What The Critics Say

"Uundoubtedly the best teen comedy ever adapted from a sociological study... this anti-fairy tale should serve as a wake-up call to any Sleeping Beauties in the audience. " James Sanford KALAMAZOO GAZETTE "Mean Girls is hilarious, brilliant and amazing. See it this weekend. Twice." Willie Waffle WAFFLEMOVIES.COM "A very original, funny and highly accurate dissection of the teen girl world." Jeff Otto IGN FILMFORCE "The funniest, most unassumingly subversive teen movie since 2000's Bring It On." Terry Lawson DETROIT FREE PRESS "A laugh-out-loud commentary on the perils of high school, on par with contemporary favorites Clueless and Bring It On." Craig Roush KINNOPIO'S MOVIE REVIEWS

"Mean Girls is the smartest, funniest, most observant comedy about teenagers in a long time." Mike McGranaghan AISLE SEAT "Sports a wicked script with scathing insight and humor rarely seen in teen comedies." Audrey Rock-Richardson TOOELE TRANSCRIPT-BULLETIN UTAH "Lohan dazzles us once more. ... The smartly written script is a perfect match for her intelligent brand of comedy." Steve Rhodes STEVE RHODES' INTERNET REVIEWS "A little acidic and surprisingly funny, Mean Girls will speak to anyone who ever took shrapnel on the battlefield of high school." Dawn Taylor PORTLAND TRIBUNE "With colorful characters and snappy performances, Mean Girls is a rare laugh-out-loud film." Bruce Westbrook HOUSTON CHRONICLE

At A Glance

"As she did in Freaky Friday, Lohan displays plenty of charm, verve and deft comic timing as she switches between innocence and craftiness."...David Rooney VARIETY

Their everywhere in society. The clique. That little group or special person that some people always want to be aligned to or been seen with. Out in the larger world the clique is weakened because it has had to diversify, to mutate like a virus. But at high school the clique can be a very powerful influence on everyone it comes in contact with. It's probably true to say that being in a clique at high school has made a few people very happy and a lot of people very unhappy. The most powerful clique at high school is the all girl clique. It's presence can best be described as a dark force whose ripple effect causes a warp in the universe just as it did in "Star Wars". Like a bee colony, the all girl clique has at it's head, a Queen Bee. A strong all powerful girl who holds sway over her followers. Generally a bit of a bitch, the Queen Bee is a dangerous manipulative young thing who surrounds herself with a few select servants and a pathetic little group of worker bees. By always travelling in a group, the clique appears strong and elite. This creates an illusion like a bright light on a dark night around which moths gather. In the case of the clique, the powerful signal they exhude is a message of seperatism, elitism, of being something very special, even being loved. This combines into a powerful force field which keeps everyone else out of their little world. Unless you're lucky enough to be invited in. Buzzing around the clique, bouncing off the shield, like little sperms trying to penetrate an egg, are the wannabes. And there's always plenty of them. The truth about the vast majority of these high school all girl cliques is that they are destructive. They foster feelings of insecurity, distrust, seperatism and the worse sympton of all. People in cliques always think they are better than every one else. Fact! They are in the clique because they don't fit in with any one else. Cliques, like virus's can cause immeasurable damage in the high school community. While most level headed young people don't give a damn about them, the cliques influence can be far reaching. In some cases it will destroy good values which have been instilled by loving parents. It can lead to drug taking. It can influence young people to drink alcoholic beverages, participate in under age sex or worse indulge in sex when they really don't want to. This is called pleasing the Queen or conforming to group behaviour and opinion. It's real name is Peer Group Pressure. Young people often don't see the insidious way a clique influences their behaviour. Why. Because they just want to be part of the group. Their judgement is clouded by being a part of the group. "Mean Girls" is a terribly funny look at what happens when one innocent high school student decides to become a part of a Queen Bee colony [a clique] and the consequence of what happens to her and everyone at the school. The moral lesson to be learnt is a posative one and it's not hard to see, nor is it hard to take in. As exemplified in her wickedly funny and often acerbic writing style. "Saturday Night Live" head writer Tina Fey has long been fascinated by social dynamics and thought that the phenomenon of Girl World nastiness bore further investigation. To that end, she got in touch with Rosalind Wiseman, co-founder of the Empower Program, a nonprofit organization that works to empower girls and boys and stop adolescent violence. Wiseman’s book Oueen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques. Gossip, Boyfriends and Other Realities of Adolescence impressed Fey. Its insight into how girls navigate through the cliques and hierarchies of adolescence, convinced Fey that it could provide the spark for a very funny and very topical movie. "I think that girls are ingenious in how they find ways to sabotage one another in these invisible, unseen, hurtful ways." says Fey. "What struck me most were the anecdotes of the girls that were interviewed for the book. Rosalind, rightfully, takes them very seriously, but in my opinion, they’re also very funny. I mean the way girls mess with each other is so clever and intricate, and probably very instinctive." While there was a wealth of material to draw on, the task of writing the script wasn't easy, after all Fey was taking non-fiction and turning it into fiction. "Mean Girls" producer Lorne Michaels "loved Fey's idea to turn the book into a film. This is a very rich subject matter, and very revelant at the moment. I knew Tina would have a smart take on it," he said. "She's somebody who considers what she does very carefully, and I had every confidence in her ability to spin this book into a great film." To which I must add my humble support. Tina Fey has created a very funny look at Girls World and kept the message intact, revealing all the pitfalls that can face at high school. "Mean Girls" pulls no punches when it comes to revealing the bitchiness of a Queen Bee group. So what was in the book that struck her the most? "The anecdotes of the girls that were interviewed for the book," she said. "Rosalind, rightfully, takes them very seriously, but in my opinion, they're also very funny. I mean the way the girls mess with each other is so clever and intricate, and probably very instinctive." "Freaky Friday" director Mark Waters says "Fey's script is one of the best he's read in years," eloborating on the script by saying it was "witty and funny and full of humour yet still had a kind of humanity to it that you could connect to. Tina has created a universe of fleshed out characters that you really care about." So how long did it take him to accept the offer to direct "Mean Girls"? "The minute I read the script I knew I had to do it," he says. And what did the star of "Freaky Friday", "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" and now "Mean Girls", Lindsay Lohan think? "I think Tina did a great job of getting into the girls heads," she said. "The script is very realistic, very true to high school and the rivalry that goes on there." The filmmakers searched long and hard to find the right people to play the roles of Janis, Damian, Gretchen, Karen and Aaron, all of whom help Cady as she navigates the ups and downs of her first year of high school. Casting a wide net, they auditioned young actors and actresses between the ages of fifteen and twenty five in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Vancouver and Chicago. Portraying Gretchen and Karen, Regina’s sidekicks, best friends and devoted followers are Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried. Together the three make up The Plastics, the most feared, revered and ultra-fashionable clique at North Shore. Chabert (spent her high school years playing the role of Claudia on the hit TV series "Party of Five") plays Gretchen Weiners. She maintains that her character is "only mean by association". Her tendency to spill everyone’s secrets, gets her into a lot of trouble. "She’s incredibly wealthy because her father is the inventor of Toaster Strudel, and she loves people to know that,” laughs Chabert. “She’s also incredibly insecure, constantly having anxiety attacks that Regina is going to kick her out of The Plastics, and fearful that she’ll lose her status." I'm sure that their will be many Australian girls who will relate to what is seen in "Mean Girls" a film which is more than a teen chick flick. "Mean Girls" is also a very adult film so don't overlook it by dismissing it as just another teen film. It is a very funny, timely tale. I'd go so far as to describe it as a seriously funny film with wide appeal. The Mean Girls Fact File

