Screen scenes
By Daily Bruin Staff
April 28, 2004 9:00 p.m.
“Mean Girls”
Directed by Mark Waters
Paramount Pictures
“Mean Girls” is one of the funniest movies
you’re likely to see this year. Written by “Saturday
Night Live” head writer Tina Fey and based on the nonfiction
book “Queen Bees and Wannabees” by Rosalind Wiseman,
“Mean Girls” is smart, savvy and likely to make you
thank your lucky stars you’re not in high school anymore.
Because in case you didn’t know, girls can be really, really
cruel. The plot centers around Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan), a
16-year-old who moves to Chicago after spending 12 years with her
parents in the African outback. On the first day of school, she is
granted the honor of having lunch with the “Plastics,”
a relentless, ruthless group of popular girls ruled by Regina
George (Rachel McAdams). Cady decides to infiltrate the group and
bring it down from the inside, but things get complicated when she
falls for Regina’s ex-boyfriend, Aaron (Jonathan Bennett).
“Mean Girls” is not without its flaws. The script tends
to turn to cliches, and the third act falters noticeably. In one
fantasy sequence, all the high school students start brawling like
“West Side Story” rejects. But Fey’s script
manages to accurately convey the way teenagers talk. At one point,
an enthused Wannabe sincerely praises Regina for her two Fendi
purses and a silver Lexus. It’s a suburban story. Though it
is a teen movie, it is much more than the simple
boy-meets-girl-and-complications-ensue scenario favored by the
majority of films in the genre. The cast is surprisingly strong,
especially Lohan, who is growing into one of the most able
actresses in her age group. “Mean Girls” also enlists
the help of past and present “Saturday Night Live” cast
members, including Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer and Amy Poehler.
It’s certainly a comedy, but it also has a deeper message
about what is lost when girls continually try to cut each other
down. Cady eventually realizes, as all girls should, that you can
accomplish everything you want without sacrificing who you are. In
other words, you don’t have to be a mean girl to have a hot
boyfriend. -Johanna Davy
“Laws of Attraction”
Directed by Peter Howitt
New Line Cinema
Thankfully, Director Peter Howitt’s new movie, “Laws
of Attraction,” proves that relationships still exist beyond
the much-documented teeny-bopper stage of life. The movie’s
storyline is a throwback to the classic battle-of-the-sexes
productions personified by 1949’s “Adam’s
Rib.” In “Laws of Attraction,” Pierce Brosnan
plays an underhanded and rebel divorce lawyer, Daniel Rafferty, who
finally meets his match when he encounters the equally successful,
but straight-edged, Audrey Woods (Julianne Moore). Their skills and
theatrical antics, especially in Daniel’s case, are put to
the ultimate test when they represent opposing spouses in a
high-profile celebrity divorce case. Their courtroom rivalry, of
course unbeknownst to the very characters themselves, soon blossoms
into mutual attraction as they ironically play out a spousal feud
in the courtroom. Though the basic plot has been much recycled from
“Adam’s Rib” to “Intolerable
Cruelty,” there still exists a few fresh elements in
“Laws of Attraction.” In a work that could have easily
been turned into a big cheese-fest, the credible acting of Brosnan
and Moore contribute an aura of maturity not found in many films
following similar storylines. In another welcome change,
“Laws of Attraction” does attempt to ground itself in
reality by portraying a dysfunctional couple and not a
storybook-romance. Granted, not many of us can immediately relate
to high-class lawyers equipped with quick and witty banter.
Nevertheless, the movie does not insult a jaded audience and is not
a fairy tale in the sweeping-the-princess-off-her-feet kind of way.
Daniel’s actions and comments prove to be sardonic, and
sometimes even a bit harsh. At one point, he calls Audrey’s
reluctance to start a relationship the reaction of a scared little
girl. But he never drifts too far from the movie’s underlying
heartfelt sentiment. In true 007 style, you cannot help but find
his charm and personality appealing. No matter how ruthless his
actions are, they’re always genuine. Daniel is not one to put
up a false front, except for his clients. “Laws of
Attraction” manages to add a few new nuances to the hackneyed
romantic comedy, without using too many lawyer’s tricks.
-Laurie Lo
