Critic Reviews
Mean Girls (2004) Rank 3 Reviews
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based on (315) reviews
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Appreciating Great Trash
Portland Oregonian (Karen Karbo)
San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
3 Black Chicks ("The Diva")
3BlackChicks Review Flicks
Movie Gazette (Anton Bitel)
More wholesome than mean, but still very funny (if you can stomach the homespun moral at the end). ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Movie Gazette (Anton Bitel)
MovieWeb (Justin Case)
Perth Sunday Times
Movieman's Guide to the Movies (Andy Hoglund)
Well, I, for one, was entertained by Mean Girls. I mean really. . . go watch Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, or any recent Saturday Night Live flick. Then see Mean Girls. The difference is HUGE. It is the basic plotline, nothing original. It is ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Movieman's Guide to the Movies (Andy Hoglund)
filmcritic.com (David Thomas)
When I was in high school, I didn’t have many friends. Instead, I analyzed the cliques from a distance. I even created a little chart showing where everyone sat in the cafeteria. Seeing a similar map surface about 20 minutes into Mean Girls, I can ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at filmcritic.com (David Thomas)
Perth Sunday Times
The Movie Chicks
Cady (Lindsay Lohan) has been living in the wilds of Africa, being home-schooled by her parents, but at 15, she's off to high school - and it's a much more dangerous place. She is given a tour/warning about all the cliques by her new best friends, ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at The Movie Chicks
Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
There is exactly such a scene in Mean Girls, a sharp comedy written by Saturday Night Live 's Tina Fey, but it works because the rigidly stratified social caste system inhabited by typical middle-class teenagers is not just used as a familiar backdrop ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
There's a precision and an uncanny sense of insider knowledge at work that causes Mean Girls to be very funny and a startlingly perceptive look at life in high school. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
Jam! Movies (Louis B. Hobson)
There are laughs and lessons in this one for everyone, which is why it goes straight to the head of the class. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Jam! Movies (Louis B. Hobson)
Roanoke Times (Virginia) (Beth Jones)
A surprisingly sweet love letter to teenage gals. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Roanoke Times (Virginia) (Beth Jones)
Washington Post (Michael O'Sullivan)
The comedy is funny as hell. And yes, I mean hell, not heck. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Washington Post (Michael O'Sullivan)
Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Daniel M. Kimmel)
Mean Girls is a hysterical comedy about high school cliques, and may be the best teen satire since Heathers (1989). ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Daniel M. Kimmel)
Arizona Republic (Bill Muller)
Displaying a rare mix of humor and heart, Mean Girls deserves mention along with such coming-of-age favorites as Girls Just Want to Have Fun and Sixteen Candles . ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Arizona Republic (Bill Muller)
eFilmCritic.com (Scott Weinberg)
A very welcome departure from the vapid, market-tested product that normally acts as Teen Fodder, and it's absolutely one of this year's biggest surprises. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Scott Weinberg)
Hero Realm (Stefan Halley)
"While not a masterpiece, Mean Girls is most definitely worth checking...especially if you are a fan of Ms. Lohan..." - Travis King ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Hero Realm (Stefan Halley)
Slate (David Edelstein)
Fey's comic gifts mesh with Wiseman's first-hand research, and the wit becomes dazzling. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Slate (David Edelstein)
ShowBIZ Data (--)
ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Washington Post (Ann Hornaday)
Smart, funny, well-acted and visually lively. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Washington Post (Ann Hornaday)
Film Values/Family Values (H. Arthur Taussig)
Orlando Sentinel (Jay Boyar)
It's that rare teen comedy that both teens and former teens can enjoy. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Orlando Sentinel (Jay Boyar)
Movie Marshal (Jason Szabo)
Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
Has the truth-exposing agenda of Election and almost as much bite. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
Salon (Stephanie Zacharek)
There's a sly intelligence at work here -- in the writing, the filmmaking and the acting -- that makes it deeply pleasurable to watch. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Salon (Stephanie Zacharek)
RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland) (Harry Guerin)
Kind of makes you wish you were back at school. Kind of. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland) (Harry Guerin)
Bangin' Banana (Joe Marchese)
Nehring The Edge
The Boston Phoenix
Box Office Mojo (C.A. Wolski)
Christian Spotlight on the Movies
Movie Roundtable
Wolfpack Productions (Sujit 'Chief' Chawla)
