The 20th anniversary of Mean Girls looks incredible in this new 4k release by Paramount!
“After living in Africa with her zoologist parents, Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) must brave the wilds of high school – where she is taken under the wing of the popular girls, The Plastics, led by the cool and cruel Regina George (Rachel McAdams). What follows is a treasure trove of sharp witty humor that defined a generation and popularized countless catchphrases, inspired a hit Broadway musical, and led to a new twist on the tale in the 2024 movie. Co-starring a written by Tina Fey, and featuring Amanda Seyfried, Lacey Chabert, Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Franzese, and Amy Poehler, MEAN GIRLS is nothing short of a pop culture phenomenon and an iconic classic.”
Tina Fey’s writing was only half realized at her tenure at SNL. Not until Mean Girls and her subsequent creation of 30 Rock was her talent abundantly clear. Her sense of humor has a certain style that’s recognizable in everything she does; it’s clever, witty, usually self-deprecating, but all the while relevant, with its finger on the pulse of pop culture.
Mean Girls is able to provide a ‘perfect storm’ if you will, of elements that elevate the film to becoming the next generation’s John Hughes story. While teens of that generation dealt with societal issues seemingly completely different than decades later, in all honestly, a lot of it is the same, just with different labels. Comparing navigation through the treacherous hallways of High School with the African landscape filled with animal hierarchies and instincts couldn’t be more on the nose.
It’s now 20 years since the release of the film, and while I’m sure the high school experience has changed even more so these past two decades with smart phones and social media, there is still something about it that speaks to that generation that grew up in that time, had their own clashes with the different cliques of their school, and perhaps felt themselves changing who they were to fit in and to become liked. Every generation should have their own type of coming-of-age/high school story. The one before had The Breakfast Club, and now it’s about time for a new story to speak to that age group. Sadly, however, unless it’s posted on Tik-Tok, it would probably never be seen.
It was great revisiting this film after all these years, with so many of the cast going on to do some pretty incredible things. I’m always amazed at Rachel McAdams transformation into Regina George. There is one in every school, and her portrayal as the alpha female of The Plastics is what makes the film what it is. Without her, it doesn’t work, and as manipulative and horrible as she is, you somehow still find a way to root for her at the end of the film, putting a positive theme on what is considered by a lot of people the worst time of their lives.
The world watched Lindsay Lohan grow up, and it has to be difficult for many different reasons for any child actor reaching adolescence. Mean Girls is, as of now, the pinnacle of her career. She is capable of a lot of talent, and it shows in the films she did around this time. Her character Cady Heron is what the majority of people can identify with, an outsider wanting to fit in and doing it for all the wrong reasons. She plays the role very well, and her journey is all the more compelling with Lindsay Lohan behind the driving force of those choices.
Video
The 20th anniversary of Mean Girls is presented for the first time in 4k 2160p Ultra High-Definition Widescreen featuring Dolby Vision. Colors are very rich and vibrant on this 4k disc, with crisp and clear picture that looks exceptional. This may not be the one you select to show off your set up to your friends, but for those wanting a bit of nostalgia, the film has never looked better, and worth the upgrade for the 4k alone.
Audio
The audio is presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1. This hasn’t been upgraded since previous releases, but honestly, there is no need. For a dialogue-driven film, this 5.1 track still packs a lot of punch when it needs to, providing some excellent levels between the center channel and surrounds.
Special Features
The disc comes with a slipcover of the Burn Book, with a pink 4k UltraHD case and a digital code inside. No blu-ray copy of the film is included. The extras are all imported from previous releases, with one new addition. These include:
- Commentary by Director Mark Waters, Screenwriter & Actress Tina Fey and Producer Lorne Michaels
- NEW Mean Girls: Class of ‘04
- Featurettes
- Word Vomit (Blooper Reel)
- So Fetch – Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Director Mark Waters and Screenwriter & Actress Tina Fey
- Interstitials
Mean Girls looks incredible in this new 20th anniversary Ultra HD 4k edition. Coming out the same day as the new film, if you’re a fan of the original, you’ll definitely want to pick this one up.