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[proceeds go toward monthly MRFH upkeep] |
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Radioing out from row 14, seat P, I managed to get the word to the resistance that Freaky Friday is worth seeing. Really. Yes, it being a Disney remake of a movie I didn't watch as a kid, mostly because I played with G.I.Joes and not Barbie Joes... it's actually not half bad. Which, by using advanced calculus, makes it half good. [cue up the Brady Bunch theme song music] Here's a story of a girl named Jamie, who was living in a big house of her own. She had two kids, living together, but they were all alone. [Buh-ba-ba-ba-bum] Here's a story of a teen named Anna, who couldn't really get up for school. Sure they fought a lot, and hated each other, but that's the normal rule. Until one day that the mommy went for Chinese, and they ate some dumb fortune cookies all Wong. The next day, they woke up as each other, but that's the end of my song. Thank you. Okay, the plot's nothing to scream about from the rooftops (but if you're the type who does that anyway, you probably need more help than the moving picture industry can provide), yet the way Freaky Friday gels together is terrifically pleasing. First of all, it's a hoot and a holler to see Jamie Lee Curtis take on the perfect mannerisms of a fidgety, crotchety teenage girl (not that the other girl, Lindsay Lohan, doesn't do as good of a job as the mom-in-kid's-body, but it's just not as funny of a role). And second of all, since we the audience are in on the big secret, the whole film becomes a massive in-joke that we feel privileged to sit in on. Sure, the whole body swapping genre was played out by the late 80's (1976's Freaky Friday starring Jodie Foster, and 1988's Vice Versa being the two most famous), but I'm convinced there's nothing Hollywood can't resucitate for one more college try. What makes this sort of ridiculous plot work is highlighting the normal behavior patterns of kids versus adults, and doing some splendid role-reversal, bringing about some sort of tear-producing revelation by the end. Girls are weird and honestly, quite scary -- and they come in both bizarro child and adult versions. Seeing a film where everyone pokes fun at their origins -- kids and grown-ups, mothers and daughters -- is a comedic gold mine. Aside from the fairly good acting, everything else plays nice and shares with the rest of the class. The pace is fast (sped up at times to get to the interesting stuff), the situations believable yet absurd, a couple of touching moments about the value of family, and the soundtrack ain't too shabby. Aside from my own bellyful of chuckles, I can vouch for a good portion of our theater audience who really got into this movie, laughing and hooting, groaning at the right times, and even applauding once the film was over. It didn't even hit me until I was halfway home that Freaky Friday did something else incredible: it scarcely had any swear words, or otherwise objectionable content. AND it was funny anyway! Imagine, if this sort of thing could happen on a more regular basis! Sure, we'd be in the 50's again, but that would be worth it for those thick yummy drugstore milkshakes. Okay, so, I'm a guy. I'm fairly sure of that. And Freaky Friday is good, possibly good enough to own in The Collection. Maybe. All I know is that the day after I watched this movie, I woke to find myself in my pug dog Caesar's body, and I can identify. He spent the whole day sleeping, chasing his butt, and begging strangers for food, and I pretty much did the same. Eye opening, uh huh. |
| extras |
Didja Notice? [some sources: IMDb]
Is It Worth Staying Through End Credits?
Intermission! [some sources: IMDb]
In the late 80's, three body-swapping films came out around the same time: Vice Versa (1988), 18 Again! (1988), and Like Father, Like Son (1987). Producer 'Andrew Gunn' said he initially hoped Jodie Foster (who played the daughter in the original film) would be game to play the mother in the remake. Foster declined, in part because of concerns that the casting stunt would overshadow the movie's overall merit. Official and Not-So-Official Websites Groovy Quotes
Annabell (as Tess): Something happened to us!
Annabell (as Tess): I look like Stevie Nicks!
Tess (as Annabell): We're doing a role-switching activity.
Annabell (as Tess): It's easy to be you I'll just suck the fun out of everything!
Annabell (as Tess): Oh, I'm like the Cryptkeeper! Soundtrack Review
If you liked this movie, try these:
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Justin's Rating: I missed the scene where the daughter has to learn about menopause in her mom's body
