“On Wednesdays we wear pink!”. This is a phrase that most teenage girls know by heart. This iconic phrase belongs to the 2004 released movie ‘Mean Girls’. This film, directed by Mark Waters, stars Lindsay Lohan as the main character, Cady, who along with the other characters portrays the theme of reflection. Through the exhibition of the consequences of being involved in high school drama, the movie aims for its target audience – teenagers – to reflect on the absurdness of drama but also the importance of kindness. The combination of a key plot moment, the contrast of the different characterizations of Cady, and the choice of musical elements are what make this movie a personal favorite for me and many others.
‘Mean Girls’ is a comedy film that focuses on Cady’s journey, a naive teenage girl who navigates through the social hierarchy of a modern American high school for the first time after being homeschooled in Africa her whole life. Those who dress oddly and don't talk to anyone but their friend group are called ‘freaks’ and are considered to be at the very bottom of the school’s social hierarchy. On the other hand, the ‘plastics’ are at the top of the hierarchy and consist of the three most popular yet hypocritical girls. Initially, Cady supposedly joins the ‘plastics’ solely to gather their secrets and take down their leader, however, Cady starts to actually like hanging out with them because of the popularity and respect she gains, and thus leaves her original friend group, the ‘freaks’ behind.
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Cady’s switch from the ‘freaks’ to the ‘plastics’ and the significant contrast, as described above between these cliques, is what makes this key plot so absorbing to the audience. Because the target audience is teenagers, they can relate to this plot on a personal level, as many of them probably have either acted like Cady or have witnessed friends switching to the popular group so they can be perceived as elite. This plot is key in the film as it then leads to other smaller yet interesting plots and strategically occurs pretty early in the movie to maintain the audience’s attention and build suspense for Cady’s future.
The characterization of Cady drastically changes throughout the movie; the two main ways that Cady is characterized are through her personality and attire. As Cady survives her first few days at high school and becomes part of the ‘freaks’, her personality can be described as shy, grounded, smart, yet clueless. Cady is smart with school assignments, yet is clueless on the subject of socializing, rightfully so, because she has been homeschooled her whole life. Her attire matches perfectly with her personality, as she wears loose-fitting clothes that don't show any skin, comfortable flat shoes, and a bracelet her mother made for her.
Nevertheless, as the movie progresses and Cady becomes part of the ‘plastics’, her characterization takes a 180-degree change. Cady’s personality is now perceived as selfish, superficial, and conceited. Cady’s priorities change from school to preserving her popularity, trying to overshadow the leader of the ‘plastics’. And her clothes perfectly mirror that, as her daily outfit consists of a tight-fitting crop top with a mini skirt, paired with heels and earrings. The differences in the characterization of Cady reflect how one’s personality and physical appearance shift depending on the people one is around and what their priorities are, which is one of the many applicable messages that the movie aims to communicate.
The musical elements implemented throughout the movie ‘Mean Girls’ are essential to enhancing the scene's atmosphere. For instance, at the beginning of the movie, as Cady and the ‘freaks’ are planning the downfall of the leader of the ‘plastics’, suspense music plays in the background; however, it is instrumental to not disrupt the dialogue. Suspense music is played in this scene to reinforce its intensity and cause the viewers to become on edge and further invested in how the downfall is going to play out. On the contrary, a hip-hop song is played in a scene where the camera is solely focused on the ‘plastics’ as they walk in slow motion through a corridor of the school to accentuate the great power that the ‘plastics’ possess.
Overall, a key plot moment, the analysis of the character Cady, and the soundtrack choices in specific scenes altogether assemble ‘Mean Girls’. Cady’s decision to switch from the ‘freaks’ and become part of the ‘plastics’ is such a significant moment in the movie, especially because most of the teenage audience can relate to this event. As a result of the switch in cliques, a drastic change in the characterization of Cady is witnessed. At the start, Cady is described as shy and grounded but is then perceived as selfish and conceited. Lastly, the choice of suspense and hip-hop songs for certain scenes is the cherry on top as they perfectly perform their job of reinforcing the scene's message. And the combination of these factors makes ‘Mean Girls’ my favorite movie of all time.
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