Entertainment Movies Musical Movies Is Mean Girls Appropriate for Kids? What to Know About the PG-13-Rated Movie 'Mean Girls' is rated PG-13 for 'sexual material, strong language, and teen drinking' By Kelsie Gibson Kelsie Gibson Kelsie Gibson is the SEO Editor of PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2021. She was formerly at POPSUGAR, Bustle, Tiger Beat and Her Campus. People Editorial Guidelines Published on January 12, 2024 09:00AM EST Photo: Jojo Whilden/Paramount Mean Girls is getting revamped for a whole new generation. Following the success of the 2004 film, Paramount Pictures is bringing the fan-favorite story back to the screen, with a new musical twist. Featuring songs from the Tony-nominated 2018 Broadway musical of the same name, the film stars a brand-new cast (with cameos from a few original cast members) as they breathe life into the fan-favorite story. Though there are a few key differences between the two movies, rest assured, it still pays tribute to the original in many ways, including notable one-liners and some returning faces, such as Tina Fey and Tim Meadows reprising their roles as Ms. Norbury and Principal Duvall. For those “cool moms” and parents hoping to introduce their kids to the world of the Plastics, there are a few things you need to know before going into the theaters. The Motion Picture Association granted the film a PG-13 rating, citing, “sexual material, strong language, and teen drinking.” Here’s a parents’ guide to the new Mean Girls movie. Mean Girls Premieres in N.Y.C.: See All the Stars on the Red Carpet There is some coarse language There is some strong language throughout the film, including the use of words such as “dick,” and “slut.” Additionally, there is some implied cursing, including one character being called a “fugly cow.” There are some “sexy” outfits Paramount Pictures Many of the Plastics wear risqué clothing throughout the film, including one character showing off her bra under her Christmas costume, midriff-baring shirts and several “sexy” Halloween costumes, just like in the original movie. In fact, in the new film, Karen sings a whole song about rocking “hot” Halloween costumes for the holiday, which is perfectly titled “Sexy.” While showing off everyone’s different sexy looks at a party, she sings, “This is modern feminism talking / I expect to run the world / In shoes I cannot walk in.” Mean Girls Star Daniel Franzese Says Original Cast ‘All Want’ to Do a Sequel (Exclusive) Bullying and peer pressure are central themes Just like the original, the new movie heavily focuses on the bullying and peer pressure teens face in high school. As the queen bee of Northshore High, Regina is often shown verbally attacking her classmates and close friends. Meanwhile, Cady deals with peer pressure as she tries to find her place in her new high school. Giving a modern update to the story, the new film also focuses on the negative effects of social media on young teens, notably as one character gets “canceled” online. There are several conversations about coming out Jojo Whilden/Paramount While the original Mean Girls featured LGTBQ+ themes throughout, the new film dives deeper into conversations surrounding coming out. In particular, Janis and Regina’s backstory is slightly tweaked as it’s revealed that Janis came out to Regina when they were friends, and Regina betrayed her trust by making fun of her to her classmates behind her back. “It feels great,” Auli'i Cravalho told PEOPLE about playing a canonically LGBTQ+ Janis in the new movie. “I love that Lebanese/lesbian joke from our '04 classic, but now we're taking it back ... We're no longer using lesbian as a slur, thank you very much. And I think it's really important for representation.” Mean Girls Alum Rajiv Surendra (aka Kevin G!) Praises New Musical Film: 'Y'all Did a Fantastic Job' There is mild violence The film features some mildly violent moments throughout. Notably, like the original, a big fight breaks out in the school when Regina leaks the Burn Book and its contents to her classmates. The new movie also features the infamous bus scene with Regina, and includes a reference to death as one character reveals that Regina was dead for a few seconds after getting hit by the bus before she was revived. Some scenes portray alcohol use and partying Jojo Whilden/Paramount Pictures As the Motion Picture Association stated in its rating for the movie, the film portrays underage drinking during various party scenes in the film, including the Halloween party and Cady’s house party, which she secretly throws when her mother is out of town. In the latter scene, Cady also gets drunk as she worries about whether or not Aaron will show up at her party. There are some suggestive themes Coach Carr returns in the new movie (this time played by Jon Hamm). Just like the original, the coach has many blunt conversations about sex during physical education at Northshore High. Gretchen's skeezy on-and-off-again boyfriend Jason also tries to make sexual advances to Cady when they first meet and many characters are shown making out during the movie.