Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) is the new girl in school - literally. After spending 15 years growing up in Africa with her parents, Cady is sent to America where she is introduced to the life of a typical American teenager. It doesn't take Cady long to figure out that the African Savannah and high school have a lot in common. Every day is a survival of the fittest as groups face off with each other. Cady is quickly dropped into a group of outcasts, drawing her into direct conflict with the current kings (or should I say, princesses) of the jungle, the "Plastics." Rather than co-exist with the group, Cady and her friends decide to tear the Plastics apart from the inside, a task that requires Cady to become a Plastic and confront the Alpha Plastic, Regina George (Rachel McAdams), head-on.
In many ways, Mean Girls is Heathers only without a gun-toting Christian Slater and dark undertones. Instead, Mean Girls replaces the bombs and suicides with more upbeat, Clueless-style antics. Beyond those differences, both look at the concept of high school cliques and even manage to delve into the psychology behind them. In particular, it's a really good look at how these groups affect social development, especially with girls. In a way, it almost brings into question who the "Mean Girls" really are, which is different for what on the surface looks like just another teen comedy. This idea is further examined in the featurettes "The Politics of the Girl World," which offers a look at the importance of self-esteem in high school girls, and "Only the Strong Survive," which looks at how girls see their place in high school.
Even with these "deeper meanings," Mean Girls is still incredibly entertaining. There are a number of teen movie clichés strewn about and some technical flaws, but overall it's a solid movie. This is easily one of Lindsay Lohan's best movies and the supporting cast, which includes Tina Fey (who is also the writer), Tim Meadows and Amy Poehler, all turn in excellent performances.
Mean Girls hits Blu-ray with a number of features, most of which are pretty standard. There's commentary with Director Mark Waters and Writer Tina Fey, who share information on casting, filmmaking techniques and even touch on their own experiences in high school. The commentary is rounded out by a set of outtakes ("Word Vomit") and deleted scenes ("So Fetch").
"Smart movie" and "Lindsay Lohan" are two words you wouldn't expect to find in close proximity to each other, or for that matter, in the same sentence. However, Mean Girls, starring Lohan, is an incredibly smart, entertaining movie. If you already own the DVD, the Blu-ray version doesn't offer much of an argument for a repurchase, but don't laugh it off as just another teen movie.
