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Now compared to the likes of
"Heathers" and "Clueless," 2004's "Mean Girls" is a rare teen comedy
that manages to come shockingly close to the charm and humanity of a
John Hughes film thanks to the sharp writing of Tina Fey who
explores the battle of the sexes, the female dynamic and the
struggle for superiority among the opposite sex with a mild box
office hit that went on to live its remaining days as a classic
among teenage audiences. Starring a slew of up and comers including
Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, and Lizzy Caplan, and offering
hilarious supporting performances from SNL stars, "Mean Girls" is a
movie I didn't love the first time out. But watching it a few years
later I realized it's a classic for a reason and is one of the few
interesting teen comedies ever released. And we have Tina Fey to
thank for that. She, of course, went on to write the underrated
sitcom "30 Rock," but here she taps in to the teenage persona and
does it better than most writers today can ever hope to. Here's why
we like "Mean Girls" and why you should like it too...
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Tina Fey as Mrs. Norbury
Only in a movie can teachers
like Mrs. Norbury exist. Someone so caring, so under
appreciated, so intelligent, and talented, and so damn
attractive. I mean in high school I had a teacher like
her but he was a man. Just my luck right? I'm not saying
teachers like Mrs. Norbury don't exist, but they are a
rarity and Mrs. Norbury is one in many realistic
characters in the film. Tina Fey also manages to touch
upon another true to life aspect of her character: the
fact that public school teachers are piss poor, even in
schools like the one we see in "Mean Girls." When I was
in high school my favorite teacher couldn't even afford
basic cable, and one of my social studies teachers could
only be on the internet during school time. So that's
why Mrs. Norbury is such an interesting true to life
character explaining in the climax that she's currently
holding up three jobs to make extra money (partly
because of her divorce, as well), who also manages to be
one of the more interesting feminine personas of the
story who is hopelessly out of touch with her own life
but can somehow tap in to what makes the young girls
work.
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Mrs. Norbury shows that sometimes the people who can
guide you in to the right direction aren't always
head that way. Fey brings a low key sanity to the
movie while also managing to be very funny. Fey who
went on to, of course, spearhead the hilarious "30
Rock" many years later brings much of the series
understated insanity and hilarity with sharply
comedic characters, interesting supporting players
that manages to drown out our lead character, and
moral center who is able to bring the school to
peace thanks to her ability to tap in to what made
her a teacher in the first place. Fey's scenes
involving the inept students make for some of the
best moments in the whole film and she's able to
perfectly play off their utter ignorance with a
smirk and a quick one-liner. |
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Tim Meadows (is
hilarious)
"Mean Girls" accomplished
something not even SNL could. Every time Tim Meadows as
principal Duvall was on-screen I was in hysterics. The
man not only gets the best lines in the movie, he not
only manages to be the funniest straight man of all
time, but this is a firm representation of a man
entrenched in a girls world without a way out. Possibly
his best moments involve his deadpan reactions to the
hilarity including his response to a girl complaining
about her wide set vagina to which he declares, "Yeah...
I can't do this," and his rage at nearly being kicked in
the face during the climactic school riot in which he
screams "Aw hell no, I did not leave the South side for
this!" And how the hell can you not crack up at this
exchange?
Mr. Duvall: Her
name is Cady. Cady Heron. Where are you, Cady?
Cady: That's me. It's pronounced like Katie.
Mr. Duvall: My apologies. I have a nephew named
Anfernee, and I know how mad he gets when I call him
Anthony. Almost as mad as I get when I think about the
fact that my sister named him Anfernee.
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I dare you not to laugh at that. I dare you, I
double dare you. "Mean Girls" convinced me once and
for all that Tim Meadows is a very under-appreciated
comedic talent that has yet to be properly
implemented until Fey came along to show off how
good this man can be in playing a principal way
beyond his realm when a situation presents itself
that he can't possibly register no matter how open
minded he is in the end. And as one of the few men
in this entire movie, he's not ignorant or played as
a caricature. Duvall is a very good principal who is
intelligent and willing to do whatever it takes to
help these women out but... god help him, he just
can not understand what these girls are doing to one
another until he begs for Mrs. Norbury's help to
offer some clarity while he sits to the side still
trying to comprehend what these women are doing.
It's not that he's stupid, it's just that men don't
get women issues, and vice versa, and the movie
explains that in full. If there is anyone who could
replace Cleavon Little in a "Blazing Saddles" remake
(heaven forbid), Tim Meadows could do it easily. |
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It's a Girl Power
Movie... Without Being Preachy
Most films that promote girl
power and solidarity among the opposite manages to
devalue the male animal and somehow posit itself as
somewhat superior. That's not the case with "Mean Girls"
which manages to promote the notion of feminism and
equality among the sexes without ever being too preachy.
The message behind the film in essence is that deep down
all girls are like the plastics. They pretend to be
above what the plastics promote except they're not as
open to the bashing as the trio are, and it's made clear
during the scene in the gym where everyone, obviously in
denial, is shown that every person they've ever come
across has trash talked their friends or some classmate
at one time or another. In the end the movie is about
keeping the peace and bonding with one another and not
letting the squabbling and backstabbing get the best of
you. It asks girls to look beyond the plastic and
realize that the person next to them is just as insecure
as they are and probably even more, which we learn in
full force by the closing scenes.
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The Screenplay
Many screenwriters these days
try to imitate John Hughes without success (*cough*DiabloCody*cough*)
and to this day there has yet to be a writer who can
mimic the humanity and depth Hughes touched upon with
his films. Tina Fey comes very close to achieving such
posterity with "Mean Girls." While true its comparison
to "Heathers" is apt, it doesn't mean Fey doesn't do a
damn good job here. Starting from various view points
and focusing on many of the societal norms and the
societal outcasts, Fey manages to build an immense
gallery of interesting and hilarious characters all of
whom allow for sharp comedy without ever being reduced
to walking gags. We have Cady Heron the outcast with the
potential to become the queen bee who suffers from
Stockholm syndrome after deciding to chronicle the
plastics, Regina George the alpha bitch of the school
whose intentions are never quite made apparent even
after the movie has ended.
Was she
evil or just so insecure about herself she was willing
to sell anyone down the river to get ahead? And what of
the sudden shift in the climax where we begin to
sympathize for her when she gains weight? There's the
scene stealing Damian the flamboyant homosexual who
helps Cady get in touch with her superficiality, and
Cady's parents whom are a constant source of hilarity as
they're capable of being domestic but incapable of
adapting to the mundane life of suburbia. Fey never
misses a beat and touches on these molds while expanding
upon them and making them feel human and never reducing
them to humiliating caricatures to ensure laughs for the
film, particularly in the case of the plastics who are
the ultimate representations of the popular girl who
manage to convey more depth than most of the characters
in the film. |
Go to Part Two of "Why We
Like Mean Girls" >>
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