close
close

Mean Girls: The story behind how Tina Fey modeled one of Regina George's meanest 'moves' after her own mother

0

    Rachel McAdams as Regina George in Girls Club – Be careful, they're mean!

Rachel McAdams as Regina George in Girls Club – Be careful, they're biting!

How do we describe Regina George in Girls Club – Be careful, they bite!? Played by Rachel McAdams in one of her best filmsRegina George is the queen bee of North Shore High, who fights back and forth, steals love, and always makes sure she has the upper hand. A really interesting fact about how the leader of the Plastics pulled off her meanest “moves” actually comes from the mother of the film's actress and screenwriter, Tina Fey.

Girls Club – Be careful, they bite! is not only a film that teachers can identify with in some ways it's about how teenagers think, but it's a comedy film that we can all relate to. We've all been there in high school, where we were either the quiet one, the nerd, or the mean one. Girls Club – Be careful, they bite! Star and screenwriter Tina Fey wrote this film based on her own experiences as a classic moment from the 2004 film when Regina tells George Cady she looks pretty, only to ask her, “So, do you agree?” After realizing it was a trap and a sneaky way of saying that she didn't think the 30 rocks Star was pretty, she knew she had to incorporate that real-life experience into her film.

The evil and cunning Regina George was not created out of thin air. Tina Fey actually took inspiration from her own mother when creating the character of North Shore High's Queen Bee, with a noble real-life moment that brought the character to life.

The premise of the scene from “Mean Girls!” invented by Regina George

As Regina George and Cady Heron are talking in the hallway, Regina sees another high school student walking past her in a plaid skirt. She compliments the girl on the skirt and asks her where she got it. After pointing out to Regina that it belonged to her mother in the 80s, the popular high school student says, “Vintage! So cute.” This made the vintage skirt wearer happy.

Just when you think Regina George is doing something nice for a classmate, she reveals a twist to Cady. She says what she really thinks about the outfit: “That was one of the ugliest skirts I've ever seen.” This reminds me of when Cady first met Regina and she complimented her on the bracelet she was wearing. The iconic moment we just witnessed here was the head of the Plastics school showing her true colors by saying something nice to another person's face, only to then reveal what she really thought to another person.

The inspiration behind Regina George

If you can believe it, the character of Regina George is based on a real person from Tina Fey's life. In an interview with Black film where the SNL When Alum was asked if the memorable character was based on anyone, she replied:

Regina is not. Regina is the most put-together. One of Regina's big moves in the movie is actually based on my mom. My mom has a habit, when she sees a woman with a really ugly hat or a sparkly sweatshirt, she'll say, 'I love your shirt,' and I'll say, 'Mom, that's really mean.' And she'll say, 'She obviously wanted someone to notice that shirt. She picked it out. There's a giant teddy bear on it.' That's the closest thing to a real inspiration for the movie.'

There you have it! The inspiration for Regina George came in real life from Tina Fey's own mother. I know, right? You only have to watch your own mother lie to a woman about how she loves her teddy bear shirt, only to then tell you the harsh truth. In real life, it might have seemed harsh to the woman. Baby Mommy actress, but it was “so sweet” to see it in her film.

Another source of inspiration for Rachel McAdams to play Regina George was the advice of Girls Club – Be careful, they bite! Director Mark Waters. In a 2014 New York Times Interview, The notebook The actress said Waters told her to listen to Courtney Love at full volume and watch Alec Baldwin play. funny supporting character from the movie Blake from the stage adaptation Glengarry, Glen Ross. These are truly powerful comparisons because you only have to hear Courtney Love scream, “One day you’re going to feel the same way I do,” and Blake verbally abuse the salespeople at his company to feel the power that comes with being at the top.

It looks like the character of Regina George is based on a number of inspirations such as Tina Fey's mother, Courtney Love's music and Alec Baldwin's character from Glengarry, Glen Ross. No wonder that this classic Girls Club – Be careful, they bite! character was a force to be reckoned with. You can watch the film that started it all on your Paramount+ subscription. Feys Film release 2024 The musical adaptation is currently in cinemas.