In an era when teenage drama films were hell-bent on selling the good-girl narrative *cough Hilary Duff, Vanessa Hudgens cough* Lindsay Lohan played roles that adolescents actually related with. Neither were we the damsels nor the coolest mean girls in school, and Lohan delivered the confused and grey personality we all had.
She started her career at the age of 3 when she modelled for brands like Calvin Klein and Abercrombie & Fitch, after which she rose to success with a series of popular films even before she turned 18. From headlining movies and launching her own music to being the youngest celebrity to host the MTV Awards and the World Music Awards in 2006, Lindsay became a prominent part of pop culture in the ’90s and 2000s.
On her 35th Birthday, let’s take a look back at some of her best performances from our favourite comfort films she starred in.
1. The Parent Trap
Lindsay, in this film, played the character of twins Annie and Hallie, who take it upon themselves to reunite their divorced parents after meeting each other for the first time during a summer camp. They swap identities and go back to each other’s homes across continents, setting their plan into motion. Although the movie had a stellar cast of renowned actors like Natasha Richardson and Dennis Quaid, Lindsay completely shouldered this movie at the tender age of 10.
2. Freaky Friday
Jamie Lee Curtis and her teenage daughter Anna (Lindsay) have a love-hate relationship. During a family dinner at a Chinese restaurant, they take a couple of magical fortune cookies and wake up the next day with switched bodies. With no definite way to switch back, they navigate through each other’s lives, and the results are hilarious. While it’s a fun ride to watch them play each other, in the process, they end up understanding one another’s perspective better than before. Lindsay playing the part of an angsty teenager is right up her alley, but her transformation from a rock-n-roll rebel to a prim and proper lady (during the body switch) was commendable.
3. Mean Girls
Mean Girls wasn’t just a film; it was a moment in time that dictated the fashion, lifestyle and culture for a large part of that decade. It was a game-changing movie that removed young girls from the perfect pedestal and humanised their insecurities, flaws and (almost) celebrated their bad decisions. Lindsay, as Cady Heron, befriended and dethroned the ultimate mean girl Regina George and made everyone realise that the popularity crown we fight for is made of nothing but plastic. Seventeen years later, this film is still one of the most-watched movies on a girls night and continues to be a topic of debate when it comes to female friendships.
4. Just My Luck
In this hilarious rom-com, Lindsay as Ashley plays the luckiest girl in the world. While riding that high, she meets a cute boy (Chris Pine) and kisses him at a party, unknowingly exchanging her good fortune. Her life then turns upside down, and in the attempt to regain that luck, she falls in love with the boy she switched it with. This movie was Lohan’s departure from her established image as a teenage icon and marked her foray into Hollywood as a young movie star.
