mean girls
I'm sure most of us share the same opinion of teen movies in general. They tend to be corny, self-serving, and obnoxious. So why do we still sometimes give them a chance now and then?
Because there have been some truly wonderful teen movies. Clueless was one. Juno's another one. American Pie and Bring It On also make my list, even if their sequels kind of blow. Quality is rarely found in this genre, but when it is, it can't be ignored. And Mean Girls definitely gets to be in that club.
Mean Girls was my girl Tina Fey's screenwriting debut. It's smart, insightful, hilarious, and not even a tiny bit corny. It is (in my opinion, though some have disagreed) SO much better than some of Fey's more recent work. The cast is littered with SNL alums like Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler, and Fey herself; it also boasts a few young actresses who, in the four years since the movie hit theaters, have begun to seriously hit their stride.
OK, yeah. You know I'm not talking about Miss Lohan. Her performance was actually quite decent in this particular movie, but we all know what's happened since then. Actually, scratch that--the whole message of the movie is not to pick on people who are in trouble... I'll lay off.
But Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried... good on ya!
Tina Fey deserves enormous credit for Mean Girls. It's very watchable--and given all the stories of bullying I've read lately, especially cyberbullying--it feels extremely topical. Definitely worth your 97 minutes.
Because there have been some truly wonderful teen movies. Clueless was one. Juno's another one. American Pie and Bring It On also make my list, even if their sequels kind of blow. Quality is rarely found in this genre, but when it is, it can't be ignored. And Mean Girls definitely gets to be in that club.
Mean Girls was my girl Tina Fey's screenwriting debut. It's smart, insightful, hilarious, and not even a tiny bit corny. It is (in my opinion, though some have disagreed) SO much better than some of Fey's more recent work. The cast is littered with SNL alums like Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler, and Fey herself; it also boasts a few young actresses who, in the four years since the movie hit theaters, have begun to seriously hit their stride.
OK, yeah. You know I'm not talking about Miss Lohan. Her performance was actually quite decent in this particular movie, but we all know what's happened since then. Actually, scratch that--the whole message of the movie is not to pick on people who are in trouble... I'll lay off.
But Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried... good on ya!
Tina Fey deserves enormous credit for Mean Girls. It's very watchable--and given all the stories of bullying I've read lately, especially cyberbullying--it feels extremely topical. Definitely worth your 97 minutes.
June 9, 2008 at 5:55 PM
First off, I've been crushing on Rachel McAdams in the butterflies in your stomach way for a while now.
Second, there are also some really good older teen movies: Rebel Without a Cause, American Graffiti, or even Grease. As for more modern, Say Anything tops my list.
June 9, 2008 at 6:01 PM
You have also left out "The Breakfast Club" and "Sixteen Candles". Wow - that would be a great list...hmmm.
June 10, 2008 at 8:33 AM
David... what are you doing in my butterflies? They're busy fluttering for Mark Ruffalo (I also recently watched 13 going on 30).
David and Jess... you are absolutely right. Those are fantastic teen movies. Unfortunately, they are still in the minority... most teen movies seem to be dreck. At least lately.
June 10, 2008 at 10:13 AM
Butterflies over Mark Ruffalo? I've had those before. I think We Don't Live Here Anymore spawned them for me.
June 10, 2008 at 7:54 PM
How about The Graduate? Granted, it's not about a teenager, but it's still in the young adult category.
June 11, 2008 at 9:59 AM
Okay, gonna date myself big time here, but after all, I am Dad :-) How can this list be complete without "Summer of '42"?
June 11, 2008 at 11:01 AM
Don't forget about Girls Just Want to Have Fun, love that one!
Virgin Mother
June 12, 2008 at 10:39 AM
I never thought much of Amanda Bynes until I watched She's the Man. Sure it's predictable junk in that teen sort of way, but she had me cracking up more than a couple of times.
BTW love Mean Girls, Tina Fey, Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried.
June 12, 2008 at 1:01 PM
I liked She's the Man too.
June 12, 2008 at 1:12 PM
Whew, I was almost afraid to admit that in public! My friends looked at me cross-eyed when I told them.
June 12, 2008 at 1:44 PM
OK, Dad and Virgin... you both are going to have to educate me on those movies.
I admit I skipped She's the Man. Is it a guilty appreciation, like my thing with the Britney Spears movie? Is it worth two hours of my time?
June 12, 2008 at 2:27 PM
She's the Man is based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, so the plot is pretty interesting. I don't really consider it a guilty pleasure. I'd recommend it to anybody with an open mind.
June 13, 2008 at 11:55 AM
I've seen only bits and pieces of "Mean Girls" and had totally missed the fact that Rachel McAdams was in this movie. I agree too that Fey's "Baby Mama" wasn't exactly stellar. I am not even sure if it ever had a glimmer of greatness