Translating a beloved film into a stage musical is no easy task. Mean Girls pulled it off, but making another film based on the musical is another balancing act. The journey from screen to stage opened the material to a new medium and all of the possibilities that come with it. Going back to the screen, there’s always a risk of repeating what we’ve seen before. Hairspray managed to function as its own entity while embracing the spirit of the Broadway musical and John Waters’ original film. On the opposite end of the aisle, you have The Producers, which just felt like an imitation of its predecessors. Where does Mean Girls place? That depends on whether we’re talking about the music or the narrative.
Discussing the plot seems pointless, as you are surely acquainted with it. While most scenes play out as you remember them, the nearly pitch-perfect casting helps to distinguish this Mean Girls. There are some returning favorites like Tina Fey and Tim Meadows. Ashley Park, who played Gretchen Wieners on Broadway, also has an extended cameo. It’s the new class that elevates the film beyond a trip down memory lane, however. Angourie Rice has been one of our best young actresses since playing Ryan Gosling’s headstrong daughter in The Nice Guys. She’s a delight as Cady, capturing the character’s wit and naivety. She might not have a golden singing voice, but given Cady’s shy demeanor, Rice’s soft-spoken approach stays faithful to the character.
Auliʻi Cravalho of Moana and Tony-winner Jaquel Spivey bring the most to the ensemble as Janis and Damian, respectively. Cravalho’s rendition of I’d Rather Be Me, in particular, is a showstopper. Then you have the Plastics with Bebe Wood as Gretchen Wieners, Avantika as Karen Shetty, and Reneé Rapp as Regina George. The latter has a leg up, having served as a replacement on Broadway. While the actors all embody the characters we know, we may know this material too well. Remember that Walmart Black Friday commercial that recently reunited several cast members from the 2004 film? This 2024 movie can play out similarly.
It’s not live-action Disney remake lazy, but for much of Mean Girls, we find ourselves waiting for the actors to repeat the lines we’ve already heard a million times. On stage, at least we were experiencing these familiar lines in a fresh environment. As a movie musical, though, Mean Girls exists to remind us how much we love the source material. So why watch this film when you can rewatch the classic? The short answer is for the musical sequences.
When the cast isn’t just reenacting scenes, the songs provide a much-needed jolt of energy. This is where Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr.’s direction shines. The directing duo makes the most of the high school environment with lively tracking shots, fast-paced editing, and clever choreography. They also take advantage of the film medium by integrating social media elements into the numbers. All this was sorely missing from Dear Evan Hansen, which felt lifeless as a musical. The music ultimately supplies the film with an identity, even if it can feel like we’re watching an understudy. The understudy is grool and all, but the regular actor who originated this role is forever fetch.