate take that is just as good in its own right. Angourie Rice has the voice of a Disney princess and enough naivety to channel the same likability that made Lindsay Lohan shine in the part nearly 20 years ago. She’s also able to sell her transition from shy home schooled girl to Queen Bee wannabe effortlessly.
Renee Rapp, who had the benefit of playing Regina George in the stage musical, is a force to be reckoned with. Rapp’s voice is tremendously strong and she exudes the confidence to make this version of the character her own. Every single moment she’s on screen, she simply commands it and you can’t take your eyes off of her. Also of note is Auli’i Cravalho as Janis, who most might know as the voice of the title character in Disney’s Moana, and Jacquel Spivey, who gets many of the film’s laughs as Damien. Adding familiar faces are Fey, returning as Ms. Norbury, and Tim Meadows as Mr. Duvall, both finding new ways to make the audience laugh. Also, in roles that are familiar with new faces, Jon Hamm has a few funny moments as Coach Carr while Busy Phillips does Amy Poehler justice as Regina’s mom.
2004’s Mean Girls has managed to maintain a footprint in the industry that is very hard to replicate with films of this nature but this musical adaptation serves as a respectable companion to a movie that many know and love. Even though the original film has transcended the generation it was made for and remains timeless, this take should prove to be a version of the story that this current generation can call their own.
Rating: 4/5
Mean Girls hits theaters on Friday, January 12th, 2024.
