Fey's script manages to be simultaneously funny, hip, honest, intelligent, vulnerable, marketable, savvy, and, yes, caring. These are not qualities usually considered mutually compatible in contemporary Hollywood and they are astonishing in a scriptwriter's first effort. Fey's first obligation, as is any writer's, is to entertain, and she delivers, but she takes on a second task as well. This movie is nothing short of what? a plea? prayer? by Tina Fey for the souls of our teenage girls.

What is so remarkable is that she did this using a medium which prides itself on being frankly jaded and shallow, and in a culture which is vicious, ruthless, and materialistic. In other words, she did this in a movie aimed at teenagers! That's like trying to copy Fred Astaire only backwards and in heels. Oh wait, that's possible too.

I know that we're not likely to save the world in 2 hours, but if film schools want to teach responsible film-making, then this is one example to hold up to their students. I think this film may be as effective if not more effective than books like "Reviving Ophelia" if for no other reason than that many more people are going to see "Mean Girls" than have read Mary Pipher.

I won't bother recapitulating the plot, characters, etc, which comprise a standard "ugly duckling/fish out of water/Jacobean revenge tragedy" form familiar to movie-goers. As is true with every movie these days, if you've seen the trailer you've pretty much seen the movie. (Odd, isn't it, how many times the trailer is a better movie.)

No, what's interesting is what Fey is saying with these standard characters while never condescending to her audience.

Examples:

Fey is not afraid to make her protagonist gifted in math. Thirty years after the advent of feminism you wouldn't think this such a revelation but, in the context of the film, it is downright subversive. So we've been through the revolution, and the sucessive waves of backlashes, so where are we today? Answer: We're apparently at a place where a good-looking girl who's good at math and proud of it is still subversive.

In the home of the girl filling the nemesis role she is treated like royalty while the mother obsesses with looking like a teenage girl and the hypersexualized 8-year-old sister dances to hypersexualized videos on a channel showing ads for hypersexualized "girls gone wild". Now I'm far from prude, in fact I'm a bit of a pervert and known to appreciate some fine titty action, but even I recognize that this is probably not the best way to raise your daughters. Here the picture shows us that the 8-year-old is the high schooler's past while the mother is her probable future. In this triptych we have a complete portrait of present day feminine folly and vanity.

Later, Fey, in the role of a math teacher, has a brilliant scene where she exposes the rampant amount of gossip and other "girl-on-girl crime" at the school and then begs the girls to stop calling each other sluts and whores. This is about as direct a didactic role as one can take, but she comes across as neither preachy nor pedantic. Gracefully done.

What is so smart about this script is that after riding the standard characters and plot as far as they can take her, Fey then wanders from the rigid roles usually required in films with a revenge theme. For example she is careful not to make her protagonist unbelievably squeaky clean nor to (completely) demonize her antagonist.

It is crucial that Fey never allows the movie to be seen giving up on any one character because in this way she most strongly communicates her desire for a more compassionate world. By not lowering us into an easy black & white moralizing tale she challenges us to exercise our empathy for the people we think of as hateful; even her antagonist character redeems herself somewhat in the end.

Here is where the movie diverges energetically from the "Heathers" it has been unfairly compared to.

In "Heathers", written by Daniel Waters, everything literally explodes in violence, but by the end of "Mean Girls" Fey has taken us to a different place where meanness no longer feels cool nor does it even seem particularly interesting.

Bravo.


"Hey, hey, hey. Don't be mean. We don't have to be mean because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are." -- Buckaroo Banzai

i've noticed that people seem to be praising this movie because it was written by tina fey. if it was written by some unknown hack it would never be getting such respect and praise ithink

come on...she's hot

D_A

Wow. I REALLY think you're looking too deep into this movie. I mean, I respect your right to voice your opinion, but sheesh, it was a freaking fluff movie. With Linzie Lohan (sp? ah, who cares) no less. She's appeared in practically the same movie, like five times now.

THIS MOVIE IS FAGGITIZED!!!!!

Boobage?

hey, did you guys know that

I

am

a

Klingon


(which could very well be the reason my left tit is twice the size of my right, but that has yet to be determined)

or it could just mean that you are really a man and didn't have enough money to get the operation completely done.


(smile)

faggatized...

GK

There are lots of after school specials where the good looking girl is good at math. No groundbreaking plot there.

I read "Reviving Ophelia." It was alright. But it didn't "reach" me like "Heathers" did.

If no one here can appreciate the pure genius that is Fey's "Mean Girls", then I don't know what else to tell you. It's pure magic. Lohan will be a star among stars. Fey will surely direct her talent and genius into new and exciting projects, and I can hardly wait. The Hollywood Renaissance has begun people. "Mean Girls" has set it all into motion.

Bravo.

I'm sure if you sent an e-mail with those exact words to Tina Fey, she'd laugh her ass off.

LOL!!!

PLEASE! GENIUS???????????????

STOP KISSING TINA FEYS ASS! WHAT DO YOU DO WORK FOR SNL???!!!

STOP BROWNNOSING!

i give it 5/10

if anyone but tina fey wrote it it would have gone straight to video

Fey = Goddess

Fey = Genius

Fey = The personification of all things remarkable in this world

does anyone know how she got that scar on her face?

Did somebody mention Heathers?

you know its an ok movie but wat suxs is dat i went to see it with my friends and like a few weeks later the exact same thing happened creepy! I'm jk but it did happen im a lil pissed that i spent the 5 bucks to see how my life would turn out.

LOL!!! I JUST SUNG TODDS REVIEW!