The DailyDyl

I can’t recall the initial moment I saw the 2004 film “Mean Girls,” but it has since become one of my favorite movies. Discovering it was adapted into a Broadway musical took me by surprise.

Luckily for me, my mom was able to score second-row seats for the Broadway show. That was also my first Broadway show. I thought the show was amazing. It was interesting seeing all the iconic scenes from the 2004 film recreated into a musical form.

In 2020, Tina Fey who wrote the original film announced that a film version of the stage version was in active development. Originally, the film was going to be an exclusive on Paramount+. Which I was not too surprised about. I was thrilled when they decided to release it in theaters instead, as I was eagerly anticipating it. If I had to rank all the different versions of “Mean Girls”—excluding the 2011 TV movie “Mean Girls 2″—this adaptation would come in third. Despite this, I found it incredibly enjoyable. However, I do have some suggestions that could have significantly enhanced it, as well as thoughts on aspects that worked really well

“It Roars,” is an energetic and powerful number that introduces the audience to Cady Heron. However, in the movie adaptation, this is replaced by “What Ifs,” a slower-paced song that, in my opinion, doesn’t work as well. It’s not that a slower song couldn’t fit in this spot; rather, “What Ifs” doesn’t seem right, from its lyrics to its sound.

One of the most memorable scenes of the 2004 movie is when Damien and Janis show Cady the lunchroom and point out all the cliques the school has. In the stage version, there is an entire song naming the cliques called “Where do you Belong” which transitions straight into the song “Meet the Plastics.” However, the 2024 movie cuts “Where Do You Belong” completely and shortens “Meet the Plastics” to just Regina’s part which is great, however, is it really meeting the Plastics if we don’t get to hear Gretchen and Karen sing their parts? In the stage version, each member of the Plastics sings a part of the song, which then harmoniously blends together before they invite Cady to sit with them for the week. Despite my criticisms, I think Reneé Rapp delivered an outstanding performance in Regina’s segment of the song.

The song “Stupid with Love” wasn’t bad, but it didn’t match the quality of the original. Additionally, its reprise was shifted to a later part of the story. A notable change in this song is that, unlike the original where Aaron doesn’t sing in the reprise, both he and Cady share the singing parts in the adaptation. The character of Aaron in the movie does not sing at all. (the actor Christopher Briney is not a singer) So my question is why would they cast someone for a musical who can’t sing? Especially the main love interest. Due to this change the song “More is Better” is cut. The song is performed during the house party in the latter half of the story. Although it’s not my favorite, having Aaron as a singing character would have been preferable, especially since the song is a duet between Cady and Aaron.

The song “Apex Predator” is one of my favorites from the musical. A duet between Cady and Janis, talking about how Regina is dangerous using the animal kingdom as an analogy. However, in the movie, it becomes a duet between Damien and Janis. I do believe both Jaquel Spivey and Auliʻi Cravalho do an amazing job during this song. However, I do think character and story-wise it should have stayed a duet between Cady and Janis; Since the animal kingdom comparisons are an important part of Cady’s character in every version of Mean Girls. 

Gretchen’s solo song “What’s Wrong with Me” was unfortunately shortened. So audiences were unable to truly hear Bebe Wood’s voice. I believe she has a beautiful one and should have been allowed to shine. 

Karen’s solo song “Sexy” was amazing. Avantika Vandanapu truly encapsulates Karen’s character. I like how the film uses social media in some of the scenes for songs, something the stage musical wouldn’t have been able to pull off as seamlessly as the film did. 

“Someone Gets Hurt” was originally a song including Regina, Aaron, and the Male Ensemble. The Movie changes it to a solo song for Regina. The song also gives a more chilling and daunting vibe to it, which works perfectly for the scene. 

Most of “Revenge Party” was great. I do think they should have changed the angle when Cady sings her part of the song when she gets mad at Regina for playing with Aaron’s hair. I’m not sure why a close-up angle was chosen for it. The song “Fearless” that would have followed this song is cut from the movie which in the stage version closes out the first act of the show. 

In the stage version, Damian gets a lead song called “Stop” where he and other characters warn Cady that she should stop acting dumb to talk with Aaron. This was cut in the film. Three more songs were cut “What’s Wrong With Me? (Reprise)” which includes both Gretchen and Regina’s mom, “Whose House Is This?” which is an ensemble song during Cady’s house party, and mentioned previously “More is Better.” I understand why songs need to be cut, time, budget, and pacing are all important factors. While I do like all these songs I can live without them being in the movie. 

“Someone Gets Hurt (Reprise)” is not included on the movie’s official soundtrack. It was luckily included in the film as it is a vital point in the story. As Cady is confronted by Janis who tells her that she is not pretending to be plastic she is as plastic as they come. At the same time, Regina finds out the truth about the Kälteen bars. 

Next up is “World Burn,” my favorite song from the musical. In this powerful number, Regina schemes her revenge with the declaration, “Cady may have won the battle, but I will win the war.” This line underscores her resilience and cunning, indicating that despite a dip in her popularity, she still wields considerable influence. Mirroring the original storyline, Regina ingeniously includes herself in the Burn Book and then exposes it to the entire school.

Following the chaos ignited by the Burn Book, leading to widespread conflict among the girls, they are required to attend an assembly to apologize to those they have wronged. During this assembly, Regina’s remarks prompt Janis to discard her prepared apology note and instead perform “I’d Rather Be Me,” a song excellently delivered by Auliʻi Cravalho. Near the conclusion of this performance, Regina is struck by a bus, sparking rumors that Cady was responsible for the incident.

Cady eventually comes forward to being the one who started the rumor regarding Ms. Norbury(Tina Fey) being a drug pusher. She gets suspended for this. Upon her return to school, she’s asked by Ms. Norbury if she’s going to the dance, which she is surprisingly not banned from attending. Initially, Cady declines participation because she feels disliked by many, but eventually, she is persuaded to join the Mathletes competition. In the stage version, this moment is highlighted by the song “Do This Thing,” which is omitted in the movie adaptation, making the sequence more reminiscent of the original film’s portrayal. Notably, Lindsay Lohan makes a cameo as the competition’s host. After the North Shore Mathletes’ victory, they arrive at the dance just in time for the Spring Fling Queen and King announcement. Cady, winning Queen, realizes the fragility of the crown and, in a gesture of unity, begins to share pieces of it while singing “I See Stars,” a song that also concludes the stage version.

Overall the film was enjoyable and had some good changes and some changes I was not a fan of. If you could pick a film you liked and make it into a musical what film would it be?