Genre Grandeur – Mean Girls (2004) – Life of This City Girl

For this month’s next entry for Genre Grandeur February – Coming of Age movie’s, here’s a review of Mean Girls (2004) by Natasha of Life of This City Girl

Thanks again to Justine of Justine’s movie blog for choosing this month’s genre.

Next month’s Genre, chosen by  Anna of Film Grimoire will be Latin Director movies. To participate, send me your review to latin@movierob.net by 25th Mar.  Thanks to Anna for a great and diverse choice.

Let’s see what Natasha thought of this movie:

______________________________________

 

Genre Grandeur: Mean Girls (2004) – Life of this City Girl

 

When I saw that this month’s Genre Grandeur was Coming of Age movies I felt rather excited. I think that few movies manage to be as fun as a film about a bunch of hormonal teenagers properly made. It has elements that make it truly hilarious – hormones, impossible situations, a time where you are still under your parents’ thumb, etc., etc.

So I went off and Googled COA films to make sure I chose properly. From the list there were four films to choose from: Easy A (Fantastic), 10 Things I Hate About You (also Fantastic), Perks of Being a Wallflower (Really Good) and Mean Girls (Fantastic). Any one of these four could have been ended up as my favorite of the Genre – they are all unique in their own way and I can watch any of them again without a problem.

So Mean Girls got the winning vote for this post because I was reminded just recently how much I love it the other day when I watched it with my sisters. Mean Girls has so many pros I can’t really think of cons. It is something I can always watch again, because it stays relevant and good and is a hilariously accurate realization of high school life. The cast works together seamlessly and you can sense they are having the best time making the movie and working with one another. There is an endless amount of sarcasm, teenage bitching and high school rites of passage that takes place. I’ve written down some of my favorite moments, but it is by no means fully inclusive – this movie is an entire favorite moment kinda thing!

 

Plot: Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George.

 

Favorite moments:

 

“This is the fertility vase of the Ndebele tribe”. That is not how you pronounce “Ndebele”, Mrs. Heron

 

“It’s Cady”

I need to know how many times this is mentioned in the movie. It is hilarious because my older sister’s name is Theranne (I will leave you all to try and pronounce that) so I really feel sorry for Cady because I’ve seen firsthand how annoying it is when people mispronounce your name all the time.

 

“It’s October third” Ah, high school crushes. It used to be so much fun. The most insignificant conversation was SO important back then. Aaron Samuels is everything a cute high school boy should be according to popular culture – cute, popular, sporty, a status symbol. We all know by now that all those mean zilch if there’s nothing substantial to his personality, but this is high school and this is fun.

 

“Is Butter a Carb?”I’ve pondered this question, Regina George, many, many times.

 

Yes, there are a few white people in Africa, Karen. Indeed there are. Indeed, you can’t be a white person in Africa and not hear a foreigner ask that at least once in your lifetime.

 

I love how young and fresh they all were. Lindsay Lohan has never been an exceptional actress, but she still shone in here and I loved her for it. She is so sweet and, hinged, and I miss that about her. Who thought that the Amanda Seyfried and Rachel McAdams would eventually become the greatest success stories of that cast?

This movie is buckets of fun. I’m not sure if there is anyone on earth that hasn’t seen it, but if you haven’t, do so, because Mean Girls is a timeless classic in the Coming of Age genre. Thanks for an excellent Genre Grandeur choice, whoever chose it! (ed. note – Justine)

______________________

Thanks Natasha!