Mean Girls 2024: Nostalgia is not enough to carry limp adaptation
In 2004, Mean Girls became a staple of pop culture thanks to Tina Fey’s witty script, deceptively clever performances, and Burn Book merchandise popping up every Christmas. Two decades later, Fey’s Broadway musical version is getting a movie adaptation. Angourie Rice steps into Lindsay Lohan’s shoes as Cady, a student who has transferred from Africa to a clique-filled American high school. There, she crosses paths with popular girls The Plastics, led by queen bee Regina George (Renee Rapp).
Hand on heart, was anyone crying out for a Mean Girls remake? Supporters will argue that this is an adaptation of the Broadway musical, but it’s tantamount to the same thing, especially with the vision co-directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr have produced. There are so many wink-nudge moments that hark back to the 2004 original that it pales by comparison, feeling like a tribute act rather than a remix. Certain modernisations, such as social media, don’t do much beyond informing what year it is.
The songs are ok, although they break up the rhythm of the story quite awkwardly. The cast does a sterling job with a difficult task – Rapp swings for the fences as the lead Plastic, while Rice offers a more innocent take on Lindsay Lohan’s lead. It’s a solid interpretation, but given its predecessor is on constant cultural rotation, there isn’t the same separation as there would be with, say, 2007’s Hairspray (which has the same gap from the Jon Waters original).
The most generous way to describe Mean Girls is that it mostly maintains the balance between Noughties nostalgia and modern sensibilities. However, much like the infamous Fetch catchphrase, it’s difficult to understand why they tried to make this happen.