Tag: mark waters

It’s October 3rd. “Mean Girls” (2004)

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directed by Mark Waters
© 2004 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Such date deserves only one film recommendation – “Mean Girls”. If you haven’t seen it and you’re an adult, you may probably feel discouraged because it says it’s a teen comedy and on the poster there are teenagers wearing way too much pink. However, let me change your mind and show you that this film is actually more universal than it seems. We get to know Cady (Lindsay Lohan), a 16-year-old girl who’s been homeschooled as she was living with her parents in Africa. Recently, they’ve moved back to the US and the girl starts going to a state school, where the new reality hits hard. Cady is having troubles understanding her new environment, but luckily she makes two friends – Janis and Damian (Lizzy Caplan & Daniel Franzese), who are trying to help her find her own way. Unfortunately, Cady is spotted by the Plastics – three popular girls who wish to have a fourth pink-wearing lady in their little group. Since Janis doesn’t like the Plastics, she encourages Cady to “join” them and that way they could make fun of their leader, Regina (Rachel McAdams). And that’s when Cady gets lost – she no longer knows whom to follow and, most importantly, who she really is. On the one hand she is a very smart person with her own values, on the other hand she wants to be liked, approved by the popular girls and also catch the attention of her school crush. You may think – ah, classic teen drama. Not really. It was actually written by Tina Fey (who also plays the role of Cady’s Maths teacher) and she made sure not only to make it hilarious (I swear, this film is full of wonderful puns and pleasant sarcasm that I personally adore), but also it kind of shows the teenage life from a perspective of an adult. Obviously, the main character is a 16-year-old girl, but you may feel that the story is being told by someone who’s been there and done that. I love how they presented school as a real traumatic jungle – because let’s face it, that’s what this place is. At the beginning Cady says that she feels strange in a place where adults don’t trust her. One sentence that says it all about our schooling systems. And not only young people don’t get enough quality support from adults, but they need to constantly prove their worth in front of everyone. Hanging out with people they don’t like just to stay popular, pretending to be someone else to impress their crushes, forgetting about their own values just to fit in and so on. That’s a lot for a teenager. And besides being a really enjoyable comedy with probably best screenplay of such kind, it’s a film that should be seen also by adults, teachers, parents – because maybe then we would understand teenagers a bit better. And if you’re a teenager, stay strong buddy! Remember, being yourself is so fetch!

My rating: 7/10
S.

It’s time for me to disappear in a puff of smoke. “Magic Camp” (2020)

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directed by Mark Waters
© 2020 Disney+. All Rights Reserved.

Not that long time ago I started my little adventure with Disney+ and except feeling constant nostalgia watching old animations, I sometimes end up watching some random productions there. One day, I spotted “Magic Camp” and I guess I was having a rather overwhelming day because I thought that’s a film I could stand that day. It had the word “magic” in the title and Adam DeVine in the cast, which immediately put me in a good mood. So, Adam plays Andy – a young adult who’s a talented magician, but whose career path has switched a little bit. He gets an invitation to become a counsellor during the upcoming magic camp for children. There, Andy meets his huge rival and crush (oh, what a coincidence), Kristina (Gillian Jacobs), who, unlike Andy, has succeeded as a magic performer. Anyway, they are not there to fight or… do other things, they are there to teach and train little magicians, one of whom is Theo (Nathaniel McIntyre), a very motivated boy coping with a recent life tragedy. Maybe it all sounds a bit complex and dramatic, but in fact it isn’t that much. It’s actually a very relaxing comedy, which may bring you some magic to your life. Personally, when I was little, I was a huge fan of magic and magic-like things. It was my dream to become a powerful magician who could fly, do magic tricks and hide under a cloak of invisibility. Then reality hit me and I realised that the biggest magic of our time is paying bills and having a full fridge. However, getting back to this world of magic was really pleasant for me and I honestly had fun watching the film. I recommend you to see it no matter how old you are and if you have children – then definitely organise a family movie night with them. Perhaps I’m wrong, but I feel like we’ve forgotten about magic in films. We do have a lot of fantasy and sci-fi productions, but where’s magic? Did it finish together with Harry Potter series? I hope not, because I believe that with the use of magic, even this abstract concept of it, we may learn a lot and teach the youngest about important values. So remember to check this film out and get back to the world of magic for a short moment.

My rating: 6/10
S.

Darling, could you like chill for a sec? “Freaky Friday” (2003)

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directed by Mark Waters
© 2003 Buena Vista Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

I’m aware of the fact it’s Monday today, but this film, despite having Friday in its title, is perfect for every evening of the week. I can’t even count how many times I’ve seen it because it’s one of my guilty pleasure productions and whenever I’m feeling blue, “Freaky Friday” is there to cheer me up. It’s about a mother-daughter relationship, which often gets quite emotional. Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) is a mother and a widow who’s soon about to marry Ryan (Mark Harmon), her new partner. The woman is a respected and highly qualified therapist and, even though she’s helped many people, it seems like she cannot really manage the relationship between her and Anna, her daughter. Anna (Lindsay Lohan) is a teenage rebel who spends way too much time in detention or in the garage playing music with her band. One day, they all go for a family dinner to a Chinese restaurant and the two ladies have an argument there. The owner’s mother decides to step in and gives Tess and Anna cookies with the same fortune. They don’t take it anyhow seriously until the next morning when they wake up… in different bodies. From now on Anna is trapped in Tess’ body and the other way round. And to make it even more complicated, this day Anna has an important audition with her band and Tess has her wedding rehearsal. They are both horribly panicked, but they need to learn how to cooperate and communicate not to screw everything up. First, I’m a huge fan of Jamie Lee Curtis, so seeing her acting like a rebellious high-schooler is just priceless. But let’s not forget about Lindsay Lohan who, in my opinion, shines bright in this role as well. I honestly believed both ladies that they are not themselves, which is difficult for actors to achieve, especially since it’s an abstract situation. Second, it’s a really good comedy, with jokes that don’t make you close your eyes and take a deep breath thinking “oh come on” – and that’s quite common for comedies, let’s face it. Third, I love how they managed to present the importance of quality communication between a parent and a child in such pleasant and non-dramatic way. I’m always seriously moved when the ladies finally compromise and have an honest conversation (don’t take it as a spoiler, we all know how such films end). And let’s not forget about Pink Slip, Anna’s band, and their absolute hit “Take Me Away” that they play during the audition. I mean, if you’re a millennial, there’s no way you don’t shake your head hearing it. So to sum up, if Monday is treating you badly, or if any day of the week treats you badly, remember that “Freaky Friday” is here to give you a big cinematographic hug. Besides, who wouldn’t like to see Chad Michael Murray belting out “Baby One More Time” completely out of tune? Don’t look at me, I’m totally in.

My rating: 8/10
S.