DVDwolf (Rob Paul)
filmcritic.com
When I was in high school, I didn’t have many friends. Instead, I analyzed the cliques from a distance. I even created a little chart showing where everyone sat in the cafeteria. Seeing a similar map surface about 20 minutes into Mean Girls, I can see ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at filmcritic.com
Hollywood Jesus Review
dvdfuture.com (Randy Spiros)
filethirteen.com
JackassCritics.com (Mike Long)
BoxOfficeCritic.com (Eileen Peterman)
DVD Times Review (Tiffany Bradford)
Moda Magazine (Kage Alan)
Sacramento Bee (Joe Baltake)
This is the best film of its kind since Amy Heckerling's Clueless . ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Sacramento Bee (Joe Baltake)
Movieman's Guide to the Movies (Mr. White)
USA Today (Mike Clark)
Mean Girls has the same fancifully dead-on tone as the 1995 high-school comedy "Clueless" without the sweetness because, hey, these snits are mean. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at USA Today (Mike Clark)
Richard A. Zwelling
that dissects the modernday jungle of public high school in America.The bad news is that the film does not follow through on its satire,and instead settles down into a formulaic resolution with aconventional, riskfree happilyeverafter feel.Don't let ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Richard A. Zwelling
Andy Keast
Lizzy Caplan, Tina Fey, Daniel Franzese, Tim Meadows and Amy Poehler.by Andy KeastI went to my high school prom with someone who belonged to a clique of girlsthat called itself the "Pink Ladies" (see "Grease"), whose leader was fromwhat I gathered ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Andy Keast
Steve Rhodes
Cady immediately bonds with two of the school's outcasts, Janis (Lizzy Caplan), a Goth girl who is ridiculed as a lesbian, but isn't, and Damian (Daniel Franzese), a gay guy who proudly left the closet years ago. The social leader of their class is a ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Steve Rhodes
Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
Mind you, I'm not quite prepared to elevate the team of Waters-Lohan to the level of Kurosawa-Mifune or Scorsese-De Niro, but they've clearly got a good thing going. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
Premiere Magazine (Peter Debruge)
Steers toward familiar teen-movie hyperbole, but it's the way the girls plot their sabotage while doling out empty compliments that keeps things real. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Premiere Magazine (Peter Debruge)
St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt)
Yeah, "Mean Girls" is a lot like — and not as sharp as — "Heathers." But it has fresh insights into, for instance, moms who try to act cool ("SNL's" Amy Poehler is hilarious), and, unlike "Heathers," "Mean Girls" suggests a way to get out alive. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt)
Jigsaw Lounge (Neil Young)
Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Alessandra Stanley noted recently in the New York Times that teen-targeted TV shows often bear little resemblance to reality. They portray teenagers not as they are, but as they would like to be; teens in these shows are licentious and conniving. While ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
eFilmCritic.com (Erik Childress)
Fitting that one of the themes is finding your individuality because this is the film where Lohan will begin to separate herself from the Hilary Duffs & Mandy Moores. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Erik Childress)
Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
I thought Hollywood had girled itself out this season, with movies like "Chasing Liberty" and "The Prince & Me" elbowing each other off the screen like pushy kids in a cafeteria line. But just when this teen-targeted genre seemed overdone to death, ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
In a wasteland of dumb movies about teenagers, "Mean Girls" is a smart and funny one. It even contains some wisdom, although I hesitate to mention that lest I scare off its target audience. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Empire Magazine [UK]
This teen comedy proves there's still mileage to be had out of a familiar formula - thanks to a sharp script and winning performances. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Empire Magazine [UK]
San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
As in "The House of Yes'' and "Freaky Friday,'' Waters keeps it wild but real, and the result is not only a series of lively scenes but lively close-ups: The big-eyed, expressive performances are just fun to watch. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
Kalamazoo Gazette (James Sanford)
undoubtedly the best teen comedy ever adapted from a sociological study... this anti-fairy tale should serve as a wake-up call to any Sleeping Beauties in the audience. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Kalamazoo Gazette (James Sanford)
Premiere (Peter Debruge)
Mean Girls depicts the kind of traumatic high school experience that might await spoiled rich girls who grow up in two-parent households with designer clothes and Escalades. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Premiere (Peter Debruge)
Boston Globe (Wesley Morris)
