Iconic comedy fans call 'most quotable movie' to air TV this weekend

The iconic high school comedy Mean Girls, penned by Tina Fey, changed the Wednesday dress code 20 years ago and it's set to grace our television screens this weekend.

E4 will be airing the cult classic this Sunday (November 24), renowned for its sharp humour and clever script. The plot follows Cady Heron, an African transfer student, as she navigates the intricate social ladder of her new American school.

As she learns to adapt to her new environment, she finds herself caught in a longstanding feud between the notorious 'mean girls' and two well-intentioned misfits.

The film features Lindsay Lohan as the endearingly clumsy protagonist, with Rachel McAdams (as Regina George), Amanda Seyfried (as Karen Smith), Amy Poehler (as Mrs. June George) and writer Tina Fey as Mrs. Norbury rounding out the cast.

Two decades on, the impact of this teen flick is still palpable. It spawned a less popular sequel in 2011, which garnered a disappointing 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, reports the Mirror.

A 2024 remake focusing on original character Regina George, a fan favourite, was also inspired by Mean Girls.

The film has even been adapted into a current West End musical bearing the same name.

Beyond its cultural influence, the 2004 hit is celebrated for its unforgettable one-liners, giving us gems like "On Wednesdays we wear pink", "I'm not a regular mom, I'm a cool mom" and "Get in loser, we're going shopping."

Journalist Sam Wolfson revisited the teen classic 'Mean Girls' in 2018 and probed its influence. His thoughts, shared with The Guardian, were: "On the internet, Mean Girls battles only with Friends and The Simpsons to be the most referenced cultural product of all time."

Adding depth to his analysis, Wolfson declared, "Yet those shows had hundreds of episodes; Mean Girls squeezes so many perfect gags into its 97-minute running time that whenever a character speaks, it's basically a catchphrase."

Fans corroborated this view in a recent Reddit thread aptly named 'Mean Girls (2004) is near perfect and likely the most quotable movie I've ever seen. '.

One enthusiast admitted, "Easily my favourite Lindsay Lohan performance, this is one of my most rewatched movies of all time. You can barely go a 10-minute stretch in this film without getting a line that is highly quotable."

Echoing the sentiment, another added, "I remember seeing this in theatres. I completely agree, it is the most quotable movie and most people will know what you're quoting! I love it."

A third fan enthused, "Is there anyone who doesn't consider this movie iconic?"

On Letterboxd, the movie earned rave reviews, with a fan proclaiming, "Couldn't tell you what I had for breakfast this morning but I sure can quote this entire movie."

With 'Mean Girls' becoming an enduring pop culture touchstone, are you prepared to don your pink attire and join the fans this Sunday?

Mean Girls will air on E4 this Sunday (November 24) at 7:10pm.