Freaky Friday
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Movie Reviews of Freaky Friday
Movie Review: YOU ARE A GROOVY CHICK MRS. A....
Summary: 5 Stars
I've noticed that some folks seem to like the 2003 Curtis/Lohan remake of this movie better than the original. While I'm not here to say that the remake was bad in any way, it definately does not live up to the 1977 classic original. Even if it is better produced, or more realistic, or even makes more sense... bla bla bla.
Firstly, Freaky Friday is meant to be an over the top screw ball comedy, and while I thought that Curtis/Lohan were admirably funny in their roles, the remake offered practically nothing for a supporting cast. Something the original offers up by the plenty.
Secondly, Barbara Harris is way sexier as the mom. Mrs. A. Easily gives a sultry performance as the adult, and then an equally cute/sexy performance being the child in the switch. In fact I would say that for a seventies Disney movie Barbara Harris was a bit over the Disney sexy-limit...(not by 21st century Disney standards obviously, none of the teenage girls dress like hookers *rimshots*) One reviewer noted already how she keeps accidentally calling her husband "daddy" with a couple of hillarious results. (by the way Mr. A is played by John Astin of Gomez Addams fame...another nice touch...the "husband" in the 2003 version is some lame Lifetime movie Channel clown...)
In no way overlooked here by me is the awesome seventies banter. Jodi Foster is supposed to be somewhat rough around the edges, with her seventies punk teen slang like "far out" and "groovy chick"... It's fun to hear the kids talk like this, and doubly as fun when Mrs. A talks like this...
Now, a few scenes are so far over the top that todays audience might shake their heads. Like the car chase scene, or when Mrs. A on water skiis goes over the beach and a public pool,,, yeah right! They may as well had her water skiing in the amazon jungle or on the moon... and then she somehow ends up falling off of the water skiis and onto an air-glider! Nuh Uh... but who's complaining? It's this sort of silly, goofy production that makes the old cut far better, and far funnier then its 2003 remake. I genuinely got a lot of laughs.
Movie Review: I'd like to be you for a day...
Summary: 5 Stars
Yours truly is in ecstasy right now. Here it is, Freaky Friday on DVD. I've had it on VHS for some time now and have been patiently waiting for the DVD release. And here it is. I've popped it in and the title sequence is playing now, ahhh the warm memories.
When I first saw this movie with some friends of mine it had a huge impact on my life. I can't help but think that my core philosophy has been impacted by this movie as well. The music is great, what little there is of it. Especially the opening song. I try to watch the opening at least five times before beginning the movie.
Jodie Foster is annoying. That's a given as she is annoying in every role she's ever played. I guess she was ok in Taxi Driver though. Let's put it this way, I'd never attempt to assassinate a president for her.
A strange thing about this movie is it seems like all the mothers in this movie are constantly trying to get their daughters' hair trimmed when their hair barely reaches their shoulders. I can only assume that they live in a town ruled by lesbians.
I don't know too much about Barbara Harris except that she is extremely hot in this movie. After they switch bodies things get hilarious. The mom is always criticizing her friends and the daughter is messing up the housework left and right. This does lead to the most confusing error of this movie. Annabelle is a tomboy, but after she trades bodies with her mom she becomes really feminine and is always putting on make up and flirting with boys.
It is hilarious how when the daughter, in her mom's body, calls her father 'Daddy' because he thinks this is his wife calling him some kind of sexy pet name. Mega-lulz.
This movie is just a lot of fun. If you accidentally bought that crappy remake, return it to the store or burn it, your choice. Just make sure you replace it with this, the real movie.
Movie Review: Original 1977 FREAKY FRIDAY Is The Best!
