Mean Girls is a 2004 film directed by Mark Waters (Freaky Friday), written by (and co-starring) Tina Fey and stars Lindsay Lohan with Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried and Lacey Chabert and featured several Saturday Night Live cast members, including not only Tina Fey but also Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, and Amy Poehler. It has been praised as being Lindsay Lohan's true break-out role.

Director Mark Waters described the movie as "Clueless meets Heathers," the latter of which was written by his brother, Daniel Waters. Mean Girls is based on the non-fiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman, which describes how female high school social cliques operate, and the effect they can have on girls. Similar to its inspiration Clueless and Heathers, the film was a surprise sleeper hit, and generated much discussion upon its release on high school cliques and bullying, despite the film being a light-hearted approach to those subjects.

Raised in African bush country by her zoologist parents, Cady Heron thinks she knows about survival of the fittest. But the law of the jungle takes on a whole new meaning when the home-schooled 15-year-old enters public high school for the first time and encounters psychological warfare and unwritten social rules that teenage girls face today. Written by Sujit R. Varma

Africa-born Cady Heron thinks she knows the survival of the fittest, especially when she joins the Plastics, the alpha girl group at her new high school led by Regina. When Cady finds out about Regina's plans to just walk all over her, she decides to turn the entire school against Regina and throw her off the mighty throne. Cady soon discovers that she herself has become a mean girl. Written by Corey Semple (AdamSandlers8SexyNights)

Her parents being zoologists, Cady Heron has never known what "high school" truly meant. She lived her first 15 years in the African jungle, home-schooled, living life with only her parents and the animals of the wilderness, knowing all of the rules of survival. However, when she moves out of Africa, she has to learn the rules of high school, a jungle in itself. She instantly makes friends with two sweet teenagers, Damian and Janis, who, in the terms of the high school, were in the "out crowd." Soon she meets the Plastics, the three crude, beautiful, popular girls, consisting of Regina, the unofficial leader, Gretchen, Regina's full-time follower, and Karen, "one of the dumbest people you will ever meet." They immediately let her into their group, but Cady, wanting to keep her first friends, is unsure. The two convince Cady to keep her relationship with the Plastics, only so that they can know their dark secrets. However, events turn for the worse when Cady falls for Regina's ex-boyfriend, Aaron Samuels. When Regina finds out, she seeks revenge of Cady by taking Aaron back. When Cady finds out, what began as a game to discover secrets turns into a plan to destroy Regina. Now, Cady, Janis, and Damian plot together to bring Regina's status down. However, as Cady spends more time with the Plastics, she, too, begins to become one. Written by Michelle K. P.

After a sheltered, home-schooled childhood in Africa, Cady Heron must learn to survive the jungle of "Girl World" at a public high school in suburban Chicago after being accepted by the Plastics, the three most popular girls in the junior class. Written by WillCNixonJR

Cady Heron (moves to a new home from the bush country of Africa. She goes to a new school where she meets Janis and Damian, her new friends who warn her to stay away from the Plastics, the A-list, popular, crude, and beautiful clique headed by Regina George with Gretchen and Karen. When Cady sees Aaron Samuels , she falls in love. When Regina discovers this, she seeks revenge by taking and dangling Aaron in front of Cady. Now Cady, Janis, and Damian plot to bring Regina's status down. However, as Cady continues to spend more time with the Plastics, she begins to become one of them. Written by Max Alexander

Raised in the African bush country by her zoologist parents, Cady Heron thinks she knows all about the "survival of the fittest". But the law of the jungle takes on a whole new meaning when the home-schooled 15-year old enters public high school for the first time. Trying to find her place between jocks, mathletes, and other subcultures, Cady crosses paths with the meanest species of all - the Queen Bee, aka the cool and calculating Regina George, leader of the school's most fashionable clique, the Plastics. When Cady falls for Regina's ex-boyfriend Aaron Samuels, though, the Queen Bee is stung - and she schemes to destroy Cady's social future. Cady's own claws soon come out as she leaps into a hilarious "Girl World" war that has the whole school running for cover. Written by Chris Hunter