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| “Lindsey Lohan? Never heard of her …” Regina George (Reneé Rapp, center) holds court in the lunchroom with Gretchen Wieners (Bebe Wood) and Karen Shetty (Avantika) in a scene from Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez, Jr.’s production of MEAN GIRLS. Credit: Jojo Whilden © 2023 Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved. |
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
DIRECTOR: Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr.
And that’s where she encounters a cast of characters that are going to change her life.
After meeting her new homeroom teacher Ms. Norbury (Tina Fey), Cady is observed by Janis (Auli’I Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey), two social outcasts who quickly see she needs a rundown of the law of the land. That means letting her know about the Plastics, a.k.a. queen of the school Regina George (Reneé Rapp) and her two faithful underlings, the clueless Karen Shetty (Avantika) and the smart-yet-still-fearful-of-her Gretchen Wieners (Bebe Wood). None of this would be a problem for Cady if Regina hadn’t also taken an interest in her … And Cady took an interest in Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney), a.k.a. her ex.
So … What happens when you mix teenagers, insecurity, hormones and life lessons all to the beat of a diverse musical soundtrack? A film that is sure to turn plenty of potentially mean older fans into pleasantly surprised moviegoers …
Fortunately for Jayne and Perez, Jr. – and fans of the original film – Mean Girls 2024 makes for an entertaining film fans old and new will enjoy.
None of this would matter, however, without the performances of the relatively unknown cast. Whereas Rice channels Cady with the same innocence Lindsey Lohan did in the original, Rapp owns pretty much every scene she’s in – while yet being more relatable arguably than Rachel McAdams was in the role in 2004. Wood likewise gives Gretchen considerable spunk and Avantika plays her role with such a wide-eyed aloofness it honors the work her predecessor Amanda Seyfried did and then some.
Cravalho and newcomer Spivey, however, may have the best star turns of the entire affair, each bringing a dynamic (and needed) entertainment aspect to the film. Fey, Tim Meadows (reprising his role as the beleaguered Mr. Duvall) and the other adults are wise to mostly stay out of the way, letting the young people – even though it’s hard to buy in to most of the cast outside of Rice, Cravalho and Avantika being in their teens – shine. Of course, Jayne and Perez, Jr. deserve kudos for their interpolation of TikTok and the modern world into the mix to deliver the best package possible – then again, having Fey on board for this go round likely helps.
Whether you prefer the 2024 version of Mean Girls likely comes down to how much you love the original versus you love musicals. The new one has all the exploration of the insanity that is high school, the humor and utlimately the empowerment that made the original so beloved by so many, plus a few new wrinkles thrown in for good measure. Thus, both are fine, both are entertaining …
And don’t worry, both are worthy of fetch-ing your attention.
