While there have been plenty of intelligent movies about young adults in recent years, from Booksmart to Lady Bird, there is only one film that really spoke to the teenage girl experience. Of course, this movie is Mean Girls. When Cady Heron starts attending high school for the first time, she realizes that she's in for more than she bargained for when she learns about The Plastics. These girls are gorgeous, popular, and dangerous.
Mean Girls is even a musical now but for many fans, the original movie is where it's at. While the film does an incredible job at parodying others in the genre, as it's smart and funny, there are some moments that fall flat.
Best: The Discussion Of Cliques
In every teen movie, there's one popular clique and a whole bunch of others who aren't quite so beloved. This happens in Clueless and 10 Things I Hate About You and many more.
There's often a scene where the new kid at school is introduced to the lay of the land at the school and they see the different groups sitting on the front lawn and, most importantly, the high school cafeteria. They figure out very quickly that there are certain beautiful people who get everything they want and the others, well, not so much. The Plastics are so ditzy and hilarious that Mean Girls has really achieved what they set out to do.
Worst: Cady Becomes One Of The Plastics
Unfortunately, Cady quickly becomes one of the Plastics and she starts acting just like them. Instead of thinking it's stupid to only wear pink on Wednesdays, dress the same, and speak like a valley girl, she really relishes the new experiences that she's having.
This is one of the worst ways that Mean Girls makes fun of the other movies where a makeover goes totally wrong. Cady is supposed to be only pretending to be popular. The plan backfires and it's disappointing that she loses who she is in the process.
Best: The Focus On Diet And Appearance
Rachel McAdams does an incredible job playing Regina George and she's got hilarious and mean quotes. One of her best is when she asks "Is butter a carb?" and when she starts eating an all-carb diet and then says, "Sweatpants are all that fit me right now."
One of the best ways that Mean Girls parodies teen movies is the focus on diet and appearance. The popular girls are always on some kind of eating plan, convinced that they can lose those last five pounds and fit into their perfect prom dress, and Regina's attitude toward food is so silly that it works perfectly.
Worst: Damian And Janet Are In Awe Of The Popular Kids
The characters in Mean Girls are what make it such an interesting story, and Damian (Daniel Franzese) and Janis (Lizzy Caplan) are some of the best.
But while they should be too cool to care about being popular,t hat's not the case at all. These two characters are in awe of The Plastics and talk about them like they wish they could be them or be friends with them. This is a shame, as it would have been nice for them to behave differently than their classmates.
Best: Parties And The Cafeteria Are Where The Drama Happens
From a Halloween party where Cady wears an outfit that actually covers her body (and, therefore, freaks out The Plastics) to the scenes that always take place in the cafeteria, Mean Girls understands that these locations are always a staple in teen flicks.
The silliest and most ridiculous things always take place in these settings, and that's one of the best things about the movie.
Worst: Cady Isn't The Most Relatable Character
Lindsay Lohan is beloved for portraying Cady in Mean Girls but, honestly, she isn't the most relatable character, and this is a way that the movie falls flat.
Because Cady has been living far away and she has been home-schooled, she has really no idea what being in high school is like. She doesn't understand how to socialize or be someone's friend or basically anything that's going on. This isn't easy for viewers to relate to because most people have gone through the regular school system.
Best: Cady's Crush On Aaron Samuels
Cady's crush on Aaron Samuels (Jonathan Bennett) is a great way that the movie pokes fun at others in the genre.
No one knows much about him except that "his hair looks sexy pushed back" and that's totally the point. When a popular girl likes a popular guy in a teen movie, the focus is on how good they look together, not anything about their actual connection or whether they even get along.
Worst: Characters Copy Regina George In A Ridiculous Way
When Regina is seen around school with purple cut-outs on the chest of her white tank top, everyone at school starts doing the same thing. While it's definitely true that kids will copy the style trends of a popular girl, it seemed a little unrealistic that people would really wear something like this to school.
It's not true that high schoolers can't think for themselves at all. Even if they loved Regina and wanted to be like her, they would have said no to this ridiculous outfit.
Best: Cady Is Torn Between Being Her True Self And Popular
Beyond the smart quotes, Mean Girls is the story of a girl who is trying to find herself. Cady is torn between being her true self and being popular, and she slowly realizes that those two things are at war with each other.
She's super smart and wants to be part of the school's math club, but she's worried about her reputation. By the end of the movie, she understands that she can be it all (pretty, smart, and loved) and it's heartwarming to see.
Worst: Regina Getting Hit By A Bus
Mean Girls and Clueless have a lot in common but Clueless has a much better ending. When Regina George gets hit by a bus, it's supposed to be the ultimate revenge, as this is a catalyst for her to become a nicer person.
But this seems a little intense and extreme, and it didn't seem necessary, either. Regina already realized that her star had fallen as the whole school turned against her and had a heartwarming public display of expression in the high school gym.