Movie Small Group Discussion Questions
Mean Girls
Movie Summary: 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 16-year-old enters public high school for the
first time and encounters psychological warfare and unwritten social rules that teenage
girls face today.
Discussion Questions:
Prior to meeting in your small groups, select a couple questions from the list below to
discuss with your group.
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What did you think of Mean Girls? Does it reflect your own experience of being a teenager?
What do you think of Cady? Do you think she is a likeable character? Why/why not?
What do you think this film has to say about teen culture?
How would you describe the atmosphere in the high school?
Why are the Plastics so concerned with their appearance? Why do you think our modern society is so
obsessed with appearance and image?
How does Mean Girls portray those who aren't part of the popular crowd at school? What do you think
the film has to say about such people?
Why do Regina and her cronies treat the other high school pupils so badly? What do you think that
says about their own characters?
Why do the Plastics offer Cady their friendship?
Why does Cady start to act like the Plastics? How much of an influence do you think our friends and
culture are on the way that we behave?
What role does jealousy play in this film? Why do we get jealous of other people?
What has Cady learnt by the end of the film? How does she change as the film progresses?
'Calling somebody else fat won't make you any skinnier. Calling someone stupid doesn't make you any
smarter. And ruining Regina George's life definitely didn't make me any happier. All you can do in life is
try to solve the problem in front of you.' Why does Cady say this? How true do you think this is as a
reflection on life in general?
Why do the Plastics and the other girls in high school crave popularity? Why do we as humans seek to
be popular and be accepted by those around us?
What did you think of the burn book? How far can you identify with this dislike of others in your own
heart?
What role does forgiveness play at the end of this film? What is the effect of the public apologies that
are made? Why was forgiveness so necessary in their situation? How ready are you to forgive others
who hurt you? Do you feel that there are things you have done and said to others that mean you need
forgiveness?