Freaky Friday (2003)

Freaky Friday

Matinee Price

Mary Rodger's book has gotten quite a lot of mileage from its modest number of pages. The simple notion of a supernatural switching of bodies (not just Trading Places or the Corsican Brothers, or even Big) can open up all kinds of narrative possibilities. First there was the 1976 film starring Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris; then the spate of male switches like 18 Again, Like Father Like Son, and Vice Versa; then a Freaky Friday TV movie, and now this one, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. I came home and reread the 1972145 page Harper Trophy Book in about 2 hours. Talk about bang for your buck! And rest easy, the preview only really ruins the first 30 minutes of the movie, and my god, if you don't know they switch personalities going into the sixth recent iteration of this plot, then you are just silly.

Director Mark Waters has demonstrated twice that he can take a concept people would not necessarily need any more of and add life to it: The House of Yes and Head Over Heels. In this case, he throws out all but the most basic premise of Mary's book (which is horribly dated today, I should point out) and gives it punch that I think moms and daughters can relate to for another 30 until they remake it again. And it will be remade. The idea of really living another person's life is sinfully tempting - the voyeurism, the power, the freedom. Middle aged women can eat all the french fries they want in their 15 year old bodies; transmogrified teens can command respect and purchasing power. It's also, as evidenced by the rash of movies using this theme, the best way to really understand your effect on other people and another person's life. It's the ultimate empathic experience, and we are drawn to it like moths to a flame.

The box office ain't doing too badly, neither! It doesn't hurt that Jamie Lee and Lindsay have great chemistry and really embrace the cross-generational roles. They are having a great time and really believably inhabiting someone else's body. That in and of itself is enough to recommend it. If no one remembered Jamie Lee is funny from Fish Called Wanda, then you have to find her funny here. Then there is the natural farcical potential of a prim psychologist stuck in the streaky freaky underachiever girl she never could influence; the untrained teen posing as a brilliant psychologist. The new elements are fun, and the age old theme is a winner. I wouldn't be surprised if someone turned up an Aristophanes play (readers, don't swamp me with mail if there is one already; it's just too late at night to hunt through the alt.rec.greek.farce.fandom.misc boards) wherein two people lived for a short time in each others' consciousnesses. It's that identifiable.

The soundtrack is great, both the preponderance of covers (ha ha someone living in someone else's song) and the ostensible original stuff. The love interests are more interesting and complex than any Disney movie would dare to make them. In this summer of trash, a Disney live action movie sits up and says, "I am worth seeing!" It doesn't happen often folks, so get out there and enjoy it. It's upbeat and funny and you really do think, oh my god, they will never change back. The side characters are thinly drawn but adequate support. It's sweet and funny with some real surprises, and I even shed one salty tear. It's great.

-- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These reviews (c) 2003 Karina Montgomery. Please feel free to forward but credit the reviewer in the text. Thanks. You can check out previous reviews at: http://www.cinerina.com and http://ofcs.rottentomatoes.com - the Online Film Critics Society http://www.hsbr.net/reviews/karina/listing.hsbr - Hollywood Stock Exchange Brokerage Resource

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X-RT-RatingText: 4/5