Mean Girls 2004

"Glen Coco? Four for you, Glen Coco. You go, Glen Coco."

As you've noticed by my rating, it's not as high as most people rate it. By the end of the film, at the Spring Fling, I considered giving it one more heart (well, with my second viewing, I did, so this whole paragraph is irrelevant now). Moreover, despite not doing that, I feel like my rating is closer in that direction. Since most people gave the highest rating, my lower rating is not to say I thought this film wasn't that good; it's not even a low rating, tbh. While I didn't necessarily find this film funny (and certainly not laugh-out-loud funny), there's no denying the iconicness that this film possesses; it's a classic regardless if you didn't unconditionally love it.

But I had to look away from the screen a few times; second-hand embarrassment plagues me without effort. For example, how Cady's a new student: the awkwardness that'll come with it, and her interactions with The Plastics stemming from that; that high school environment is the go-to in films for handing out second-hand embarrassment to people. And the dance sequence. Part of me hates it, getting plagued by second-hand embarrassment, as I don't want to switch to a different tab or minimize the browser, but I can't physically handle it: it's too much. Real life would be way worse for me, lacking social skills but possessing social anxiety. This film was a gold mine of cringe.

On the plus side, that wasn't the whole film. It eased off a little into the film, to my surprise. Watching became bearable in the middle to the end. But you could say I was still on guard, waiting to be hit by another attack. And it's always the first viewing due to the unknown; subsequent viewings can be appreciated more properly and without such a distraction.

This film, more its premise, isn't anything special. I don't think it's that different or anything like that. I don't have much to say about the themes. I suppose it's accurate, relatable, and well done, but I can't relate. What sets this film apart, however, is the execution. I'm unable to delve into that, but you can tell and feel the effectiveness of essentially everything; if that was lucky, praise luck. I doubt you can say the same for 99.9% of films similar to this one. This one could even be the format; I have no idea. It sure must be the inspiration, the one to beat/surpass.

The leading aspects were, without a doubt, the characters and the dialogue. All of the former seem to have such a charm about them; a sign of good characterization, I suppose. They're particularly memorable and likable (even when dislikable/hatable), which goes a long way. And the dialogue, while initially goofy and on the surface, was, in actuality, well-written: or maybe delivered much better than similar dialogue in other films; a case of how good delivery can enhance dialogue, whether objectively or subjectively terrible, perhaps? It's, by far, the most quotable dialogue I've heard, also.

The performances were great, especially by Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, and Amanda Seyfried. Sorry for the slander, Lacey Chabert. But, hey. Gretchen Wieners invented fetch, and she did make it happen. Lindsay's acting after that argument between Janis and Cady was great. Acting-wise, she was the best, but Rachel gave the best performance; Regina George is iconic. Amanda had great comedic timing; she nailed Karen Smith's slow-wit.

My favorite character was lowkey Janis Ian, and she was lowkey the hottest. Naturally, Regina George was right up there, as well as Cady Heron. An underrated character who I thought was great was the principal; Tim Meadows was great.

And the most surprising thing was the potential pairings aided by these romantic undertones, and even though Tina Fey didn't go there, they wouldn't have seemed forced. It may not have been intentional, but I liked it. You could have Janis and Regina, Regina and Cady, Janis and Cady, and so on. At the same time, that's probably my raging heterosexuality talking, and naturally, I love it, both superficially and genuinely.

But at the risk of sounding sexist, I feel this film is tailored for women and specifically loved/adored by women. I know the depiction of high school/the themes to go with that aren't exclusive to only women, and I imagine that also plays a factor in its popularity; it's well done. But there's no denying that the majority audience (who loved it) seems to be women. That's not a bad thing. I suppose what I am trying to say (in a massive generalization) is that maybe, as a guy, this film isn't as appealing to me as it would be if I were a woman for some reason.

It could be more accurate to say it's since I didn't go to high school and experience high school generally, particularly the things this film depicts. I don't know. It's like there was something to grasp, but I missed it: more enjoyment, and it was left unachieved because I've never unlocked the skills required (in a video game way) to achieve it.

However, I enjoyed watching this film despite feeling like I could've found it more enjoyable depending on certain things. It seems remarkably rewatchable, with probably the highest re-watchability I've encountered yet. I'm already finding myself thinking about it/looking back on it in my head in a reminiscing, nostalgic manner. 'Iconic' is a word that exists to describe this film.