Summary: 5 Stars
For a guy who likes Ingmar Bergman and other indy, artsy films, I guess it seems weird that I bought the DVD of the original FREAKY FRIDAY the minute it hit amazon. But, this film was made in the good old days of Disney, before they lost focus of their business and started behaving like most other monster corporations. This story has had at least 3 lives: the 2003 version (enjoyable), the 90's TV version (I never saw that one), and the one at hand. The original 1977 release gives us the unique pleasure of seeing two wonderful performers, Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster, going through their paces in this mother-daughter-switch tale. Barbara Harris is one of the great performers who never quite made the level of fame she deserved. Whether in her Broadway turns in ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER and THE APPLE TREE, to several good films, she had an amazing ability to be vulnerable in one moment and seamlessly turn into a glamourous, gutsy bombshell in the next. And her voice! This film and, perhaps, Hitchcock's FAMILY PLOT are nice samplings of her skill. Add in the very young Jodie Foster and you can't lose. (The DVD has a nice on-screen commentary by Foster, which proves how spontaneously articulate she is. Too bad they didn't get Harris to discuss her part.) As an added benefit, the screenplay is by source book author, Mary Rodgers (Richard Rodgers' daughter and author-composer in her own right). For those who like THE GILMORE GIRLS, which is a tremendous and enjoyable example of an almost-impossibly-idealistic relationship between a mother and her daughter, this film will be a nice reality check. Here the mother and daughter can't relate to each other at all until they go through the fiery baptism of spending a day in each other's body. Ultimately, this film provides us with 90-plus minutes of enjoyment and humor in the hands of the very talented cast.Movie Review: FREAK ACCIDENT, CLASSIC FISH-OUT-OF-WATER COMEDY
Summary: 5 Stars
"Freaky Friday" is a classic Disney comedy that required no remake. As a `coming of age' film it sincerely examines the trials and tribulations of both parents and children without ever allowing either perspective to become condescendingly smug. After the hysteria that was Haley Mills had cooled in the late sixties the Disney studio began searching for a teenage successor that could ensure box office success in the 1970s. They found their heir apparent in the embodiment of tomboyish, Jodie Foster. In "Freaky Friday" Foster plays Annabelle, the belligerent teenager who can't wait to grow up. She envisions that her mother, Ellen (Barbara Harris) lives a life of elegance and luxury, and, as such, Annabelle longs for just one chance to revel in what she perceives to be the pampered existence of adulthood. Likewise, Ellen can't understand why her teenager daughter complains so much about being a teenager. Both women get a reality check when a `freak' accident transposes their brains into each other's bodies thus affording them the opportunity to experience each other's lifestyle for one catastrophically hilarious day. John Astin, Dick Van Patten and Ruth Buzzi costar.TRANSFER: A very nice, very clean looking, anamorphically enhanced presentation. Colors are rich, vibrant and bold. Age related artifacts are a rarity. Rear projection and special effects photography appears worse for the wear than the rest of film, but is only marginally distracting. Contrast and black levels are solid. Overall, the picture has a very smooth characteristic that is easy on the eyes. The audio is mono and somewhat strident but, at a moderate listening level, quite acceptable.
EXTRAS: A thorough retrospective by Jodie Foster and an interactive game.
BOTTOM LINE: Recommended.
Movie Review: Fun from start to finish
Summary: 5 Stars
Freaky Friday is a hilarious film. It is filled with funny, quotable dialogue. The script is great, and what makes it all come together are the performances by it's stars. Jodie Foster is very good and entertaining as Annabel. Barbara Harris as Mrs. Andrews is so wonderful she steals the show. Her transformation into her teenage daughter trying to be a wife and mother is a blast. Barbara Harris has a wacky, rebelliousness that comes though in her performance. It's perfect. Her scenes with Boris (Annabel's teenage crush who lives across the street) and her son Ben, are especially funny. The young Sparky Marcus as little Ben Andrews is adorable. His scene of confiding in his "mother" about his true feelings for sister Annabel is very touching. Marc McClure as Boris Harris (who makes a cameo appearance in 2003's Freaky Friday as Boris making a delivery) is great in his role as the allergy-prone object of Annabel's affections. Another standout character is Mrs. Schmauss the cleaning lady. Her interactions with "Mrs. Andrews" are side splitting.
The title song, "I'd Like To Be You For A Day", is really beautiful and compliments the sentiment in the film. Freaky Friday is a feel good film with a message that is obvious, but also has a subtle message throughout that reminds us not to take life too seriously. It seems to say "Enjoy the people you love, appreciate their individuality and struggles, and most of all, allow yourself to have fun on this crazy journey."