The new “Mean Girls” film, a musical rendition of the original movie from 2004 with songs from the Broadway adaption, became a box office hit after its release Jan. 12, making $12 million opening weekend.  

The movie revolves around female relationships and how people can change over time. As a female herself, sophomore Annie Nguyen said she resonated with how the movie depicts the way women interact with each other.

“I think female friendships are beautiful and healthier than in past years, as society has grown more accepting,” Nguyen said. “There is still a narrative that women often secretly hate each other and plot on each other’s downfall. However, I think ‘Mean Girls’ does a good job of making a mockery of this behavior, as it showcases that at the end of the day, women should focus on uplifting each other in a society that brings them down.”

While many people went to see the movie as fans of the original, many came as fans of the cast. The cast includes Renee Rapp, Angourie Rice, Auli’l Cravalho, Chris Briney and Tina Fey,who not only acted in the movie but also wrote the screenplay. 

“I was so excited to see Renee Rapp’s portrayal of Regina George,” Nguyen said. “I was sort of familiar with her music before knowing her part in this movie, and I was ecstatic to see her performance. I think she exceeded my expectations and then some. I was very much looking forward to the new diversity in recasting the original characters, such as Karen Shetty and Janis ‘Imi’ike, who I loved in the original and still adore in the remake.”

Although this movie has been a hit, there have been many complaints about the production design of the movie and how many songs from the Broadway adaptation were altered in the movie.

“As someone who studies fashion, I could be more opposed to some of the fashion choices,” freshman Anais Herrera said. “While some of it is accurate to today’s style, other choices were incredibly tacky. For the wardrobe to be so expensive yet be styled so tacky was super disappointing.”

As the movie comes with some hate, many wish they never remade the original and left it as is. But, many are happy with this adaption and prefer it over the 2004 version.

“I think there is a charm about the new and old ‘Mean Girls,’ but as of right now, I like the new variation,” Nguyen said. “Maybe it’s because I recently saw it, but I love the inclusivity. And unpopular opinion, but I think the newer soundtrack reflects how the characters in the original would sing better than the Broadway version.”

By Leah NgSaye