Disciplines
Technical and Professional Writing
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Screenplay Analysis: An Evaluation of Strategy of Mean Girls
Author: Zora Evans
This presentation explores the hardships and drama-filled journey of adjusting to high school. Protagonist Cady Heron has just moved all the way from Africa to the United States in the 2004 comedy film Mean Girls. Heron’s main objective in the film is to adjust to public school, find a group of friends, and fit in. Tina Fey writes this script in a very precise and unique way. This study addresses how Tina Fey’s script creates side characters that are more memorable and active than the protagonist while keeping the interest of the audience. Fey’s writing styles and strategies actively help to push the film forward through everyone except Cady Heron. The popular girls, also known as “The Plastics,” and Cady’s friends Janis and Damian push the storyline along for the main character, which makes the storyline unique and grasps the audience’s attention. Fey uses many of the supporting characters to build the protagonist’s conflict, journey, and resolution, which is an incredibly unique strategy. Most successful movies have a very active protagonist making choices that push the story forward, but Tina Fey’s Mean Girls breaks the mold and introduces a new way of screenwriting.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - English
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Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Anna Weinstein
Presentation Video Mean Girls. Evans, Zora
Included in
Screenplay Analysis Mean Girls
Screenplay Analysis: An Evaluation of Strategy of Mean Girls
Author: Zora Evans
This presentation explores the hardships and drama-filled journey of adjusting to high school. Protagonist Cady Heron has just moved all the way from Africa to the United States in the 2004 comedy film Mean Girls. Heron’s main objective in the film is to adjust to public school, find a group of friends, and fit in. Tina Fey writes this script in a very precise and unique way. This study addresses how Tina Fey’s script creates side characters that are more memorable and active than the protagonist while keeping the interest of the audience. Fey’s writing styles and strategies actively help to push the film forward through everyone except Cady Heron. The popular girls, also known as “The Plastics,” and Cady’s friends Janis and Damian push the storyline along for the main character, which makes the storyline unique and grasps the audience’s attention. Fey uses many of the supporting characters to build the protagonist’s conflict, journey, and resolution, which is an incredibly unique strategy. Most successful movies have a very active protagonist making choices that push the story forward, but Tina Fey’s Mean Girls breaks the mold and introduces a new way of screenwriting.