Last Friday, the Student Activities Association (SAA) sponsored a showing of the newest “Mean Girls” movie at the Hamilton Movie Theater, located at 7 Lebanon St., to welcome students back for the Spring semester. This showing was the latest in a series of events known as the Midnight Movies, in which students are welcomed at the local movie theater with free pizza, popcorn and drinks to accompany a chosen film. Students flocked to town on the first Friday night of the semester and filled almost every seat. The event was undeniably wonderful, but the movie itself requires some deeper analysis.
Listen, “Mean Girls” (2024) never really stood a chance. The original is a cult-classic, hilarious amalgamation of early 2000s culture. However, in 2024, this Broadway remake’s major downfall is its attempt to modernize a story that thrives because of its kitschy comedy and energy. Without the nostalgia factor, there’s so much less to love. Maybe this rendition was destined to fail from the start — “Mean Girls” (2004) is a critical point in pop culture literacy. Any differences were destined for criticism. The removal of famous and well-loved jokes led to some major let-downs, and the iconic pink fashions worn by the Plastics were swapped for clothes that looked like Shein pieces from three years ago. Fans online noted that the titular “mean” girls were hardly even, well, mean. Of course, the movie couldn’t be exactly the same, but many alterations were made in bad taste.
Nothing could stack up to the cast, iconic comedy and sinister appeal of the snarky high schoolers beloved by fans from “Mean Girls” (2004). But if we leave those considerations behind, “Mean Girls” (2024), though far from a cinematic masterpiece, achieved something that many movies before have failed to accomplish: it made people feel genuinely good. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a movie theater genuinely roar with laughter, but “Mean Girls” (2024) made us do just that. The movie was undeniably fun — even the musical numbers, both good and bad. Writer and director Tina Fey truly knew her audience, and a lot of the comedy was niche but relevant. I never thought I would laugh at TikTok parodies in a movie, but I did. Through reframing the movie as a reflection of early 2020s culture rather than an attempt at recreating the timeless perfection of “Mean Girls” (2004), I argue that “Mean Girls” (2024) is a good movie if only for the fact that its playful and entertaining charm resonated with viewers.
The 2024 version also incorporated a sense of diversity that made the movie feel more representative of real life and inclusive to all viewers. This was a necessary and successful correction of the primary flaw of the 2004 “Mean Girls” movie: its homogeneity and (not-so) subtle prejudices.
First-year attendee of the event, Grace Zhang, expressed her appreciation for the casting decisions.
“One of my favorite characters was Karen, who’s played by Avantika [Vandanapu] — who is so pretty, by the way,” Zhang said. “It was really refreshing to see how ‘Mean Girls’ incorporated a person of color into their cast, and how they made sure to have Asian American representation.”
First-year Martyn Dahl agrees with this sentiment and highlighted the filmmakers’ choice to include positive queer representation through queer characters and actors.
“I thought it was significant how they portrayed Janis [Ian] this time,” Dahl said. “They did show more queer relationships […]. Renée Rapp is herself a queer icon. Having an openly gay actress play Regina is really refreshing, even if she’s not actually gay in the movie.”
These decisions enabled everyone in the theater to enjoy themselves fully and have fun. A movie that can create such an amicable environment is powerful.
Again, attendee Grace Zhang commented on the happy ambiance of the audience.
“I just really liked the atmosphere of the movie theater,” Zhang said. “Everyone was so engaged — they were laughing at all the jokes, and the vibes were really nice.”
Of course, credit is due here to the SAA, who ensured that all students had a good time as a result of their hard work.
Junior Katie Maratea, co-late night director for SAA, provides some insight into the collaboration that occurs with the Hamilton Theater.
“I love picking movies that the student body is interested in seeing,” Maratea said. “I chose ‘Mean Girls’ because it is an iconic movie that many of us grew up watching, and after seeing the stage adaptation, I wanted to see it brought to the big screen once again, this time as a musical with Renée Rapp.”
Maratea also spoke about the most rewarding part of her position.
“My favorite part of hosting events is not only seeing how much the student body enjoys them but also meeting so many new people,” Maratea said. “There were 154 people who came out to see ‘Mean Girls,’ and I am already looking forward to hosting our next event!”