The movie is always entertaining and frequently smart about the new ground one girl will break to humiliate another. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Boston Globe (Wesley Morris)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Mean Girls dissects high school society with a lot of observant detail, which seems surprisingly well-informed. The screenplay by "Saturday Night Live's" Tina Fey is both a comic and a sociological achievement. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
The plot is flimsy, but director Mark Waters (Freaky Friday) trusts Fey's tart dialogue to carry the day. Wise man. Fey subverts formula to find comic gold. She's a brash new voice in movie comedy. Boy, do we need her now. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
New York Daily News (Elizabeth Weitzman)
Likable Lohan doesn't exude the vulnerability that would give the movie true heart, and Fey, head writer for "Saturday Night Live," crafts better punch lines than plots. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at New York Daily News (Elizabeth Weitzman)
Chicago Tribune (Robert K. Elder)
Though not a perfect comedy, it manages to be quite often laugh-out-loud funny. The film's strong cast, including scene-stealing "SNL"er Tim Meadows as the school principal, also helps smooth out most of the rough edges. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Chicago Tribune (Robert K. Elder)
Entertainment Weekly (Lisa Schwarzbaum)
A vinegary fable with a Splenda aftertaste -- is a harbinger of hope not only for future feminist comedies of any grit but also for ''SNL''-staffed feature films that don't disproportionately suck. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Entertainment Weekly (Lisa Schwarzbaum)
Hartford Courant (--)
Xiibaro Productions (David Perry)
Inspired by the nonfiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends and Other Realities of Adolescence, the film does have something of a adult point-of-view, which is reflected both in its references (a ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Xiibaro Productions (David Perry)
Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Tina Fey, the first female head writer in the history of Saturday Night Live, is a live wire: a sexy "Weekend Update" funny girl who rarely sends out a joke without a sting in its tail. Now Fey brings her sass as a writer and actress to Mean Girls, a ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Palo Alto Online (Tyler Hanley)
Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Seyfried, Lacey Chabert and Rachel McAdams in Mean GirlsSaturday Night Live scribe Tina Fey can officially pat herself on the back. Her uproarious screenplay features witty dialogue, well-timed slapstick, an insightful storyline ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Palo Alto Online (Tyler Hanley)
Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
The pacing of the film is slow at first, but it picks up momentum and finishes fast. It also isn't as funny at first, because it relies too much on stereotypes, and hasn't established its characters yet. The basic plot is nothing new. It has been done ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
Movie Parables (Michael Elliott)
Will strike a chord with anyone who remembers the days of acne and lunch room protocol. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Movie Parables (Michael Elliott)
Eclipse Magazine (Sean O'Connell)
Benefits immensely from screenwriter Tina Fey’s unique insight. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Eclipse Magazine (Sean O'Connell)
Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)
Mean Girls is the smartest, funniest, most observant comedy about teenagers in a long time. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)
Palo Alto Weekly (Tyler Hanley)
Saturday Night Live scribe Tina Fey can officially pat herself on the back. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Palo Alto Weekly (Tyler Hanley)
The Movie Insider (Lynda Lin)
Mark Waters, the brother of Heathers ' Daniel Waters, follows in the family footstep with a sharp, witty and dark film about evil girls, but Mean Girls isn't as psychological or heavy—it's just fun watching girls deconstruct one another. Just watch out ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at The Movie Insider (Lynda Lin)
Newsday (Jan Stuart)
Proves to be less than the sum of its parts, but when it rocks, it rocks you silly. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Newsday (Jan Stuart)
Lawrence.com (Eric Melin)
Props to Tina Fey for being the first cast member since Mike Myers in Wayne's World to survive her movie being produced by Saturday Night Live boss Lorne Michaels -- and not also have her movie completely suck. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Lawrence.com (Eric Melin)
Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
a fascinatingly adroit dissection of high school culture ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Reel.com
Though not as acerbic and daring as Heathers, and certainly it's no Ghost World (the last great, cynical teen-girl movie), Mean Girls still entertains with a smarter verve and in-the-know fluffy edge (yes, it's possible to have a fluffy edge). This is a ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Reel.com
JoBlo's Movie Emporium ("JoBlo")
