Mean Girls
By Nell Minow,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Mature but often hilarious teen comedy.

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Mean Girls
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Based on 74 parent reviews
WOW!! so fetch.
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What's the Story?
MEAN GIRLS is about a girl who takes on a ruling clique. It's based on Queen Bees and Wannabes, a nonfiction book by Rosalind Wiseman about alpha girls and the impact they have on everyone else, adapted by Saturday Night Live head writer (and Weekend Update anchor) Tina Fey. Previously homeschooled by her zoologist parents while living in Africa, Cady (Lindsay Lohan) moves to Evanston, Illinois, and attends high school. Cady finds herself having a hard time understanding the social norms in the school, and is drawn to "the Plastics," the most popular clique in the school.
Is It Any Good?
There's much that's fresh and sharp in this movie. And while Mean Girls has an uncertain hold on its plot and ends up pulling some of its punches and throwing in teen comedy clichés we have seen before, it's still enjoyable and thought-provoking for teens.
Screenwriter Tina Fey, who appears as a sympathetic teacher, has a good sense of how girls like Regina operate to establish their domination, appearing to be sweet and supportive but in reality being competitive, duplicitous, and manipulative, and always surrounding themselves with people who will add to their power and not challenge them. And Fey's superb sense of comedy gives the script some biting humor. Her Saturday Night Live colleagues lend support to the cast, with Tim Meadows as the school principal, Ana Gasteyer as Cady's mother, and Amy Poehler superb as Regina's mother, who insists, "I'm not like a regular mom; I'm a cool mom!"
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the elements that determine status for teenagers -- like those Cady must learn to navigate in Mean Girls -- compare to those that determine status in the adult world, at work, and with friends and family.
How do the girls your kids know treat one another? What actions can they take to encourage girls to be kinder and more supportive?
Ask kids if they know any "mean girls." How do they deal with them?
How do the characters in Mean Girls demonstrate integrity and empathy? Why are these important character strengths?
Cady felt that she had to act or be someone different to survive in her new environment and new school. How might kids navigate new surroundings and new schools while staying true to who they are, without having to cave in to peer pressure or what they see as popular?
Movie Details
- In theaters: April 30, 2004
- On DVD or streaming: September 21, 2004
- Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey
- Director: Mark Waters
- Studio: Paramount Pictures
- Genre: Comedy
- Character Strengths: Empathy, Integrity
- Run time: 95 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: Sexual content, language and some teen partying
- Last updated: June 1, 2023
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