Project-Blu Mean Girls, by M. Enois Duarte

Mean Girls

By: M. Enois Duarte, 4.20.2009

The Movie Itself:
So few films accurately dissect the social hierarchies of high school life with an entertaining balance of wry insight and sassy satire that one wonders if they really ever happen. In the past two decades, the teen genre splashed the screen, both big and small, with a stale formula that attracted kids like a school bully on the hunt for lunch money. Save for the quirkiness of Clueless and Election, teen films only sought after the "Benjamins" and standouts were practically nonexistent. But with the release of Mean Girls, director Mark Waters (younger brother of Heathers screenwriter Daniel Waters) brought back a little pep to the genre with a delightful yarn about an all-too-familiar experience of teen existence.

Raised and home-schooled by her zoologist parents in the African wilderness, Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) had never known a world where adults didn't trust her. Entering the jungles of public high school, she feels completely out of place and overcome by the teen social structure. By befriending the artsy outcasts, semi-goth Janis (Lizzy Caplan) and the "too gay to function" Damian (Daniel Franzese), she quickly learns the rules and regulations of a world governed by cliques. Soon after, she is accepted into the most powerful clique of all, The Plastics, which is lead by the mother of all popular mean girls, Regina George (Rachel McAdams). Initially meant to sabotage the trio, Cady is sucked into the politics and must figure a way to save herself and her remaining friendships.

While lacking a bit of the teen angst of Hughes's The Breakfast Club or not as forthcoming with the troubles of adolescence as Cameron Crowe's Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Lucas's American Graffiti, Mean Girls provides an amusingly clever spin on issues of acceptance and the emotional damage the desire may incur. Though far from original, the real enjoyment of the film comes from the way Waters and screenwriter Tina Fey approach the material, with a certain maturity and avoidance of the cliché. They respectfully expect their audience to not only identify their school environment within the flick, but to also laugh at it and see its deconstruction as ultimately childish. In Cady, they make it all too clear the experience as a uniquely Western invention.

Inspired by a nonfiction book with a title that best describes the themes explored here (Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence), the film provides a surprisingly logical and reasonable message which we all sadly learn only after those influential years. ("All you can do in life is try to solve the problem in front of you.") And much like Rosalind Wiseman's book, Mean Girls carries a sociological and comically anthropological charm that only adds to the entertainment. The narrative exposes the animalistic nature of popularity with jokes that never pander to the lower common denominator and are yet easily accessible for younger audiences.

Adding to the already wonderful script is a cast that delivers great performances. Before becoming the tabloid --- and internet --- headliner she is now remembered for, Lindsay Lohan left American audiences with an image of what could have been a fine actress. Eating alone in the bathroom stall perfectly captures that sense of being the new kid, and Lohan carries that anxious tension throughout, despite her metamorphosis. Caplan was terrificly enjoyable, providing Janis with hints of a fragile and hurt personality hiding beneath her hard exterior. Equally impressive was Fey's Ms. Norbury, the adorable but klutzy math teacher trying to get her life together. Tim Meadows as the school principal was unexpectedly funny and quite possibly his best work. And lest we forget the other SNL cast member, Amy Poehler as Regina's mother is hilarious.

On the surface, the feature is directed at teens and very likely still enjoyed by the same demographics. But it's equally entertaining for adults as it depicts the ugly side of high school life. However dated the film may appear, it's very much a shared experience between generations about the demands and importance placed upon popularity and belonging to a crowd. Mean Girls falls in line with some of the best teen-flicks available with a cleverly fascinating tale about the tribal rites of social conformity. It may not change the world or the minds of teenagers, but it's fun to watch that silly reality be run over by a school bus.
Rating: 8/10

The Presentation:
As of late, Paramount Home Entertainment has done well with their catalog titles, releasing video presentations worthy of the upgrade. Arriving with an attractive AVC transfer and framed in a 1.78:1 window, Mean Girls makes the transition into hi-def in stride.

Boasting a clean palette of strong primaries and well-resolved secondary hues, facial complexions also appear natural and revealing more texture, especially in close-ups, than standard definition versions. Contrast and brightness are accurate, providing the image with deep blacks and firm, snappy whites. While not as sharp as other titles, fine object details are slightly above average, with clean, resolute lines even in the dark shadows. A thin layer of film grain is noticeable, adding a welcomed filmic quality to the picture, but there were a few times when it translated as chroma noise in some whites and low-level noise in a couple of low-lit scenes. However, this was not enough to detract from an otherwise good presentation.
Rating: 7.2/10

Equipped with a Dolby TrueHD soundtrack, Mean Girls provides a surprisingly satisfying audio experience. Though mostly a front-heavy presentation, imaging and separation is well balanced across all three channels, while dialogue remains consistently clean and crisp in the center. The pop music featured in the film fills the entire soundstage and lightly bleeds in the rears for a minor envelopment of the listening area. A healthy low-frequency bass response also adds some supportive depth to the songs. Dynamics were pleasant enough, but lacked any real dimensionality within the mix. When appropriate, like the house party sequence, ambient effects in the surround activity enhanced the track with a nice sense of atmosphere. Considering its comedic origins, Mean Girls sounds quite good in high-resolution audio.
Rating: 6.8/10

Overall Presentation: 7/10

** 9-10 = Reference / 8 = Excellent / 7 = Good /
6 = Satisfactory / 5 = Average / 4 & under = Below Average **

The Extras:
The same DVD package of supplements can also found in this Blu-ray version of Mean Girls. The material is entertaining enough, but all presented in standard definition, except for the Theatrical Trailer.

Audio Commentary
An enjoyable track featuring director Mark Waters, screenwriter/actor Tina Fey, and producer Lorne Michaels mostly talking about the production.
Only the Strong Survive (25 min)
Collection of interviews discussing the film's production, casting, and Fey adapting a nonfiction book into a comedy film.
The Politics of Girl World (11min)
Author Rosalind Wiseman talks briefly, but frankly about the peer demands placed on teen girls over self-image and social conformity.
Plastic Fashion (10 min)
As the title implies, this is a short look at the costume and fashion used in the film.
Word Vomit: Blooper Reel (6 min)
A small cluster of outtakes and lines fumbled.
3 Interstitials (2 min)
Quick promo pieces for the film called, "Frenemies", "New Girls", and "PSA".
So Fetch - Deleted Scenes (7 min)
With optional commentary by Tina Fey and Mark Waters, the series of nine scenes don't really add much to the film.

Rating: 5/10

Final Thoughts:
Finally reviving a genre from the brink of death is Mean Girls, approaching the subject with intelligence and a terrific sense of humor. Maybe not up to the quality of some classics, but this one will not be easily forgotten. The Blu-ray edition of the film shines with a solid video and audio presentation that will surely please fans, making it worth the upgrade.
Rating: 7/10