Mean Girls — The Rewatchables Tracker

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Overall episode#69Source sheet order

Movie year20042000s

Tomatometer84%Critics’ score

Metacritic66View score

Roger Ebert3/4Original star rating

DirectorSamantha Jayne; Arturo Perez Jr.Comedy / Teen

FROM THE CONVERSATION

What they said about the movie

A celebratory rewatchables conversation about Mean Girls as an elite smart teen movie, a defining Lindsay Lohan showcase, and a film that has aged very well despite some dated jokes, fashion, and pre-social-media details.

Based only on this episode’s transcriptTimes approximateSpeakers were clearly identifiedExplore the connections

In this conversation

Bill SimmonsJuliet Litman

Amanda Dobbins

WHY IT WORKS

What made it rewatchable

01Its dialogue and character types are endlessly quotable and meme-able. About 1:12
02The lunchroom and social-clique setup is a near-perfect high school template. About 24 min
03Rachel McAdams's Regina George is treated as an all-time villain performance. About 40 min
04Lindsay Lohan's performance is seen as the movie-star peak that carries the narration and emotional arc. Opening minutes
05The film plays as a broad but precise social satire that still feels current. About 1:12

WHAT DID NOT WORK

Their main criticisms

moderateSome jokes about Coach Carr and underage girls are uncomfortable by modern standards. About 24 min
moderateThe soundtrack is seen as weak for a movie aimed at young women. About 32 min
moderateA few racial and Africa-related lines do not age well. About 40 min
minorKatie's decision to dumb herself down for Aaron Samuels feels off to some of them. About 48 min · medium confidence
minorThe ending speech feels slightly out of tone with the rest of the movie. About 48 min · medium confidence

SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO

Standout moments

Favorite

First lunch-table introduction to the Plastics

The opening lunch scene is praised for efficiently explaining the hierarchy and introducing Regina's power.

About 24 min

Favorite

Jingle Bell Rock talent show

The performance is treated as iconic and emblematic of the movie's teen awkwardness and sexualized performance culture.

About 24 min

positive

Sabotage montage

Enjoyed as a comic sequence even if one theft beat is questioned.

About 24 min

positive

Four-way phone call

Seen as a charming but dated device that now feels like a relic of an older communication era.

About 48 min

Favorite

Burn book blowout and bus accident

The book reveal, school chaos, and Regina's bus hit are singled out as a great payoff.

About 24 min

Favorite

First burn book scene with Amy Poehler

The 'cool mom' introduction and the burn book material are treated as classic comedic beats.

About 24 min

WHERE THEY DISAGREED

The biggest debates

They agreed Opening minutes

Which teen movie belongs in the smart teen-movie lineage

Bill Simmons
Includes Kissing Booth before correcting to To All the Boys I've Loved Before.

Amanda Dobbins
Argues To All the Boys I've Loved Before is smarter and more cross-generational.

No final agreement About 1:12

Whether Rachel McAdams or Lindsay Lohan wins the movie

Amanda Dobbins
Picks Rachel McAdams because Regina George launches her career and dominates the film.

Bill Simmons
Picks Lindsay Lohan because it is her apex performance and the movie is built around her.

They agreed About 32 min

How badly the soundtrack ages

Bill Simmons
Thinks it is notably weaker than the film deserves.

Amanda Dobbins
Agrees it could have better captured the era's music scene.

They partly agreed About 48 min

Whether Katie should have dumbed herself down for Aaron Samuels

Bill Simmons
Thinks the plot point never sat right.

Juliet Litman
Argues the movie uses it to teach a lesson about authenticity.

Amanda Dobbins
Notes the secrecy problem is partly because Aaron is looking at her answers.

They left it as a friendly argument About 48 min

Which cast member should win the overacting award

Bill Simmons
Initially nominates Amy Poehler and Kevin G.

Amanda Dobbins
Pushes back on Amy Poehler and prefers Kevin G or Damian.

Juliet Litman
Thinks Damian overdoes it.

