Mean Girls directed by Mark Waters
Shimkin, T., Lorne, M. (Producers) & Waters, M. (Director). (2004). Mean Girls [Motion picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures.
Plot Summary
Cady has spent the last fifteen years living in Africa with her parents. The family decides to move back to the United States and Cady is sent to an American high school for the first time. Her first day is filed with mishaps and she is unaccustomed to the slang and sarcasm her peers use. She becomes friends with Janis and Damien, two other misfits. Soon, she catches the interest of queen bee Regina and her two friends Gretchen and Karen. They decide she has potential and invite her to be part of their group. Cady sees through their falseness, but Janis and Damien convince her to join the popular girls and sabotage them. Cady successfully infiltrates the popular group. She gives Regina protein bars, falsely claiming they help one lose weight, important for the upcoming school dance. Through a party-line phone call Cady manipulates the girls into gossiping about each other. One of Cady’s initiation acts involved a slam book that claimed her math teacher was a ‘pusher.’ Cady twisted the words to make it sound like a drug pusher not academically pushing to succeed. The teacher is put on suspended leave. Cady also pretends to fail math tests to catch the eye of Aaron, who happens to be Regina’s former boyfriend. As junior year continues, Cady ends up falling more and more into the trap of popularity and queen bee status, much to the dismay of Janis and Damien. Everything will culminate at the final dance of the year, Spring Fling.
Critical Evaluation
Inspired by the non-fiction book "Queen Bees and Wannabes," Mean Girls traces a school year in the lives of the popular Plastics. A young and talented Lindsay Lohan plays the starring role to perfection, as other young stars Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried are equally fun to watch. Mean Girls does not miss a beat in the portrayal of a high school's social ladder. Popularity is determined on the first day, and it is close to impossible to change your image. Witty dialogue and created catchphrases "fetch" made Mean Girls a teen favorite with frequent references to inside jokes "it's like I have ESPN or something." The pure cattiness of lead Plastic Regina makes her a character you love to hate. Throw in a love interest, a bit of well-placed revenge, and a couple loyal friends, and Mean Girls has all a teen movie needs to succeed. The sex appeal of the female leads, intelligent writing, and humor make for a winning combination. Tina Fey worked on the screenplay, and the result is a sometimes snarky, sometimes genuine, always entertaining movie that will continue to amuse audiences of teen girls (and those who remember teen girls) for years to come.
Reader’s Annotation
Every high school has its mean girls. When Cady decides to infiltrate the Plastics, will she destroy them, or end up joining them?
About the Author (Director)
Mark Waters began directing films in 1997 with The House of Yes. He directed a few other movies before 2003’s Freaky Friday, a remake of the 1976 film of the same name. It was a hit, and Waters’ first film with teen star Lindsay Lohan. They worked together again for 2004’s Mean Girls, another box office success. Since then Waters has directed Just Like Heaven with Reese Witherspoon, Spiderwick Chronicles, and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. He was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2006.
Mark Waters was born in South Bend, Indiana. He is the brother of Daniel Waters, also a director and writer. He attended the University of Pennsylvania and graduated in 1986. After graduation, Waters worked in San Francisco, California as an actor and theater director. Waters decided to return to school and earned an M.F.A in Directing from the American Film Institute. He made his directorial debut in 1997, and has been directing motion pictures since. Waters is married to Dina Spybey and has a daughter named Zoe.
Genre
Satire/Comedy
Curriculum Ties
Social Issues/Bullying/Cliques
Booktalking
Could Cady have prevented herself from becoming caught up in the Plastics?
Reading Level/Interest Level
RL: N/A
IL: 6th grade and up
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Challenge Issues
Possible challenge issues bullying, gossiping, underage drinking, and sexual content.
In my defense file, I would include the following:
1) Library Mission Statement
2) Library Selection Policy approved by any or all of the following individuals—principal, school board, district librarian OR library manager, city council, mayor.
3) Library Bill of Rights adapted from CSLA Bill of Rights, AASL Bill of Rights and/or ALA Bill of Rights
4) Reviews, both positive and critical, from respected sources such as School Library Journal, VOYA, Booklist
5) Rationale for DVD inclusion for titles anticipated to be controversial, frequently challenged, or created when a DVD is challenged including: summary, audience, purpose, controversial issues and how they are handled
6) How the DVD fits within Common Core Standards or State Standards
7) Reconsideration form for challenger to complete—include a section asking which part was of particular concern, if the entire DVD was viewed, and what other similar titles are suggested instead
8) Student reviews from those who have listened to the DVD and either enjoyed or disliked the DVD and why.
Why Included
A popular film that shows the mean girls of a high school at their finest. Holds a moral at the end, and an optimistic view of what the ‘mean girls’ can become.
