Mean Girls (2004)

Directed by: Mark Waters

Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, and Amanda Seyfried

For all her life, Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) has been homeschooled by her parents.  Her mom and dad are zoologists, so Cady has lived in Africa most of her life.  Everything changes when she enrolls into North Shore High School in Illinois.  When she starts, she meets Janis (Lizzy Caplan) and Damien (Daniel Franzese).  These two pariahs at the high school welcome her and introduce her to the school’s social scene.  They warn Cady about some of the cliques including the Plastics, the top girl group in the school led by Regina George (Rachel McAdams).  Cady, however, is a little more popular than her outcast friends and is invited to join the Plastics.  Janis, who has previous history with Regina, sees Cady’s invitation as an opportunity to get someone on the inside.  Unfortunately, things don’t quite go as planned when Cady falls for Regina’s ex-boyfriend.

Though the film is a teen comedy, Mean Girls is a rare film that embodies the pop culture of its time.  Like iconic teen films such as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Breakfast Club, this film has and will continue to stand the test of time.  Every unwritten social rule for the American high school student is on display for better or worse in this comedic satire.  In this zany comedy, Tina Fey establishes herself as a screenwriter to be reckoned with, and Lindsay Lohan has the defining role of her career (so far).