2024 has been a success for Mean Girls fans with the box-office debut of the musical film starring Reneé Rapp (Mean Girls on Broadway, The Sex Lives of College Girls) as Regina George, Angourie Rice (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home) as Cady Heron, and Christopher Briney (The Summer I Turned Pretty) as Aaron Samuels.
The year 2024 also celebrates the 20th anniversary of the original Mean Girls’ release, and 20 years later, the movie still satiates nostalgia with lines like, “On Wednesdays, we wear pink” and “That was so fetch.”
Mean Girls isn’t the only iconic movie turning twenty, so here is a list of popular films turning two decades old in 2024:
13 Going On 30 (April 2004)
The first on this list is Jennifer Garner’s rom-com, 13 Going On 30, which follows an 80s teenage girl’s wish coming true as she wakes up in the body of a 30-year-old woman living in 2004. The film also casts Mark Ruffalo (Avengers) as the childhood best friend turned love interest. With a dance number to Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller,’ a teenage dream sleepover, and a sharing of Razzles candy, 13 Going On 30 is a fun and colorful film great for a girls’ night in. As of January 31st, 2024, 13 Going On 30 is streaming on Netflix.
Napoleon Dynamite (August 2004)
If you see someone with a ‘Vote for Pedro’ t-shirt or sticker but are not sure what it means or where it comes from, the person wearing it has likely seen Napoleon Dynamite, a Western comedy following an awkward teen helping his friend become class president and living with a quirky film. Starring Jon Heder and Efren Ramirez, the film had a $400,000 budget but turned in a hefty profit of 46.1 million and became a cult classic for many. Napoleon Dynamite is currently streaming on Hulu.
Saw (October 2004)
With 10 films in the ever-growing franchise, the original horror movie, Saw, debuted two days before Halloween. Starring Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride), the original film focuses on two strangers waking up in a bathroom, chained and trapped as pawns in a deadly game by a serial killer. Saw can be watched on Amazon Prime Video and The Roku Channel.
The Notebook (June 2004)
Appearing on the big screen only two months before in Mean Girls, Rachel McAdams shows her versatility as an actress, going from a cold and conniving Queen Bee of the 2000s to a most ardently in-love southern sweetheart of the 1940s. Read from pages of a journal, an elderly man tells a woman with dementia about two young lovers whose social classes threaten their romance. Twenty years later, the film still brings many to tears with the tender story and the undeniable chemistry between McAdams and her costar and future Ken, Ryan Gosling. The Notebook currently resides on Hulu as of January 2024.
Million Dollar Baby (December 2004)
This Clint Eastwood film won several Academy and Golden Globe Awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture, and stars Eastwood alongside Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman. Considered a sports western, Million Dollar Baby is a modern-day underdog story of a young woman (Swank) who trains under a reluctant and salty boxer trainer (Eastwood) until an incident irrevocably changes them both. Million Dollar Baby is currently not streaming on any platform but is available to buy on Amazon Prime or Apple TV.
Howl’s Moving Castle (November 2004 in Japan, June 2005 in the US)
Before directing the award-winning The Boy and the Heron, Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli brought Howl’s Moving Castle to life. Based on the 1986 novel Howl’s Moving Castle, the film’s English dub stars Christian Bale (The Dark Knight trilogy and American Psycho) as the titular Howl. After turning into an older woman by a witch, Sophie Hatter must leave her quiet life as a hat maker to seek the wizard Howl’s help for a cure. Combining imagination, fantasy, and innocent romance, Howl’s Moving Castle is a favorite of many Studio Ghibli fans. Howl’s Moving Castle is watchable on Max, including several others of the Studio Ghibli collection.
Shrek 2 (May 2004)
While many sequels struggle to uphold the original’s standards, the second Shrek of the franchise is (some considered) better than the original. Introducing new characters such as Puss in Boots (who would later have his spin-off), Prince Charming, and the Fairy Godmother with her iconic rendition of ‘I Need A Hero,’ Shrek and Fiona return to the world of Far-Far Away with new adventures, a new marriage but the same old Donkey. Shrek 2 is streaming on Peacock with a subscription.
When it comes to romcoms and comedies perfect for a girls’ night full of fun and nostalgia, 2004 has a great selection. Alongside Mean Girls, The Notebook, and 13 Going On 30, there are also Ella Enchanted (starring Anne Hathaway), Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (Lindsay Lohan and Megan Fox), New York Minute (Olsen twins), White Chicks (starring the Wayan brothers), The Phantom of the Opera (Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum), 50 First Dates (Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler), The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (Anne Hathaway and Chris Pine), A Cinderella Story (Hilary Duff, Jennifer Coolidge, and Chad Michael Murray), and Barbie as the Princess & the Pauper (Martin Short as Preminger).