Others in the Series
N/A
References
Tribute Entertainment Media Group. (2013). Mark waters biography. Retrieved from http://www.tribute.ca/people/mark-waters/4122/
Shimkin, T., Lorne, M. (Producers) & Waters, M. (Director). (2004). Mean Girls [Motion picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures.
Plot Summary
Cady has spent the last fifteen years living in Africa with her parents. The family decides to move back to the United States and Cady is sent to an American high school for the first time. Her first day is filed with mishaps and she is unaccustomed to the slang and sarcasm her peers use. She becomes friends with Janis and Damien, two other misfits. Soon, she catches the interest of queen bee Regina and her two friends Gretchen and Karen. They decide she has potential and invite her to be part of their group. Cady sees through their falseness, but Janis and Damien convince her to join the popular girls and sabotage them. Cady successfully infiltrates the popular group. She gives Regina protein bars, falsely claiming they help one lose weight, important for the upcoming school dance. Through a party-line phone call Cady manipulates the girls into gossiping about each other. One of Cady’s initiation acts involved a slam book that claimed her math teacher was a ‘pusher.’ Cady twisted the words to make it sound like a drug pusher not academically pushing to succeed. The teacher is put on suspended leave. Cady also pretends to fail math tests to catch the eye of Aaron, who happens to be Regina’s former boyfriend. As junior year continues, Cady ends up falling more and more into the trap of popularity and queen bee status, much to the dismay of Janis and Damien. Everything will culminate at the final dance of the year, Spring Fling.
Critical Evaluation
Inspired by the non-fiction book "Queen Bees and Wannabes," Mean Girls traces a school year in the lives of the popular Plastics. A young and talented Lindsay Lohan plays the starring role to perfection, as other young stars Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried are equally fun to watch. Mean Girls does not miss a beat in the portrayal of a high school's social ladder. Popularity is determined on the first day, and it is close to impossible to change your image. Witty dialogue and created catchphrases "fetch" made Mean Girls a teen favorite with frequent references to inside jokes "it's like I have ESPN or something." The pure cattiness of lead Plastic Regina makes her a character you love to hate. Throw in a love interest, a bit of well-placed revenge, and a couple loyal friends, and Mean Girls has all a teen movie needs to succeed. The sex appeal of the female leads, intelligent writing, and humor make for a winning combination. Tina Fey worked on the screenplay, and the result is a sometimes snarky, sometimes genuine, always entertaining movie that will continue to amuse audiences of teen girls (and those who remember teen girls) for years to come.
Reader’s Annotation
Every high school has its mean girls. When Cady decides to infiltrate the Plastics, will she destroy them, or end up joining them?
About the Author (Director)
Mark Waters began directing films in 1997 with The House of Yes. He directed a few other movies before 2003’s Freaky Friday, a remake of the 1976 film of the same name. It was a hit, and Waters’ first film with teen star Lindsay Lohan. They worked together again for 2004’s Mean Girls, another box office success. Since then Waters has directed Just Like Heaven with Reese Witherspoon, Spiderwick Chronicles, and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. He was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2006.
Mark Waters was born in South Bend, Indiana. He is the brother of Daniel Waters, also a director and writer. He attended the University of Pennsylvania and graduated in 1986. After graduation, Waters worked in San Francisco, California as an actor and theater director. Waters decided to return to school and earned an M.F.A in Directing from the American Film Institute. He made his directorial debut in 1997, and has been directing motion pictures since. Waters is married to Dina Spybey and has a daughter named Zoe.
Genre
Satire/Comedy
Curriculum Ties
Social Issues/Bullying/Cliques
Booktalking
Could Cady have prevented herself from becoming caught up in the Plastics?
Reading Level/Interest Level
RL: N/A
IL: 6th grade and up
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Challenge Issues
Possible challenge issues bullying, gossiping, underage drinking, and sexual content.
In my defense file, I would include the following:
1) Library Mission Statement
2) Library Selection Policy approved by any or all of the following individuals—principal, school board, district librarian OR library manager, city council, mayor.
3) Library Bill of Rights adapted from CSLA Bill of Rights, AASL Bill of Rights and/or ALA Bill of Rights
4) Reviews, both positive and critical, from respected sources such as School Library Journal, VOYA, Booklist
5) Rationale for DVD inclusion for titles anticipated to be controversial, frequently challenged, or created when a DVD is challenged including: summary, audience, purpose, controversial issues and how they are handled
6) How the DVD fits within Common Core Standards or State Standards
7) Reconsideration form for challenger to complete—include a section asking which part was of particular concern, if the entire DVD was viewed, and what other similar titles are suggested instead
8) Student reviews from those who have listened to the DVD and either enjoyed or disliked the DVD and why.
Why Included
A popular film that shows the mean girls of a high school at their finest. Holds a moral at the end, and an optimistic view of what the ‘mean girls’ can become.
Others in the Series
N/A
References
Tribute Entertainment Media Group. (2013). Mark waters biography. Retrieved from http://www.tribute.ca/people/mark-waters/4122/
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