18 People discussedActors, directors, writers, and producers

very favorableLindsay LohanBill Simmons: Praised as the best young actress in these teen movies and the film's central star, with deep sadness about her decline. Opening minutes favorableRachel McAdamsBill Simmons: Celebrated as Regina George and as a major career breakout from this movie. About 24 min

very favorableTina FeyBill Simmons: Praised as overqualified and extremely smart in writing a teen movie with distinct characters and strong female perspective. Opening minutes

favorableAmy PoehlerBill Simmons: Seen as hilarious as the cool mom, though Bill briefly argues she might be overacting. About 48 min

favorableTim MeadowsAmanda Dobbins: Praised as very funny and underused; his principal performance is singled out as a heat-check success. About 48 min

favorableAmanda SeyfriedJuliet Litman: Liked for playing Karen as an enthusiastic, funny airhead with good physical comedy. About 48 min

favorableLizzy CaplanBill Simmons: Admired for Janis's look, attitude, and scene-stealing presence. About 40 min

favorableLacey ChabertBill Simmons: Noted as memorable from Party of Five and excellent here as Gretchen. About 48 min

neutralJonathan BennettBill Simmons: Mentioned as Aaron Samuels, with a light complaint that his IMDb career did not go further. About 32 min

neutralDaniel WatersBill Simmons: Mentioned as the writer of Heathers and Mark Waters's brother. Opening minutes

neutralMark WatersBill Simmons: Referenced as the director of Mean Girls and brother of Daniel Waters. Opening minutes

neutralCameron CroweBill Simmons: Referenced in the teen-movie lineage discussion as the writer of Fast Times. Opening minutes neutralJohn HughesBill Simmons: Referenced as the writer/director of Breakfast Club in the teen-movie lineage. Opening minutes favorableEmma StoneBill Simmons: Held up as another overqualified teen-movie actor and a career success story. Opening minutes favorableAlicia SilverstoneAmanda Dobbins: Mentioned as another young actress whose visibility and pressures were hard to sustain. About 8 min · medium confidence mixedMisha BartonBill Simmons: Bill argues she was very beautiful and iconic, while Amanda pushes back that she was less talented than Lohan. About 32 min favorableRachel McAdamsJuliet Litman: Later praised again for a strong career that began with this breakout role. About 56 min favorableLorne MichaelsBill Simmons: Discussed as a producer whose films work best when he lets talented people build the movie. About 16 min

15 Conversation takesSpeakers shown only where the transcript identifies them

Bill SimmonsLoved it

Mean Girls as a smart teen movie

Places it in the top tier of smart teen movies and treats it as a landmark entry in the genre.

Opening minutes

Amanda DobbinsLoved it

Mean Girls' female perspective

Argues the film and genre work best when adults can also relate to the characters and social critique.

Opening minutes

Bill SimmonsLoved it

Lindsay Lohan

Calls Lohan the best actress in these teen-movie examples and mourns her lost career trajectory.

Opening minutes

Amanda DobbinsLoved it

Lindsay Lohan

Says Lohan had a movie-star quality and relatability that made her uniquely compelling.

About 16 min

Bill SimmonsLoved it

Regina George

Treats Regina as the film's defining creation and one of the great high-school villains.

About 40 min

Juliet LitmanLoved it

Gretchen Wieners

Suggests Gretchen is the true villain because she props up Regina and learns nothing.

About 40 min

Bill SimmonsDid not like it

The soundtrack

Complains the soundtrack should have been much stronger and more reflective of the era's alt-rock scene.

About 32 min

Juliet LitmanMixed

The ending speech

Feels the final moralizing speech doesn't fully match the rest of the movie's tone.

About 48 min · medium confidence

Bill SimmonsLoved it

First lunch-table introduction

Calls the lunchroom scene a brilliant, efficient introduction to the movie's social world.

About 24 min

Amanda DobbinsLoved it

Jingle Bell Rock talent show

Says it is iconic and has permanently overwritten the song for her.

About 24 min

Bill SimmonsLoved it

Burn book blowout and bus hit

Highlights the chaos of the burn book fallout and Regina's bus accident as a major payoff.

About 24 min

Juliet LitmanLoved it

Mean Girls as a whole

Says the whole movie has aged well and could essentially come out today.

About 48 min

Bill SimmonsLoved it

Mean Girls as a whole

Ends by saying the film is timeless and should keep living with future generations.

About 1:12

Bill SimmonsLoved it

Tim Meadows

Says Meadows should have been a bigger star because his performance is so consistently funny.

About 48 min

Amanda DobbinsLoved it

Rachel McAdams

Argues McAdams wins the movie because Regina George launches her career and dominates the film.

About 1:12

5 ThemesThe larger ideas in the discussion

Smart teen-movie lineage

The episode frames Mean Girls within a lineage of teen films that are clever enough to work for adults too.

