Movie Review: Freaky Friday
What if you could switch places and bodies with your mom or dad for like a week? Would they finally get it through their heads what you are going through? Would you finally understand them? Hey, it would be worth a try!
In Freaky Friday, Anna Coleman (Lindsay Lohan) and her psychiatrist mom Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) just don't "get" each other. Anna thinks mom is a stuffy control freak who is wrecking her life. Widow Tess, who is about to get re-married to nice guy Ryan (Mark Harmon) thinks Anna is self-centered, really "rock band loud" and ungrateful. Mom always sticks up for Anna's little bro (Ryan Malgarini) even though we see that he's the one who always starts trouble and torments Anna.
When the family goes to a Chinatown restaurant, the owner senses the unrest in the mom and daughter and puts what amounts to an Asian spell on them. They are given identical fortune cookies. Voila! Switcharoo. Mom and daughter wake up in each other's bodies the next morning (and that famous trailer scene where Jamie Lee says "Ahhh, I'm like the Crypt Keeper!"). Tess isn't thrilled by learning that Anna has pierced her belly button.
Anna, in Mom's bod, goes on a shopping spree and for a hot, with-it makeover and Tess, in Anna's bod, gets all conservative and turns off Jake, the older guy Anna is crushin' on (Chad Michael Murray). Seeing the hot new Mrs. Coleman, Jake starts for fall for her, further upsetting poor Anna who has to tap dance around Tess's fiance... her future stepfather! Of course, in each other's shoes, the two begin to see where each is coming from. Mom starts to get Anna's passion about her rock band and sees that she is picked on in school. Anna sees how rushed and screwed up her mom's life is. After a lot of comic confusion, the two finally see each other in a brand new light and selfless love changes them back.
This "switcheroo, walk a mile in my shoes" concept has been pulled countless times in films and t.v. but this update of the 1977 Jodie Foster film is really timely and a blast. Both Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan do awesome jobs of playing....each other. Jamie is especially fun as a sudden "teen". She is just great in comedy and she hasn't done a great one since A Fish Called Wanda (go rent it). Supporting characters like grandpa and little bro and confused fiance Mark Harmon are all excellent as well. Anna's rock band is really quite good and you'll enjoy the tunes. Lindsay does her own singing.
Credit goes to the writing (Leslie Dixon (Mrs. Doubtfire) and Heather Hach) and direction (The House of Yes', Mark Waters). This movie is really funny and at times really heartwarming without being sappy. A blast for dates or even family viewing.
For a "spot on" switcheroo story.. 4.5 out of 5 stars!
***
Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.
