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Mean Girls Review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 4.0
    66

    out of 100

    Metascore®
    Generally favorable reviews
    based on a weighted average of all
    critic review scores.

  • 60

    out of 100

    Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

    A high school comedy that is sharply observed and often terrifically funny, yet oddly misconceived.

  • 70

    out of 100

    The New York Times A.O. Scott

    The director, Mark Waters, working with a smart casting team, has assembled a superb group of players. Scene by scene you can't help being impressed by Mean Girls; it's like a group of sketches linked by a theme, with some playing much better than others.

    Read Full Review

  • 70

    out of 100

    Los Angeles Times Manohla Dargis

    He (director Mark Waters) keeps the story light and bright, and he brings out real comic performances from his cast, including newcomer Seyfried, who plays her ditz with Judy Holliday charm.

    Read Full Review

  • 70

    out of 100

    Variety David Rooney

    This sassy if wildly uneven comedy navigates the treacherous high school jungle that separates cool cliques from wannabes, wading through some nasty behavior before delivering its moral message.

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  • 70

    out of 100

    The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

    Results in an edgy comedy, where laughs stem at times from uncomfortable situations. In other words, Mean Girls lives up to its title.

    Read Full Review

  • 75

    out of 100

    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 Full Review

  • 75

    out of 100

    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 Full Review

  • 75

    out of 100

    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 Full Review

  • See all Mean Girls reviews at Metacritic.com

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For Families provided by Common Sense Media

OK for kids 14+

Mature but often-hilarious teen comedy.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know this movie has some mature material for a PG-13, including crude humor, sexual references, underage drinking, and comic violence. There is a prank involving a pregnancy test. Cady allows her home to be taken over by partying teens, gets drunk, and throws up. A child watches "Girls Gone Wild" and imitates it. A girl refers to herself as "half a virgin" and there is a joke about girl-girl kissing. A strength of the movie is its positive portrayal of diverse characters, including disabled, gay, and minority students.

  • Families can talk about how the elements that determine status for teenagers are different from those that determine status in the adult world, at work, and with friends and family.
  • Use this movie to begin a discussion about the way that the girls they know treat each other, and what they can do to encourage them to be kinder and more supportive.
  • Ask kids if they know any "mean girls." How do they deal with them?

The good stuff
  • message true2

    Messages: Ultimately the message is that popularity isn't everything and that girls need to support each other, not tear each other down.

  • rolemodels true2

    Role models: Diverse characters, including disabled and gay characters.The mean girls do get pretty mean -- but they also learn their lesson.

What to watch for
  • violence false1

    Violence: Comic violence, including injuries.

  • sex false3

    Sex: Crude humor and sexual references.

  • language false3

    Language: Strong language for a PG-13.

  • consumerism false0

    Consumerism: Not an issue

  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3

    Drinking, drugs and smoking: Underage drinking (with vomiting as a consequence).

An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.

© Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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