Mean Girls (2004)

Fifteen years after its release, this film is still as relevant as ever. Based on the book "Queen Bees and Wannabes" by Rosalind Wiseman, the film showcases what being in high school is really like, especially for teenage girls, who live with the desire to be noticed, and the pressure to be popular and liked.

Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) has her first day of "real" school at the age of sixteen, having been home-schooled her entire life thus far. Her parents were zoologists living in Africa, and have only just returned to the United States when her mother was offered tenure at Northwestern University.

On her first day, she doesn't really fit in anywhere; the cliques in the school are already well-established, and there isn't any place for her.

Janis (Lizzy Caplan) and Damian (Daniel Franzese).

But on her second day, she is taken under the wing of outsiders Janis (Lizzy Caplan) and Damian (Daniel Franzese), and introduced to the highly-observed and strict political system of cliques in the school. She is warned primarily about a group called The Plastics, the three most popular girls in school, whose mission in life seems to be making life miserable for everyone else.

However, the next day, Cady is taken in by The Plastics: Gretchen Wieners (Lacey Chabert), Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried), and self-appointed leader Regina George (Rachel McAdams).

At Janis's insistence, Cady infiltrates The Plastics, observing them from within, and passing information on their goings-on to Janis and Damian.

Unfortunately, it isn't long before Cady starts to take her new lifestyle and emerging personality a little too far, becoming a Plastic herself, to the detriment of her other relationships.

L-R: Gretchen Wieners (Lacey Chabert), Regina George (Rachel McAdams),Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan), Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried).

I don't want to spoil things, in case there are still people out there who haven't seen this film yet, but the story carries with it many lessons and messages that are still as important and relevant to young people as they were when the film was made. (In fact, the lessons of the film are still so important, the film was recently adapted into a Broadway musical, and is enjoying great success on the stage after more than 600 performances at the time of writing).

The screenplay, written by Tina Fey (who also plays math teacher Ms. Norbury), is very clever. There are so many quotable lines that have quickly become part of popular culture. The characters are all very clearly defined, with plenty of conflicts, but there are also plenty of teachable moments. Having said that, the film doesn't come across as didactic in viewing as it actually is, which I believe is testament to its genius. Fey shows her incredible talent for writing (particularly comedy) here, and also plays the role of Ms. Norbury in a brilliantly understated way.

The costume design (by Mary Jane Fort) and production design (by Cary White) are also perfectly on point, establishing character and location respectively in such a strong way.

Ms. Norbury (Tina Fey).

It is in the performances of the cast, however, where this film truly shines. In particular, Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams play their respective roles with perfection, breathing real life into their characters, characters that could have fallen into cliche in the hands of other performers. Amanda Seyfried also deserves a mention here; playing a character as unintelligent as Karen actually requires a great deal of intelligence and skill, both of which she displays beautifully.

Director Mark Waters has made a wonderful film here, a teen classic that still stands the test of time, and is sure to continue to delight and educate audiences for years to come. It doesn't matter how many times I see this film, it still gets to me every time.

If you haven't seen it yet, you totally should check it out as soon as you can. This film is totally "fetch", and with Mean Girls Day (yes, it is a thing) tomorrow, now is the perfect time to do so.

9 out of 10.