Mean girls intro

There are a number of surprising elements in Mean Girls. We have all the usual teen movie clichés, like the big party while the parents are out, the competition, the prom; but Waters handles these scenes with a freshness that's lacking in something like Love Don't Cost a Thing, an atrocious film that was dishonest with its depiction of teen romance. Intelligence is also a strong point. Cady is a smart student, and the big game at the end is not a contest with cheerleaders, sports or dances, but with mathletes. Cady is enrolled in calculus, and she fakes a failing grade to get a guy to like her. This is a movie that respects intelligence and sees smart people as a fun-loving group. That's refreshing.

Overall, Waters makes a pointed examination of high school cliques and their potential for trouble. Finding acceptance in high school can be a tricky thing, and social pigeonholing can lead to wrongheaded decisions on who to hang out with. Cliques aren't a bad thing in general. Students with a common interest should be able to hang out with each other, but when one clique's own sense of superiority is so great that it causes hate discontent among other cliques, then resentment and hatred take over. Mean Girls isn't your typical high school comedy. The comedy is on the surface, but the real heart of the film lies underneath.