Mean Girls 2

Last updated
Mean Girls 2
Mean Girls 2 DVD Cover.png
Official DVD cover
Genre Teen comedy
Based on Mean Girls
by Tina Fey
Written by
Directed by Melanie Mayron
Starring
Music by Transcenders
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerGeorge Engel
CinematographyLevie Isaacks
EditorMichael Jablow
Running time97 minutes
Production company
Original release
Network ABC Family
ReleaseJanuary 23, 2011 (2011-01-23)
Related
Mean Girls

Mean Girls 2 is a 2011 American teen comedy directed by Melanie Mayron and written by Cliff Ruby, Elana Lesser, and Allison Schroeder. It is a standalone sequel to the 2004 film Mean Girls.

Contents

The film stars Meaghan Martin, Maiara Walsh, Jennifer Stone, Nicole Gale Anderson, Claire Holt, Diego Boneta, and Linden Ashby. Tim Meadows reprises his role as the principal Ron Duvall. [1] [2]

It premiered on January 23, 2011 on ABC Family, and was released on DVD on February 1 by Paramount Home Entertainment. It was the last film produced by Paramount Famous Productions, a direct-to-video entertainment division of Paramount Pictures.

Plot

Jo Mitchell attends North Shore High School in Ohio, hoping to attend Carnegie Mellon, her late mother's alma mater. On her first day, she encounters a clique called "The Plastics", composed of leader Mandi Weatherly, ditzy Chastity Meyer, and hypochondriac Hope Plotkin. Jo befriends Mandi's rival Abby Hanover and they become embroiled in a prank war.

Jo's father is a mechanic who rebuilds engines for NASCAR. As a result, she is a good mechanic and takes an advanced shop class, where she develops a crush on a boy named Tyler.

Jo gives Abby a ride home on her Vespa. She meets Abby's father, a successful entrepreneur , who offers to pay Jo's college tuition in exchange for friendship with Abby. Jo reluctantly accepts, motivated by her desire to attend Carnegie Mellon. Jo, Tyler and Abby become close friends.

Tyler takes Jo on a date, borrowing Mandi's boyfriend Nick's convertible. Unbeknownst to them the car is bugged, which Mandi uses to humiliate her. Then Jo learns that Tyler is Mandi's stepbrother. Mandi escalates the prank war, first trying to sabotage her chances to get into Carnegie Mellon, then using artificial sweetener and coffee to ruin one of Jo's father's engines.

Jo confronts Mandi about going too far, but she is only focused on her narrow goal of being on top. So, when Jo and Abby realize she is about to throw her birthday party, Jo throws a rival party for Abby; Abby's party is "all invited", where Mandi's is "invite only".

The Plastics, seeing no one at Mandi's but hearing music at Abby's, puts ipecac on their pizza. Jo sees Hope paying for the pizza and notices it smells funny, so she stashes it away. The Plastics are disappointed to see that no one at Abby's party is sick. Mandi's boyfriend Nick comments on the lack of food, so Jo gives him the contaminated pizza; After Mandi kisses him, he vomits on her.

Jo, Abby, and Quinn, who had been helping them, start a new clique called the "Anti-Plastics" and play a series of pranks on Chastity and Hope. Jo campaigns against Mandi for Homecoming Queen, threatening Jo's relationship with Tyler as she's becoming like her nemesis.

Jo realizes what she's been doing is wrong, so Jo tries to return the money to Abby's father. Mandi overhears and gets Quinn to turn against her and write about the bribe in the school paper.

Mandi and Nick steal the homecoming court charity money, which is to be donated to an animal shelter. She plants it in Jo's shed, then tips off Principal Duvall. Jo is expelled, but not before she finds Mandi and challenges her to a game of flag football. She refuses until she realizes she must win to remain popular.

Once Tyler and Quinn realize Jo was likely framed, they and Abby enlist the tech-savvy Elliott to prove Jo's innocence. The Anti-Plastics beat the Plastics at flag football. Elliott finds images of Mandi and Nick planting the money and texts them to the student body; They are arrested, and Principal Duvall apologizes to Jo. At the Homecoming Dance, Abby and Elliott are crowned King and Queen, and Jo and Tyler kiss.

