 A
newly voluptuous Lindsay Lohan plays Cady Heron, a social
retard who has spent her formative years in Africa with her
field researcher parents. All Cady knows from human interaction
is what she learned from watching animals in the jungle. This
knowledge is put to the test when Cady’s parents uproot
her stable African life, move to an Illinois suburb, and enroll
her in a lawless American high school. This is where life
becomes dangerous for innocent Cady. At the urging of her
newly minted Non-Conformist friends, she infiltrates the school’s
high-powered, hottie, all female clique -- The Plastics. When
Regina, the Queen Bee of the Plastics, and Cady clash over
the school hunk, all bets are off. Cady quickly becomes wizened
to the realities of American teen life, and plots to destroy
the social lives of Regina and the Plastics.
This
could have been a truly stale movie if not for two things:
One, Tina Fey’s sharp script full of clever jokes, even
pacing, and deft use of hilarious stereotypes e.g. The Cool
Mom, and The Indian Math Nerd. Two, the excellent cast. Rachel
McAdams’ ruthless Regina channels a hot, blonde, female
Henry Kissinger. Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried are really
strong in supporting roles as Gretchen and Karen, the Worker
Bee Plastics, and they wear the requisite slut gear really
nicely. Cady’s Non-Conformist friends, Janis Ian and
Damian, were well served by Lizzy Caplan and Daniel Franzese,
but I suspect these two were not acting. Tina Fey and Tim
Meadows do the adult roles with dry deliveries more often
seen in Britcoms, and scores better than anything they’ve
done on SNL. Oh, and finally Two-B, Lohan’s
breasts. They become far more prominent as she becomes engaged
in her war with Regina, and after a while you’re wondering
if director Mark Waters intended some sort of symbolism or
moral. I could never figure it out, but I contend that Lindsay
and her breasts deserve equal billing.
 Special
Feaures
Because Mean Girls is very loosely adapted from Rosalind Wiseman’s pop-sociology
book, Queen Bees and Wannabes, I guess it was in
her contract with Paramount that she be allowed plug her workshop.
She does this in a featurette. Watch it at your own risk -
it’s a downer. Of the
three, the only worthwhile featurette I found was the one
on the costume design, but anything about clothes
is up my alley. There are the requisite bloopers and deleted scenes which make me grateful editors
exist, because they aren’t amusing. The commentary
by director Mark Waters, writer/star Tina Fey, and producer
Lorne Michaels was cute. They didn’t get drunk,
which I consider to be the hallmark of an excellent commentary,
nor did they gossip very much. They made up for these faults
by making frequent fun of themselves…all except Lorne
Michaels who was pretty quiet, but he’s taken a lot
of ribbing in the three Austin Powers movies
anyway.
Get me Lindsay Lohan on the commentary.
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