More than two decades after Mean Girls hit theaters, October 3rd has become an unofficial holiday for fans of the 2004 teen comedy.
But why? What's so special about October 3rd?
Let's explore the line from the film that made this day so important to Mean Girls fans.
Why is October 3rd Important in Mean Girls?
There are some lines in film that resonate through the ages, and somehow, this is one of them, a little wink hidden in a seemingly throwaway voiceover that resonates because of its silly mundaneness.
In the film, Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) is a young student who enters public high school for the first time after being homeschooled in Africa. Unfamiliar with high school culture, Cady observes everything around her with the detachment of a zoologist, until she befriends two outcasts, who coax her to infiltrate the "Plastics," led by the manipulative Regina George (Rachel McAdams).
Of course, Cady develops a crush on the school hottie (Jonathan Bennett) along the way.
In one scene, when Cady remembers talking to Aaron "more and more," she recalls: "On October 3rd, he asked me what day it was."
The iconic line comes on page 34:
An excerpt from Mean Girls
It's such an odd little exchange, and it means so much to Cady that it becomes almost absurd, and that's exactly what makes it hilarious.
For writers, this moment can reveal how specificity lends staying power.
Tina Fey Relies on Real Life in Her Writing
Tina Fey wrote the screenplay for Mean Girls based on Rosalind Wiseman's book, Queen Bees & Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends & Other Realities of Adolescence. It's a self-help book, so that's kind of a wild place to start. But what made the story work were the personal details Fey added.
"I tried to use real names in writing because it's just easier," Tina Fey said of Mean Girls (via Biography).
This has led to another line from the movie gaining a cultural foothold.
"My older brother's good friend is Glenn Cocco," Fey said. "He's a film editor in Los Angeles, and I imagine it's a pain in the butt for him. Someone said to me, you could buy a shirt at Target that says 'You go, Glen Coco!' That was unexpected."
Her approach to detail can extend to dates, locations, and the particulars of teenage life.
The "October 3rd" line works because it's hyper-specific about something inconsequential. The contrast between Cady's breathless excitement and the absolute banality of the interaction is what makes it funny and relatable.
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I mean, can't you imagine being head-over-heels in the fugue of a crush and remembering exactly this kind of moment? We've probably all been guilty of something like this.
Rolling Stone has noted that Mean Girls "boasts one of the most quotable scripts of the past 20 years," and we bet you could think of a few more moments just like this one. "Boo, you whore," or "She doesn't even go here," spring immediately to mind.
Every writer knows the risk of being too vague, but you can't be too specific about the wrong things, because it's the specificity that makes moments feel real. Audiences don't connect with generic experiences. They connect with the small, strange moments that make them say, "Oh my God, exactly."
The date, delivered with Cady's earnest obliviousness, has stuck through the years.
Plus, it gave us all an excuse to rewatch the film today. Get in, loser.