Jo and Abby attend Carnegie Mellon together while Tyler attends Penn State. Quinn takes over as leader of the Plastics. Mandi and Nick serve community service and are allowed to graduate, but lose their popularity.

Cast

Production

Mean Girls 2 was announced in 2008 as one of multiple sequel projects planned by Paramount Famous. [3] In June 2010, Melanie Mayron was hired to direct the film. [4] The film does not reference the events of the original, except for the inclusion of Principal Duvall and the "Plastics" clique as the main antagonists.

The film was shot in July 2010 over the course of 20 days at Sutton Middle School in Atlanta, Georgia. [5] [6]

Promotion and release

The official trailer of the film was released on November 22, 2010. [7] It premiered on ABC Family as a Mean Girls: Double Feature on January 23, 2011, with the 2004 film. [8] [2]

Reception

Mean Girls 2 received negative reviews from critics. Hilary Busis of Entertainment Weekly called it a "thinly veiled, low-budget remake of the 2004 hit with which it shares a name". [9]

Brian Orndorf gave the film a D+ grade and wrote that "Whatever problems I had with the 2004 feature aren't even an issue here, as the new film offers a decidedly more pedestrian take on the clique warfare concept, trading Fey's sly ambition for cruel DTV routine." [10]

Sandie Angulo Chen of Common Sense Media gave the film 3 out of 5, writing: "Mildly amusing sequel follows same 'be yourself' storyline." [11]

However, the film was TV's most-watched movie of the 2010-2011 season among viewers aged 12–34, and was especially popular with girls and women aged 12–34 (according to Variety (magazine)). On its original air date, Mean Girls 2 "was cable’s most-watched program from 8 to 10 p.m. in all key demos and No. 2 in overall viewers (3.4 million)". [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>Heathers</i> 1989 American comedy film by Michael Lehmann

Heathers is a 1988 American teen black comedy film written by Daniel Waters and directed by Michael Lehmann, in both of their respective film debuts. The film stars Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, Kim Walker, and Penelope Milford. Its plot portrays four teenage girls—three of whom are named Heather—in a clique at an Ohio high school, one of whose lives is disrupted by the arrival of a misanthrope intent on murdering the popular students and staging their deaths as suicides.

<i>Flashdance</i> 1983 American romantic drama film by Adrian Lyne

Flashdance is a 1983 American romantic drama dance film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Jennifer Beals as a passionate young dancer Alex who aspires to become a professional ballerina, alongside Michael Nouri playing her boyfriend and the owner of the steel mill where she works by day in Pittsburgh. It was the first collaboration of producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, and the presentation of some sequences in the style of music videos was an influence on other 1980s films including Footloose, Purple Rain, and Top Gun, Simpson and Bruckheimer's most famous production. It was also one of Lyne's first major film releases, building on television commercials. Alex's elaborate dance sequences were shot using body doubles.

<i>Jawbreaker</i> (film) 1999 film by Darren Stein

Jawbreaker is a 1999 American teen black comedy crime film written and directed by Darren Stein. The film stars Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, and Julie Benz as girls in an exclusive clique in their high school. Charlotte Ayanna has a non-speaking cameo role as the murdered fourth member of the group. The film was inspired by the 1988 film Heathers, and is often compared to it, particularly the plot involving a popular female clique, the use of bright pastels, and the ostensibly accidental killing of one of its members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kali Rocha</span> American actress (born 1971)

Kali Rocha is an American actress. She is known for portraying Karen Rooney, the mother of four Rooney children and school's vice principal, in the Disney Channel sitcom Liv and Maddie. She has also co-written four episodes of the show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosalind Wiseman</span> American writer

Rosalind Wiseman is an American author and public speaker. She is best known for her 2002 self-help book Queen Bees and Wannabes, which was the basis for the 2004 film Mean Girls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cady Heron</span> Fictional character

Cady Heron is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the 2004 film Mean Girls and its musical counterpart. She is portrayed by Lindsay Lohan in the original 2004 film, Erika Henningsen in its Broadway musical version and by Angourie Rice in its 2024 musical film.