The Queen Bee ....... A combination of the Queen Of Hearts in Alice In Wonderland and Barbie. The Queen Bee reigns supreme, can silence other girls and boys with a look, and her popularity is based on fear and control. Nice? Not! The Banker ....... A combination of con artist and stool pigeon, The Banker lures girls in and then gets the target to divulge information about themselves. The Banker then uses this information like currency for her own benefit. Fact. Watch out! She's almost as powerful as the Queen Bee. Her wake is full of innocent casualties. The Sidekick ....... A combination of willing servant and humble handmaid, The Sidekick does everything the Queen Bee tells her to do. The sidekick considers the Queen Bee to be her best friend and therefore idolizes the Queen. Fact. The manipulative monarch looks down on her subject! The Wannabe ....... Girls who will do anything to get into the Queens world. Usually tries too hard. Often seen by those not in the group to be a try-hard. Usually ends up doing the Queens dirty work. Fact. Usually treated like a nobody! The Target ....... Worse than the Wannabe, the target is a victim set up by the Queen Bee and her little clique. Usually someone who has challenged the Queen Bee and her bee-otchy bunch. Challenged and failed. Fact. Failed challenges always end up at the bottom of the pecking order. Watch out. The Torn Bystander ....... Constantly torn by her own emotional confict. She knows the Queen Bee is wrong but hasn't the strength to stand up to her. She is a desperate, constantly trying to accomodate everyone but lacks the self confidence to align herself to a particular cause because she doen't know what she really wants. Fact. The Poor Torn Bystander is too ripped apart to know what she wants! The Floater ....... Self confident, full of self-esteem and one of the few young ladies who doesn't base her self worth on what other people think. Her strength comes from knowing that she doesn't have to align herself with any group and that she is willingly accepted by almost all groups. Fact. Will stand up to the Queen Bee if backed into a corner. The Floater is truly a silver lining in the dark cloud hanging over Girl World.

