‘Mean Girls’ Brings The Original and The Musical Together For A Grool Adaptation [REVIEW]

In 2004 Tina Fey unknowingly created a pop culture phenomenon. Based on the 2002 “Queen Bees and Wannabes” book by Rosalind Wiseman, Fey wrote the screenplay for “Mean Girls” which starred Lindsay Lohan as homeschooled teen Cady Heron who moved from Africa to America to attend North Shore High School. Getting acclimated into high school was difficult for Cady until she met Janis and Damian, played by Lizzy Caplan and Daniel Franzese, who helped her navigate.

Soon Cady got selected by the It girl clique The Plastics, consisting of Gretchen Weiners (Lacey Chabert), Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried), and led by Regina George, played iconically by Rachel McAdams. But trouble soon erupted in Girl World when Cady developed a crush on Regina’s ex, Aaron Samuels (Jonathan Bennett), leading to the ultimate plot of the film of Janis, Damian, and Cady taking down Regina’s popular girl status. Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Tim Meadows all had significant roles in the original film with Fey and Meadows reprising their roles as Ms. Norbury and Principal Duvall in the 2024 movie.

A little over a decade later the “Mean Girls” plot went to Broadway. Debuting in 2018, the musical was based on the 2004 film with lyrics by Nell Benjamin and music by Jeff Richmond, the show was critically acclaimed and was nominated for several Tony awards. Now 20 years later, a reworked “Mean Girls” combines elements of the original film with the 2018 Broadway musical to tell the story. As a major lover of the 2004 “Mean Girls” I had my apprehensions about the 2024 one, but before completely writing it off I knew I had to go see it for myself with no judgment. And in true Virgo fashion, I had to do some research first.

(L-R) Bebe Wood as Gretchen Wieners, Reneé Rapp as Regina George, and Avantika as Karen Shetty in “Mean Girls.” Photo: Jojo Whilden/Paramount

A few weeks back I started listening to the original Broadway cast version of the “Mean Girls” soundtrack. It was clear that while much of the plot remained similar to the film, creatively it was different, and much of the dialogue and infamous moments from the film were now turned into song. I don’t mind a musical, I actually love them so I knew this direction of the 2024 film wouldn’t bother me, but I still wanted to be familiar with the songs.

The 2024 film opens with “A Cautionary Tale” sung by “Moana” actress Auli’i Cravalho and Jaquel Spivey making his feature film debut. They play Janis and Damian in the film and serve as the narrators. Cady is no longer the voiceover that guides the film which I missed. Quickly we’re transported to Africa and meet Cady who sings “What Ifs.” Angourie Rice (“Spider-Man” franchise, Mare of Easttown) who plays Cady has sung on screen before but clearly, she’s not a singer singer. Her voice was adequate enough and she had a few more music numbers with “Stupid With Love” and “I See Stars.”

(L-R) Jaquel Spivey as Damian, Angourie Rice as Cady, and Auli’i Cravalho as Janis in “Mean Girls.” Photo: Jojo Whilden/Paramount

Since we’re on the topic of the “Mean Girls” soundtrack let’s keep it going. In this film, Reneé Rapp (The Sex Lives of College Girls), Bebe Wood (Love, Victor), and Avantika (“Spin”) play the Plastics: Regina George, Gretchen, and Karen respectively. Reneé sings DOWN. You hear me. I know she’s an artist, but I’m not familiar with her work however after “Mean Girls” I want to be. Reneé played Regina on Broadway so it was easy to see how familiar she was with the material. Her take on Regina was very sensual and I felt like I was being seduced by her the entire movie. Her solo songs “Meet the Plastics,” “Someone Gets Hurt,” and “World Burn” were beautifully sung. “Someone Gets Hurt” was my favorite out of the bunch. It was visually appealing and the song showed Regina’s more vulnerable side.

(L-R) Bebe Wood as Gretchen Wieners, Reneé Rapp as Regina George, and Avantika as Karen Shetty in “Mean Girls.” Photo: Jojo Whilden/Paramount

Before that scene, Avantika gave my favorite song performance of the movie with “Sexy.” It was my favorite song when listening to the Broadway soundtrack so I was excited to see it come to life and she delivered. It takes place during the infamous Halloween party when the plan to take down Regina sparks as she takes back Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney) and Cady wants revenge. Another song in the film that worked was “Revenge Party” while “What’s Wrong With Me?,” “Apex Predator,” and “I’d Rather Be Me” didn’t land as well for me. There were songs cut from the original Broadway show but that didn’t hinder the plot in any way.

The plot of the 2024 “Mean Girls” pretty much remains the same but is updated with the use of social media for how students react to the drama in the film instead of speaking to the camera as they did in the original. Side characters in the original like Trang Park, Jason, Kevin Gnapoor, Jessica Lopez, Emma Gerber, Amber D’Alessio, Bethany Bryd, and Dawn Schweitzer made the world of “Mean Girls” more fruitful and that was missing; although some variations of those characters were in the film.

(L-R) Alexis Frias as Matthew Richmond, Ben Wang as Jacob Zheng, Mahi Alam as Kevin Ganatra, and Angourie Rice as Cady in “Mean Girls.” Photo: Paramount Pictures

Iconic scenes like the Winter Talent Show, the gymnasium intervention, Candy Cane-grams, Spring Fling, and the Mathletes tournament (With a VERY special cameo from an OG) were included with some tweaks. Some of the most infamous lines were sprinkled in the film but many of my favorites didn’t make it and the script was cleaned up with dialogue that could be deemed “offensive” today. Elements of the main characters were also slightly reworked but the ensemble actors still made them captivating to watch.

(L-R) Avantika as Karen Shetty,Angourie Rice as Cady,Reneé Rapp as Regina George, and Bebe Wood as Gretchen Wieners in “Mean Girls.” Photo: Jojo Whilden/Paramount

Overall the 2004 “Mean Girls” will always be fetch. The love for the original has only grown over time with the film being celebrated every October 3rd, any reunion between the cast goes viral, and Walmart tapped into the frenzy with its 2023 Black Friday ads featuring the OG cast. The 2024 “Mean Girls” however had elements that made it enjoyable and it was in large part due to the music numbers, even if that’s a genre you don’t gravitate towards, and Reneé Rapp’s take on Regina. Originally the film was slated to stream on Paramount+ but opted for a theatrical release. Only the box office will tell if this was a wise decision. Head to the theaters if you’re curious to see how “Mean Girls” was translated for a new audience or you could wait until it streams. Either decision is grool.

“Mean Girls” is playing now in theaters.

Did you head to the theaters this weekend to see “Mean Girls?” What did you think and what were your favorite parts? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Photo: Paramount Pictures