Μύ Life at an average American high school is a Darwinian battle for survival according to director Mark S Waters' Mean Girls, a "surprising and funny" teen comedy starring Hollywood's current 'it' girl, Lindsay Lohan. Based on Rosalind Wiseman's best-selling parenting guide Queen Bees And Wannabes, the movie garnered rave reviews - but it was positive word-of-mouth that made it an unexpected box office hit.
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"Women would run the world if they didn't hate each other," states actress Rachel McAdams in Only The Strong Survive, although Lohan reckons "You grow out of it eventually. Hopefully..." As well as the standard breakdown of plot and an introduction to the film's key characters, this substantial featurette also exposes a subculture of "bitchiness" among teenage girls. In talking about the difficult process of adapting Wiseman's non-fiction book, screenwriter Tina Fey explains, "It's celebrity culture shrunk down to high school size."
Wiseman puts on her serious sociologist's face to expand upon this matter in The Politics Of Girl World. Although there's plenty of fun to be had with the minefield of growing up in an image-obsessed society, this eye-opening interview touches on the ways in which peer pressure and poor self-esteem can make young girls vulnerable to violence. In essence this featurette promotes her self-help organisation The Empower Program, which you can learn more about at the .
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And now to the serious matter of... cool clothes. Costume designer Mary Jane Fort guides you through the intricate process of conceptualisation and design - as well as rifling through Lohan's wardrobe to illustrate how her character evolves from GAP jeans to glamour puss within the context of the story. She also explains her "50s Barbie doll" vision of "The Plastics" - the cool girls who dress to impress whether they're off to the prom or to pick up a pint of milk.
Director Mark S Waters, writer Tina Fey, and producer Lorne Michaels offer commentary for nine deleted scenes, including the quietly hilarious sight of school heartthrob Aaron (Jonathan Bennet) chatting up Lindsay while folding his mother's knickers. Although designed to show what a sensitive soul he is, Waters eventually cut the scene for being "a little too dorky". (Too right!) The trio offers a similarly engaging and sometimes surreal feature commentary in which Michaels makes the stunning revelation: "Mark directs a lot from the toilet." Okaaay...
As well as the theatrical trailer and a few quirky TV spots, a smile-worthy blooper reel ties up this mostly fun-filled and informative package - and reveals that actress Lacy Chabert (Gretchen) really is, like, a total ditz. Strangely Lohan doesn't get much of a look-in in any of the featurettes - preferring to leave most of the talking to her co-stars. Even so, if you loved Mean Girls the first time around, whip out the plastic - it's time to go shopping!
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