Opening minutes

Female-authored teen storytelling

They emphasize how Clueless and Mean Girls shifted the genre toward female perspective and control.

Opening minutes

Teen stardom and celebrity damage

A major stretch of the episode mourns Lindsay Lohan's trajectory and the rise of paparazzi culture.

About 8 min

Social hierarchy and clique psychology

The Plastics are discussed as a model of wealth, status, and manipulation inside high school.

About 1:12

Timelessness through specific social observation

They argue the movie lasts because it nails adolescent behavior, not because of technology or era-specific references.

About 1:12

24 Facts and referencesProduction notes and other movies mentioned

Production note

Mean Girls Day is discussed as October 3rd even though the film opened on April 30.

Opening minutes

Production note

The film's original title was Homeschooled.

About 1:04

Production note

The film was changed from R to PG-13 by softening a few sex lines.

About 1:12

Production note

Tim Meadows broke his hand before shooting and wore a cast in the movie.

About 1:12

Production note

Amanda Seyfried says she had just graduated high school when filming and was terrified.

About 1:12

Production note

Lohan and McAdams auditioned for opposite roles.

About 1:04

Production note

James Franco was considered for Aaron Samuels.

About 1:04

Mentioned with uncertainty

Alicia Cuthbert/Cooper? is named as a Regina George casting alternative.

About 1:04 · low confidence

Production note

There was a direct-to-video sequel, Mean Girls 2, that aired on ABC Family in 2011.

About 1:12

Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Named as the first smart teen movie in their lineage discussion.

Opening minutes

The Breakfast Club

Cited as a major smart teen movie and a personal touchstone.

Opening minutes

Heathers

Mentioned as a clever, darker teen movie and a precursor to Mean Girls.

Opening minutes

Clueless

Discussed as the movie that revived the smart teen genre and made it more female.

Opening minutes

Scream

Suggested as an interesting teen movie to insert into the lineage.

Opening minutes

Easy A

Cited as another smart teen movie and a candidate in the lineage.

Opening minutes

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Used as the more current and smarter teen-movie comparator.

Opening minutes

The Kissing Booth

Mentioned as a teen phenomenon but less smart than other examples.

Opening minutes

American Pie

Referenced as a much less smart teen movie in the 1999 discussion.

Opening minutes

Cruel Intentions

Mentioned as an adult movie using teens and a future Rewatchables 1999 topic.

Opening minutes

Parent Trap

Referenced as a Lohan film they reassessed positively after seeing it with kids.

Opening minutes

Freaky Friday

Cited as a major Lohan hit with box-office success.

About 8 min

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

Mentioned as the project Lohan did before Mean Girls.

About 8 min

The Notebook

Referenced as part of Rachel McAdams's rapid career ascent after Mean Girls.

About 32 min

Wedding Crashers

Referenced as another McAdams breakout hit.

About 32 min

11 Running jokes and short linesRecurring bits captured from the conversation

Mean Girls Day / October 3rd

The hosts joke about the meme-ified holiday and how it became internet canon.

Opening minutes

Teen movie lineage championship belt

They build a bracket-like canon of smart teen movies and argue about entries.

Opening minutes

Lindsay Lohan as sports-injury career tragedy

Bill repeatedly compares her career arc to an athlete derailed by injury or off-field problems.

About 8 min

West Coast celebrity culture / paparazzi discussion

They riff on early-2000s tabloid culture, Kitson, Robertson, and celebrity surveillance.

About 8 min

'Cool mom' Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler's line reading becomes a repeated comic touchstone.

About 48 min

Personal trainer Aaron Samuels

They joke about Aaron Samuels as if he were a modern LA trainer or crush object.

About 40 min

Bill Simmons

“Gretchen, stop trying to make fetch happen.”

About 1:12

Speaker not identified

“I'm not like a regular mom.”

About 48 min

Bill Simmons

“You can go shave your back now.”

About 24 min

Bill Simmons

“She doesn't even go here.”

About 40 min

Bill Simmons

“Get in loser. We're going shopping.”

About 1:12

MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT

Where to watch

UNITED STATES

Checking where Mean Girls is available…

WHAT TO WATCH NEXT

Movies to watch before and after.

Three movies to watch before Mean Girls, and three to watch next.

Finding six movies…Three to watch first and three to watch next.

ON THE MIC

3 voices on this episode

Bill SimmonsThe Rewatchables

Juliet LitmanThe Rewatchables

Amanda DobbinsThe Rewatchables

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