Cast & Crew Bytes "Mean Girls" was .......
directed by Mark Waters ["The House Of Yes", "Head Over Heals" and "Freaky Friday"]; written by Tina Fey ["Dratch and Fey"]; edited by BAFTA Award winner Wendy Greene Bricmont A.C.E ["Annie Hall", "The Sweetest Thing", "Kindergaten Cop" and "Race the Sun"]; costume design by Mary Jane Fort ["The Fighting Temptations", "Like Mike", "Infinity" and "Bring It On"]; original music composed by Rolfe Kent ["Freaky Friday", "The House Of Yes", "About Schmidt" and "Legally Blonde"]; cinematograhpy by Daryn Okada A.S.C ["Cradle 2 the Grave", "Dr Doolittle 2", "Airborne" and "Captain Ron"]; production design by Cary White ["Spy Kids", "Freaky Friday" and "The Hot Spot"] and produced by Lorne Michaels ["Three Amigos", "Wayne's World I & II" and "Enigma"].
"Mean Girls" stars .......
Lindsay Lohan ["The Parent Trap", "Freaky Friday" and "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen"]; Rachel McAdams ["The Hot Chick", "Perfect Pie" and "My Name Is Tanino"]; Lacey Chabert ["Lost In Space", "Tart", "Not Another Teen Movie", "The Wild Thornberrys" and "Daddy Day Care"]; Amanda Seyfried ["Mean Girls"]; Lizzy Caplan ["Orange County" and "Hardcore Action News"]; Tim Meadows ["The Ladies Man", "It's Pat", "Waynes World" and "Coneheads"]; Amy Poehler ["Duece Bigalow:Male Gigalo" and "Envy"]; Ana Gasteyer ["What Women Want", "Woman On Top", "Dock" and "Raising Helen"]; Neil Flynn ["Magnolia", "Home Alone III", "Chain Reaction" and "Major League"]; Daniel Franzese ["Bully", "Party Monster" and "Stateside"]; Jonathan Bennett ["Season Of Youth"] and Emmy Award winner Tina Fey ["Saturday Night Live"] as Ms Norbury. The Story

"Tart and refreshing, Mean Girls is the kind of high-school movie that really feels as if it's for grown-ups but hey, the teens can come, too." ... Moira MacDonald SEATTLE TIMES

Raised in the African bush by her zoologist parents Chip and Betsy Heron, Cady thinks she knows all about survival of the fittest, after all isn't that the law of the jungle. Then her parents decide it's time to end her home schooling by enrolling Cady at her first public school. The sweet, innocent 15 year old is about to discover there is a different law of the jungle. Here, the Plastics are the most popular girls in school. They have a stranglehold on who is in and who is out. The Plastics wrote the rule book on Girl World. Rules such as always wearing pink on Tuesdays. And they're mean. Cady soon falls prey to the psycological warfare that teenage girls face today. Cady decides she will infiltrate the Plastics and then disclose their deepest, darkest secrets. The plan doesn't work and slowly Cady becomes just like them. There are now four Plastics. The Verdict "I haven't laughed this much since the outrageous "Van Wilder:Party Liason". It's a genuinely funny, wickedly witty look at the pitfalls of teenage life at high school and the consequences of getting in with the wrong group. "Mean Girls" is obviously aimed at the teen market but believe me, adults will find this very entertaining. You'll get a belly load of laughs here. I laughed so much it hurt." The Cast

Lindsay Lohan Rachel McAdams Lacey Chabert Amanda Seyfried Tina Fey Lizzy Caplan Tim Meadows Amy Poehler Ana Gasteyer Neil Flynn Daniel Franzese Jonathan Bennett Rajiv Surendra Elana Shilling Graham Kartna Ely Henry Ayo Agbonkpolo Molly Shanahan Jonathan Malen Jeff Moser Miranda Edwards

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Cady Heron Regina George Gretchen Wieners Karen Smith Ms Norbury Janis Ian Mr Duvall Mrs George Betsy Heron Chip Heron Damian Aaron Samuels Kevin Gnapoor Spelling Girl Homeschooled Boy Homeschooled Boy African Warrior Kristen Hadley Kristen's Boyfriend 'Farting' Guy Michigan Girl

The Crew Directed by Mark S Waters Adapted from the book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman Screenplay by Tina Fey Produced by Lorne Michaels Executive Producer Jill Sobel Messick Cinematography by Daryn Okada Film Editing by Wendy Greene Bricmont Casting by Robin D Cook/Marci Liroff/Susan Shopmaker Production Design by Cary White Art Direction by Brandt Gordon Set Decoration by Patricia Cuccia Costume Design by Mary Jane Fort Production Management Jim Powers & Louise Rosner Assistant Director Adam Bocknek Art Department Co-ordinator Collingwood Brown Special Effects Director Bob Sanderson Run Time 97 minutes Rated M15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2004 - Paramount Pictures - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2004 - Impact Internet Services & The Movie Pages - All Rights Reserved