Lohan and McAdams swapped initial roles; Franco and Cuthbert considered
In the discussion (7)
- Lohan and McAdams originally auditioned for the opposite roles
- Lohan wanted Regina; the director insisted she was the heroine
- McAdams is judged too knowing to make the homeschooled Cady work
- James Franco is reported as an Aaron Samuels possibility
- Franco would add a darker presence that might shift focus away from the girls
- Elisha Cuthbert is reported to have lost Regina
- The panel prefers the cast as it is
October 3, script changes and production details
In the discussion (13)
- October 3 is discussed as fan-observed Mean Girls Day
- Homeschooled is reported as the original title
- Fey pitched relational aggression and Michaels also wanted aspirational cars and clothes
- The North Shore setting connects wealth with popularity
- Sexual dialogue was softened to reach PG-13
- Tim Meadows’s broken hand was incorporated as carpal tunnel
- Poehler is reported to be only seven years older than McAdams
- Seyfried recalls Chabert welcoming her and listening to Dido together
- An alleged deleted explicit scene is read and doubted as tonally implausible
- A sausage piece reportedly motivated the Chihuahua gag
- The Broadway musical is praised secondhand
- The direct-to-video sequel and Lohan’s later sequel pitches are discussed
- The hosts speculate over whether McAdams or Poehler would be hardest to schedule
The nutrition-bar deception and the tidy ending
In the discussion (9)
- Would image-conscious Regina really misunderstand the bars while gaining weight?
- The panel acknowledges the film tries to depict nutritional ignorance but still doubts it
- Why would Cady win the dance crown after the Burn Book scandal?
- The outcome is defended as an anti-Regina vote
- Kevin G and Janis ending up together seems arbitrary
- The Norbury/principal pairing is called too neat and professionally awkward
- Cady’s closing speech feels like a different, moralizing film
- The crosswalk and speeding school bus are questioned
- The crown breaks too easily
Regina’s college lacrosse future and Cady/Aaron’s breakup
In the discussion (5)
- Would Regina become an All-American college lacrosse player?
- Williams, Duke and Northwestern are proposed as destinations
- The ending redirects her aggression into competitive sport
- Would Cady and Aaron break up at Halloween or Thanksgiving?
- The imagined timeline is a Halloween fight followed by a Thanksgiving breakup
Casting What-Ifs