Mean Girls
Mean
Girls, directed by Mark Waters. Sony Pictures, 2004, 97 minutes. Rated PG:13
ASIN: B001MM3AZM
Summary
After living in Africa and being
homeschooled for most of her life, Cady Heron has moved to the United States
and is getting ready to go to public school. Her first day of ‘real school’ is
terrible—she doesn’t make any friends, gets in trouble with her teachers, and
ends up eating lunch alone in the bathroom. On the second day, two of the school
outcasts Damien and Janis take Cady under their wing and give her an
introduction to all of the cliques of the school—including the infamous
Plastics.
The Plastics are led by Queen Bee
Regina George, a spoiled rich girl who takes pleasure in bullying others. Ditzy blonde Karen Smith and daughter of the
Toaster Strudel inventor Gretchen Weiners are the two other members of the
Plastics. The clique of girls live by fashion rules, (wearing pink on
Wednesday) and have the agreement never to date another girl’s ex.
When Regina takes an interest in grooming
Cady to become a Plastic, Damien and Janis encourage Cady to tag along and
report the gossip and inside information back to them. Cady
must learn what it takes to be popular, all while hiding her secret crush on
Aaron, Regina’s ex boyfriend.
Critical Evaluation
Mean Girls is a cult classic and
favorite among many teens and adults. There’s plenty of humor and memorable quotes
and it’s easy to identify with at least one of the many characters. The movie is also considered the be the breakthrough role for
many of its actors, who all shine in their roles. Both Lindsey Lohan, who plays
innocent Cady and Rachel McAdams, who plays queen bee Regina George are
standouts and give their characters depth and motivation. Tina Fey, who also wrote the movie’s
screenplay, also does an excellent job managing humor and authority in her role
as teacher Ms. Norbury.
While Mean Girls is well liked for
its humor and teen drama, there’s also a good message underneath all the
cattiness and gossip. While it’s easy for the Plastics to bully other students
and even turn on each other, it does them no favors with the other students. As
Cady learns, it’s harder to be yourself and accept others for who they are. This teachable message makes Mean Girls much
more than a typical teen comedy.
Reader’s
Annotation
Cady must
navigate the world of public school and popular girls, all while remaining true
to herself.
About
the Director
“Mark Waters was born on June 30th, 1985
in Wyandotte, Michigan, USA as Mark Stephen Waters. He is a director and
producer, known for Mean Girls, (2004) Freaky Friday, (2004 and Just Like
Heaven. (2005. He has been married to Dina Spybey-Waters since November 10,
2000.”
(Mark Waters, biography. Retrieved October 25th, 2014 from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0914134/bio)
Genres
Movies
Comedy
Classics
Curriculum
Ties
N/A
Booktalking
Ideas
N/A
Reading
Level/Interest Age
15+
Grades 9+
Challenge
Issues
Alcohol
and drug-related scenes
Language
Sex-related
dialogue and jokes
Sexual
situations
Defense File
1—Ensure that policies such as “Freedom to Read,” “Collection
Development,” and “Challenged Materials” are available for patrons and staff to
read and research. Have list of awards and reviews for titles, as well as a
“Reconsideration Form” on hand at all branches.
2—Listen to challenges and complaints openly and without
judgment. Allow the patron to express their thoughts without inputting your own.
3—Have patron fill out reconsideration form. Provide
information and background on challenge material’s author and title.
Forward reconsideration form to appropriate supervisors.
PPLD’s Challenge Materials Policy:
http://ppld.org/challenged-materials-policy
PPLD’s Collection Development Policy:
http://ppld.org/collection-development-policy
Why
Included?
I included this movie because it’s a teen classic,
and a favorite with many of our patrons. There is a good mix of humor and
dramatic moments, the actors are all supreme, and there is a good message about
bullying and staying true to yourself in the movie.
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