The remake of the 2004 film “Mean Girls” was released in January with a budget of $36 million. The nearly two-hour movie starred Reneé Rapp, Auliʻi Cravalho, Bebe Wood and Angourie Rice, with Tina Fey, who directed the film and continued her role as Ms. Norbury.
The movie also starred members of the University of New Haven marching band – well, not “starred,” but they were at least onset and got a few seconds of screentime. Some of the university’s band members served as background for one of the film’s songs.
Seniors Samantha Borsari and Megan MacNeil, students who were part of the movie, said it was one of the most incredible experiences of their lives and they loved being able to interact with cast members and watch them play their roles.
They were disappointed their screen time was cut from the final version, as they appeared onscreen for roughly five seconds, but seeing them and their friends’ names in the credits made the experience worth it.
The movie got mixed reviews, in part because the movie’s soundtrack did not fit the cast. Having Rapp reprise the role that made her famous on Broadway was appreciated and is something I enjoyed. However, Rice is not known for her singing and she was constantly overshadowed by Rapp and the other talented singers.
People who went to the theater with little context were shocked to find out that, unlike the original movie, the reprise was a musical. It took songs from the Broadway musical to the big screen, which got negative backlash from critics and fans alike.
On the other hand, some people thought this recent version was a perfect blend of both worlds, the original movie and the musical.
With a rating of 70% on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie still made $102.3 million at the global box office. Was it a success? I knew the movie was a musical, which made it more enjoyable for me. I thought the characters were well cast; the 2004 movie storyline was clear and the songs were good and added to the overall effect of the movie.
I also liked seeing Rapp back in a role that suits her well. Even though I was not a part of the band scene, it was awesome recognizing the uniforms and being able to say “Hey! I know those people.” Who knows, maybe the movie would have done better if the Chargers were given more airtime.
If you didn’t get the chance to see the movie in theaters, it will be available for streaming soon, though the release date has not been announced. Despite the mixed reviews, I recommend this movie.
