(Photo credit Paramount Pictures)
By Sylvia Aparicio | Online Editor
The 2004 comedy “Mean Girls” gained a cult following and grossed upwards of $129 million worldwide. The film is celebrating its 10th anniversary on April 30.
“I think people still talk about it because it’s well quoted and now in social media people constantly post quotes from the movie and continue to talk about it,” said Nayeli Aguilar, 21, radiology major.
Based on the book “Queen Bees and Wannabes” by Rosalind Wiseman, the screenplay for “Mean Girls” was written by comedian Tina Fey, widely known for her work on Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock.
“I think it appeals to both males and females because we’ve all experienced high school and have gone through certain experiences in which we can all relate,” said Omar Camacho, 21, public relations major.
No matter the age, race, sexual orientation, etc., everyone has at some point in their lives met “The Plastics.” The popular girls, the ones who everyone fears, sometimes hate and yet still want to be friends with.
The film follows 16-year-old Cady Heron, played by Lindsay Lohan, is a former home schooled student, and her trek into the wild. The “wild” being North Shore high school.
Completely oblivious to the social norms among her peers, Heron is befriended by “the greatest people you will ever meet,” Janis Ian played by Lizzy Caplan and Damian, played by actor Daniel Franzese. Heron also gets a brief history about the worst people she could meet, The Plastics.
Queen Bee Regina George (Rachel McAdams) and her two sidekicks, Gretchen Wieners (Lacy Chabert) and Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried) rule the school.
“I think the significance of the movie was to exaggerate what high school is like. However, deep down inside me I kind of wish high school was like that.” Camacho said. “With a queen bee, I think it would have been a much more interesting experience.”
In a plot to take down Regina George, Heron and her two friends hatch a plan to slowly take away George’s power. Heron is befriended by the group and begins the process into “Girl World.”
Heron manages to destroy George, but in doing so manages to change who she is, for the worse. She leaves behind her real friends and becomes a real mean girl. In the end, Heron realizes what she has done and makes up with everyone she hurt.
“The film showed that in high school, you learn so much of yourself and those ‘friends’,” said Desiree Govea, 21, mathematics major. “But it’s the best time to make mistakes and learn from them. Rather than learning from your mistakes as an adult.”
“Mean Girls” taught us various things like, don’t make a burn book (book in which you trash talk others), choose your friends wisely, do not seek to ruin anyone, you have better things to do.
“I learned that in my group of friends, I am Regina George. I’m totally kidding,” Camacho said. “I learned different ways to sabotage people and how to be the bigger person like Cady.”
And most importantly, “Mean Girls” taught us you can’t wear a tank top two days in a row, you can only wear your hair in a ponytail once a week, only wear jeans or track pants on Friday and on Wednesdays, wear pink.
If you miss “Mean Girls” during its never-ending cable airing, you can now catch it on Netflix.
