MEAN GIRLS at HOLLYWOOD TEEN MOVIES

The title of the book on which this movie is based is Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends and Other Realities of Adolescence. It just about sums up everything that’s covered, but as far as movie titles go, Mean Girls is decidedly slicker.

Reunited with her Freaky Friday director, Mark S Waters, Lindsay Lohan plays Cady Heron, who, as the film opens is being farewelled by her tearful parents (Ana Gasteyer and Neil Flynn) as she leaves for her first day of school! Although she’s 16, Cady has never actually attended a real school before and has been home educated in Africa where her parents have worked as anthropologists. Well versed in the ways of the animal world, Cady is about to venture into another kind of jungle.

After an embarrassing introduction to a very unfriendly class, Cady is befriended by sharp-tongued goth, Janis Ian (Lizzy Caplan) and Damian (Daniel Franzese) her “too gay to function” best friend, who quickly point out the many student factions that divide up the school. They warn her to steer clear especially of “The Plastics” comprising bitchy campus queen, Regina George (Rachel McAdams) and her two vacuous toadies and followers of fashion, Gretchen (Lacey Chabert) and Karen (Amanda Seyfried).

When Regina spies Cady in the school cafeteria she invites her to join the group - as long as she follows their strict rules of style and dress, which decree, for example, that a pony tail must be worn only once a week! The intelligent down-to-earth Cady wants no part of this superficial sorority, but Janis - who has long held a grudge against Regina - thinks it’s the ideal opportunity for Cady to spy on The Plastics and bring the queen bee and her disciples down to size.

Cady reluctantly becomes a “Plastic” even though she is opposed to the whole concept of it. At the same time, she begins to enjoy her new and growing popularity, but when she falls for Regina’s ex-boyfriend, Aaron (Jonathan Bennett) Cady gets a taste of her poisonous and manipulative ways.

Cady begins to create dissent within The Plastics and starts feeding Regina so-called health bars, which actually pile on the pounds, but while sabotaging the group, she also becomes exactly the kind of person the Plastics represent. Every now and then a touch of black comedy surfaces in Mean Girls, giving it a welcome and unexpected edge as it makes some very sharp - and funny - observations.

The Parent Trap [DVD](1998) DVD
This remake of the 1961 Hayley Mills favorite features Lindsay Lohan as Hallie and Annie, twins separated at birth, who realize they're siblings while attending summer camp, and decide to swap identities in order to reunite parents Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson. With Simon Kunz and Lisa Ann Walter. 128 min.
Freaky Friday [DVD](2003) DVD
In this reworking of the 1977 Disney favorite, stressed-out psychiatrist and widow Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis) switches bodies--thanks to a magical fortune cookie--with guitar-playing teenage daughter Anna (Lindsay Lohan). The now 15-year-old Tess gets to relive high school life and help her daughter's crush on a handsome "older" student, while a grown-up Anna has to deal with housework, a career and her mother's impending marriage. With Mark Harmon, Harold Gould, Michael Murray. 97 min.
Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen [DVD](2004) DVD
Based on the young adult novel, this enchanting Disney family comedy follows popular teen Lindsay Lohan as her family moves from their trendy New York City neighborhood to suburban New Jersey. Feeling out of place in her new surroundings, Lohan decides to make a name for herself by getting the lead in a school play and meeting her favorite rock star. With Adam Garcia, Glenne Headly. 89 min. Standard and Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1; audio commentary; deleted scene; featurette; music video.

Mean Girls [Blu-ray](2004)
Tina Fey scripted and co-stars in this sharp comedy, based on the book by Rosalind Wiseman. Teenager Lindsay Lohan, after being home-schooled in Africa by her zoologist parents, suddenly winds up in a suburban Illinois high school. But not even growing up in the jungle could have prepared Lohan for the struggles she now faces, especially when she starts dating the most popular girl in school's ex-boyfriend. With Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Tim Meadows, Amy Poehler. 96 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English (SDH), French, Portuguese, Spanish; audio commentary by Fey, others; featurettes; deleted scenes; theatrical trailer; bloopers.
Mean Girls 2 [DVD](2011) DVD
It's a new school year and there's a new crew of cruel coeds in this follow-up to the hit teen comedy. The wealthy father of outcast Abby (Jennifer Stone) offers to pay for college for new student Jo (Meaghan Martin) if she'll befriend his daughter, but first the girls will have to deal with the school's reigning Queen Bee, Mandi (Maiara Walsh), and her fellow Plastics. Tim Meadows co-stars. 96 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish; "making of" documentary; featurettes; more.
Mean Girls [DVD](2004) DVD
Tina Fey scripted and co-stars in this sharp comedy, based on the book by Rosalind Wiseman. Teenager Lindsay Lohan, after being home-schooled in Africa by her zoologist parents, suddenly winds up in a suburban Illinois high school. But not even growing up in the jungle could have prepared Lohan for the struggles she now faces, especially when she starts dating the most popular girl in school's ex-boyfriend. With Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Tim Meadows, Amy Poehler. 96 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Surround, French Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English, Spanish; audio commentary by Fey, others; featurettes; deleted scenes; theatrical trailer.
Mean Girls: The Double-Trouble Pack [DVD] DVD
Two-disc set includes "Mean Girls" and "Mean Girls 2."