“Mean Girls 2024:” The Pitfalls of the Modern Movie Musical

The highly anticipated movie musical adaptation of “Mean Girls” hit theaters on January 12, 2024, receiving varied reactions from audiences. The movie is a film adaptation of the 2018 musical “Mean Girls,” based on the 2004 chick-flick classic of the same name. “Mean Girls (2024)” hoped to be, save for the bursting out into spontaneous song and dance, a largely faithful adaptation of the beloved comedy classic. 

The story closely mimicked the plot of the 2004 film with the added fun of well-produced and choreographed musical numbers featuring powerhouse vocalists like up-and-coming pop star, Reneé Rap. However, some numbers that were adapted, could feel a little clunky and awkward on screen. In comparison to the film cast recordings, the Broadway cast recordings were undeniably more dynamic performances, and this became one of the most talked about issues in the online discourse surrounding the film. But overall, the film was — for the most part — able to successfully pull off the careful balance of in-your-face camp and earnest, enduring messages. 

“Mean Girls” was met with mixed reviews from audiences and critics alike. Fans of both the original film and the Broadway musical were eager to vocalize their discontent with omitted elements from the film that they felt were absolutely unimpeachable. For the “Mean Girls (2004)” purists, they were up-in-arms with everything from the “Shien-esque” costuming to the casting — or, in their opinion, miscasting. 

Other fans of the 2004 movie were quick to air out their grievances about some of the scrapped lines like the ever-quotable “How many of you have ever felt personally victimized by Regina George?” or “Oh my god, Danny DeVito, I love your work!”.

Audience reaction from musical fans was polarizing, to say the least. Some declared the film a joy-filled riot with its bright images and hard-hitting comedic beats, and others deemed it unfaithful to the musical and therefore an abject failure. There were 14 songs from the stage musical that were cut for the film to fit more comfortably into the modern movie musical mold. This, along with the fact that some cast members did not seem to be well-trained in musical theater, left the musical lovers disenchanted. 

So, if most audiences were dissatisfied with “Mean Girls,” who exactly was this movie for? The filmmakers seemed to be waffling between trying to make a film that pleased fans of the original movie and making a film that appealed to hardcore musical theater buffs. To do this, they cut out certain aspects from the film and musical respectively that each fanbase was excited to see on screen. And as a result, both camps were left underwhelmed. 

While the new adaptation of “Mean Girls,” was an undeniably fun romp into the pulpy world of sparkle-clad high school divas, what was left on the cutting room floor keeps the film from rising to the same level of renown that its predecessors hold.