A slightly above-average teen comedy that isn't as biting or dark as you might believe from its title, but quirky and fun enough to recommend to anyone looking for something that blends elements from previous hits such as CLUELESS, ELECTION and ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at JoBlo's Movie Emporium ("JoBlo")
Los Angeles Daily News (Bob Strauss)
Though it revels in petty, malicious humor -- and is far more effective than most Hollywood looks at high school hell -- this comedy about adolescent exclusion possesses a big, accepting heart. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Los Angeles Daily News (Bob Strauss)
Entertainment Spectrum (Vince Koehler)
This film was a blast. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Entertainment Spectrum (Vince Koehler)
Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
The funniest, most unassumingly subversive teen movie since 2000's Bring It On . ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
Detroit News (Tom Long)
It's good for some laughs. And that's all it intends to be. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Detroit News (Tom Long)
Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)
Tart and refreshing, Mean Girls is the kind of high-school movie that really feels as if it's for grown-ups -- but hey, the teens can come, too. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)
Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas) (Jonathan R. Perry)
Not as consistently funny as 'Heathers' or corrosive as 'Election,' but usually hilarious and occasionally chilling in its observations of 'Girl World.' ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas) (Jonathan R. Perry)
Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)
Much has been made of late about the culture of adolescent girls, as in, the viciousness to the pecking order of the cool girls and the ones that will do anything to become one of them. Tina Fey, the first female head writer of "Saturday Night Live" has ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)
TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman)
Could be a new classic of the teen genre. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman)
New York Daily News (Elizabeth Weitzman)
[Fey's] snappy script and the deft direction of Mark Waters, who did Freaky Friday , keep the laughs coming. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at New York Daily News (Elizabeth Weitzman)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Eleanor Ringel Gillespie)
Lohan, who intrepidly filled Hayley Mills' sneakers in the remake of The Parent Trap and butted heads with Jamie Lee Curtis in Freaky Friday , has grown into an accomplished and beautiful actress. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Eleanor Ringel Gillespie)
Movieman's Guide to the Movies (xmenfan)
Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Fey subverts formula to find comic gold. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Boston Globe
"Mean Girls" is a pitcher of Kool-Aid with a drop of acid, which are the opposite proportions of the beverage you'd expect from its writer, Tina Fey, whose barbs as coanchor of "Weekend Update" are a highlight of "Saturday ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Boston Globe
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Phoebe Flowers)
A trenchantly observed, bitingly witty comedy about just how mean girls can be. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Phoebe Flowers)
CinemaBlend.com - Mean Girls reviewed
Movie Matt's Reviews
Cinema Blend - DVD Review
DVD-Dweeb.Com (Oliver Korioth)
Movie Review Index - Reviews from Top Critics
Tiscali UK
The bitchiness of schoolgirls has become a regular source of inspiration for the movies ever since Heathers defined the genre fifteen years ago. Written by Daniel Waters and based upon his sister's high school experience, the family connection has now ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Tiscali UK
Entertainment Ave!
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Needcoffee.com - DVD Review
A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)
Mediasearch, Australia
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Almost Fabulous Movie Reviews
Blogcritics.org (Doug Valenta)
DVD Fanatic (DVD Fanatic (DVD Fanatic (Mark Zlotnick)))
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
The ultimate irony of a satire about a good girl who pretends to convert to a bad girl in order to undermine the loathsome "in-crowd" but becoming one of them in the process -- like her, the creators should also not have fallen in love with the ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Bright Lights Film Journal
DVD Town (Yunda Eddie Feng)
Blogcritics.org (Scott Pepper)
ninth symphony films
The DVD Report (Britt Gillette)
Guess the Gross
Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)
London Times (Wendy Ide)
Planet Sick-Boy (Jon Popick)
Entertain Your Brain!
eye WEEKLY (Kim Linekin)
Pajiba (Jeremy C. Fox)
Bangin' Banana (Tim Bentley)
New York Magazine (Peter Rainer)
Spurlock's movie is an attack on our eating habits, but it's also a prime example of an all-American sport--making a spectacle of oneself for fun and profit. Spurlock, you'll be surprised to learn, is developing a TV spinoff, with himself as host. ...read the complete Mean Girls movie review at New York Magazine (Peter Rainer)
MovieMaze (Daniel Licha)