<i>Mean Girls</i> 2004 film by Mark Waters

Mean Girls is a 2004 American teen comedy film directed by Mark Waters and written by Tina Fey. It stars Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler and Fey. The film follows Cady Heron (Lohan), a naïve teenager who transfers to an American high school after years of homeschooling in Africa. Heron quickly befriends two outcasts, with the trio forming a plan to exact revenge on Regina George (McAdams), the leader of an envied clique known as the Plastics.

A queen bee is a woman who dominates or leads a group, is in a favoured position or behaves as such. The term has been applied in several social settings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meaghan Martin</span> American actress and singer (born 1992)

Meaghan Jette Martin is an American actress and singer best known for her work in film, television, and theatre. She is best known for her starring role in the ABC Family television series, 10 Things I Hate About You as Bianca Stratford. She is also well known for her role as Tess Tyler in the Disney Channel television films Camp Rock and its sequel Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. She has also had guest starring roles in House and Jessie, and played the recurring role of Julie #2 in multiple seasons of MTV's television series Awkward. Martin also starred as Jo Mitchell in Mean Girls 2. Martin is also known for lending her voice for Naminé in the video game series Kingdom Hearts as well as voicing and motion-capturing Jessica from the video game Until Dawn. In 2019, Martin made her professional London stage debut in The Actor's Nightmare at the Park Theatre in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramount Famous Productions</span> Made-for-home entertainment division of Paramount Pictures

Paramount Famous Productions, Inc. was a made-for-home entertainment division of Paramount Pictures. It primarily developed home entertainment sequels to films from Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, and other Paramount-related properties. The company's name also revived the Famous moniker previously used by the Paramount-owned Famous Studios.

<i>Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam</i> American 2010 teen comedy television film

Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam is a 2010 American musical television film directed by Paul Hoen from a screenplay by Regina Hicks, Karin Gist, and Dan Berendsen. The 80th Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), the film is the sequel to Camp Rock (2008) and stars Demi Lovato, The Jonas Brothers, Maria Canals-Barrera, Meaghan Martin, and Alyson Stoner. In the film, Camp Star, an upstart rival summer music camp, makes Camp Rock's existence uncertain.

<i>The Secrets of Love</i>

The Secrets of Love is an adaptation of Jane Austen's 1811 novel Sense and Sensibility. It was written by Rosie Rushton and published by Piccadilly Press Ltd. in 2005. The book had a total of 176 pages and was published as a young adult book. The book is a 21st century adaption of Jane Austen's famous work, Sense and Sensibility.

Vitamin D (<i>Glee</i>) 6th episode of the 1st season of Glee

"Vitamin D" is the sixth episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on October 7, 2009. It was written by series creator Ryan Murphy and directed by Elodie Keene. In the episode, glee club director Will Schuester pits the male and female club members against each other for a mash-up competition. Will's wife Terri takes a job as the school nurse to stop him becoming closer to guidance counsellor Emma Pillsbury, and starts giving the students performance-enhancing pseudoephedrine tablets.

Dance Moms is an American reality television series that premiered on Lifetime on July 13, 2011. Created by Collins Avenue Productions, the show followed the training and careers of children in dance and show business under the tutelage of Abby Lee Miller, as well as the relationships between Miller, the dancers, and their mothers. Set originally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and later in Los Angeles, California, the show was primarily filmed at the Abby Lee Dance Company (ALDC) studios. The show followed the girls on the ALDC Junior Elite Competition Team as they learn their dances and then compete with them at dance competitions all across the country.

