Tina Fey’s newest work (PG-13, 96 minutes) starring Lindsay Lohan, Lacey Chabert, Tina Fey, Rachel McAdams, and Lizzy Caplan, and directed by Mark Waters opened April 30th.

The comedy centers around a “New York Times” article about the mean jokes girls play on each other to maintain social superiority. New girl Cady (Lohan) learns firsthand as she is accepted and then rejected by the A-list clique known as the Plastics after moving to Illinois from Africa. It isn’t until Regina (McAdams) betrays Cady’s trust by seducing her crush (Jonathan Bennett), that she strikes back. Soon after, all hell breaks loose turning North Shore High School into raging chaos.

Lohan’s comic timing, Fay’s script, and the candy colored wardrobe are enough to draw anyone in. However, the movie has one major flaw. It sabotages its own plot. The movie attempts to impart a feeling of feministic solidarity but doesn’t dare venture into breaking down images. Fay builds her characters on the same cookie-cutter stereotypes her script denounces. Where’s the girl power in that? Look around a real high school. There are gothic kids who are honors students, popular girls who play varsity sports and would never be seen dead in skirts, and jocks that excel in music in real high schools. “Mean Girls” lacks real characters. It relies on one-dimensional caricatures of high school students.

Despite its flaws, “Mean Girls” emerges as the best SNL comedy since “Tommy Boy.” Both Fey and Waters’ attention to detail create accurate depictions of high school life. From the Plastics unofficial rules of fashion to Cady’s revenge, it screams of high school. Waters successfully depicts a society of angst-filled mean girls. However, he avoids the usual clichés of teen comedies and SNL movies, and instead creates a witty escape. Waters saves the script from typical teen movie suicide by keeping the story simple. The scenes aren’t drowned with music and the laughs aren’t spoiled with slap-stick humor. By keeping it simple, the story remains somewhat realistic and enjoyable. It successfully combines high school with Hollywood, joining the ranks of such movies as “Heathers” and “Election.” Nevertheless, one could argue “Mean Girls” isn’t ready to join the ranks of these classics. It seems to compensate plot with wardrobe and pop culture references.

If one wants fashion tips, buy an issue of “Vogue.” If one wants a good teen movie, rent “Heathers.” If one wants a second rate combination of both, see “Mean Girls.”