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Even committed realists can work within the musical genre, with an entirely diegetic score and a narrative framed around a concert or a performance.

Anchored by its intricate sound design, which expertly blends score, diegetic sound and the thoughtful use of aural perspective, the series rejects potboiler rhythms in favor of a foreboding psychological chill.

That’s apparent in “Mean Girls,” which seems lightly embarrassed by any number that can’t be rendered diegetic or discounted as a dream sequence.

The music, in this case, arises not from a conventional score, but rather from the diegetic accompaniments of soup bubbling in a pot, butter sizzling in a pan and utensils scraping against crockery.

But the finished film, which featured a landmark diegetic soundtrack, a vibrant young cast and a strong vein of hopeful, Kennedy-era nostalgia, captured the imagination of audiences and redefined the teen movie.