<i>G.B.F.</i> (film) 2013 American teen comedy film

G.B.F. is a 2013 American teen comedy film directed by Darren Stein and produced by School Pictures, Parting Shots Media, and Logolite Entertainment. The film had its first official screening at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival in April 2013 and was released theatrically on January 17, 2014, by Vertical Entertainment. G.B.F. focuses on closeted gay high school students Tanner and Brent. When Tanner is outed, he is picked up by the cool girls and he begins to surpass still-closeted Brent in popularity.

<i>The Outcasts</i> (2017 film) 2017 American teen comedy film

The Outcasts is a 2017 American teen comedy film directed by Peter Hutchings. The film features an ensemble cast, starring Victoria Justice, Eden Sher, Ashley Rickards, Claudia Lee and Katie Chang. The plot follows a group of misfit teenagers who band together to overthrow the popular clique at their high school. Originally titled The Outskirts, filming took place between July and August 2014. The film was released in limited theaters and through video-on-demand on April 14, 2017, by Swen Releasing and Red Granite International.

<i>Mean Girls</i> (musical) Musical by Jeff Richmond, Nell Benjamin and Tina Fey

Mean Girls is a musical with a book by Tina Fey, lyrics by Nell Benjamin, and music by Jeff Richmond. It is based on the 2004 Mark Waters film of the same name, which was also written by Fey and was in-turn inspired by Rosalind Wiseman's 2002 book Queen Bees and Wannabes. The musical focuses on Cady Heron, a teenage girl who transfers to a public high school after being homeschooled her whole life in Africa. At school, she befriends outsiders Janis Sarkasian and Damian Hubbard who persuade her to infiltrate the "Plastics", a clique consisting of wealthy but insecure Gretchen Wieners, sweet but dimwitted Karen Smith, and "queen bee" Regina George.

Abby Quinn is an American actress. She is known for her role in the 2023 M. Night Shyamalan horror film Knock at the Cabin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wendy Torrance</span> Fictional character

Winnifred "Wendy" Torrance is a fictional character and protagonist of the 1977 horror novel The Shining by the American writer Stephen King. She also appears in the prologue of Doctor Sleep, a 2013 sequel to The Shining.

<i>Mean Girls</i> (2024 film) Film by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr.

Mean Girls is a 2024 American teen musical comedy film directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. from a screenplay by Tina Fey. It is based on the stage musical of the same name, which in turn was inspired by the 2004 film of the same name, both written by Fey, and based on the 2002 book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman. It stars Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, Auliʻi Cravalho, and Christopher Briney. Fey and Tim Meadows reprise their roles from the original film.

References

  1. Love, Ryan (June 11, 2010). "'Mean Girls' sequel confirmed". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2010.
  2. 1 2 "It's a Mean Girls Double Feature Event on ABC Family!". Facebook. January 4, 2011. Archived from the original on September 22, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  3. Finke, Nikki (August 20, 2008). "Paramount Famous Productions Beefs Up". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on May 20, 2014. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  4. Sciretta, Peter (June 10, 2010). "Mean Girls 2 Greenlit, Plot Details and Director Revealed". Slash Film. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  5. "Mean Girls 2 Filming at Sutton Middle School". Chastain Park Blog. July 20, 2010. Archived from the original on August 20, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  6. Meaghan Martin: Mean Girls 2 Interview, archived from the original on 2020-06-09, retrieved 2019-12-20
  7. Flores, Ramses (November 22, 2010). "First Trailer and Poster for Mean Girls 2". Collider . Archived from the original on October 10, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  8. Lyons, Margaret (December 6, 2010). "'Mean Girls 2' to debut on ABC Family". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  9. Busis, Hillary (January 24, 2011). "'Mean Girls 2': When is a sequel not a sequel?". Entertainment Weekly .
  10. Brian Orndorf (Jan 30, 2011). "DVD Review - Mean Girls 2". BRIANORNDORF.COM. Archived from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  11. Sandie Angulo Chen (21 January 2011). "Mean Girls 2 - Movie Review". Common Sense Media . Archived from the original on 15 June 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  12. Weisman, Jon (January 25, 2011). "Viewers nice to 'Mean Girls 2,' making it top 2010-11 movie in 12-34 demo". Variety. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021.