Reviews Written by David

Surprisingly good... and its based on a book?

Pros: Very well done on several levels. Special Features reveal the depth of the undertones.

Cons: Some 'teen movie' moments (courteousy of the adults, no less) but very few.

I overheard the cashier at the video store talking about Mean Girls, and I asked her what she thought of it. "It's the BEST MOVIE EVER!"; she replied, so I checked it out. I'm glad I did.

This movie is very well developed. Lindsey Lohan and the rest of the teens elegantly play out the backstabbing world of teen popularity. In this world, friends lie to friends, the phone is a weapon, and rumors can bump people from the royal table to the furthest edges of self-respect. Several Saturday Night Live veterans offer self-effacing authority without stealing the stage from the true stars-- the girls.

After you watch the movie, and check out the Special Features, you realize the movie is based on a NONFICTION book, "Queen Bee and the Wannabees." Now, this book was born out of Violence Workshops for Women and Teens, showing how social pressures in high school can lead to difficult situations. However, if "Queen Bee" has a violence message, for better or for worse, that theme did not carry over to Mean Girls.
Overall, it's a very enjoyable comedy that can be watched several times. ...