Freaky Friday (2003)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Screenplay by Heather Hach and Leslie Dixon, based upon the book by Mary Rogers
Directed by Mark Waters
Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Mark Harmon, Harold Gould, and Chad Michael Murray
Costume Design by Genevieve Tyrrell

Features:

• 2 music videos
  
• Bloopers
  
• Behind-the-scenes featurette
  
• Deleted scene
  
• Alternate endings
  

Released by: Disney
Region: 1
Rating: PG
Anamorphic: Yes

My Advice: Rent it.

You know the story from the original book, a 1976 film, or maybe the 1995 TV movie: bickering mother and daughter magically switch bodies and walk a mile in each other's moccasins, learning to appreciate how hard it really is to be each other. A surprisingly funny and not-stupid take on this kid's classic, this version of Freaky Friday is actually a good bet for some cinema-therapy and a rare positive example of a book adaptation, true to the (modernized) spirit if not the letter.

Memorable points in the movie include the amusing scenes where Curtis as a typical mother misjudges a teen boy because he rides a motorcycle and has longish hair. Would that all the mothers in America could watch this film and learn that perhaps their daughters really aren't blind to real worth in a male and can actually make the right choices. Of course, the daughter Anna (Lohan) learns some lessons, too, such as how to more fairly judge her mother's fiancé (Harmon) and how to understand her brother.

The film's depiction of a "punk" fifteen-year-old has taken a bit of bashing in other reviews from self-described punks. In response, I would like to point out a few things: (1) this is a Disney movie. Not a documentary. It was not meant to be offensive, but rather to show punks in a more positive light than they usually get in film. (2) The character is fifteen. Not twenty-one. Not a washed-up thirty-five. Fifteen. (3) Not all punk-rockers were strung out on heroin at fifteen or even at twenty-five. Anna does a respectable job of being genuinely different from the horrid clique-like girls at her school, and for that, an adolescent deserves a break. (4) Does every movie really have to have "grit" and suffering? Does she have to set fire to her school, get an STD, and then move to India in order to rebel enough for you? The kid's doing what she can at fifteen. See point #3. Finally, (5) you, whoever you are, are not the be-all, end-all of "what is punk." If Joey Ramone or Henry Rollins (both of whom have or had a sense of humor) wanted to bitch about Anna's character, then fine, I'll listen. The rest of you...shut up. Thank you.

The features list is quite nice: we get a host of bloopers, an alternate ending introduced by the director, a deleted scene with an introduction by the director, two music videos, and a "backstage" segment that takes you behind the scenes with Lohan and the other actors. These features match well with the tone of the film and should please anyone who liked the movie. They also demonstrate a modicum of creativity on the part of the producers.

The film's soundtrack deserves a special note. If you like retro punk, songs with a sense of humor more like the old Clash, Cibo Matto, or the Donnas, then you'll like this fresh take on pop punk. Not to be confused with the recent flush of "punk" groups that couldn't tell a Ramone from a Pogue and who are trying way too hard to be angry, these groups include such sounds as the Donnas, Lillix, and the surprisingly good voice of Lindsey Lohan herself.

In short, if you want a family-friendly movie that won't bore the adults to tears, then give this one a shot. If you don't like "wholesome" films and need nudity or violence to satisfy you, then this one will only break your heart, but otherwise, give it a rent and see what you think. Jamie Lee Curtis is always good, even when she's just trying to pay her mortgage, and Lindsay Lohan shows enough talent to bring us great things in the future if her manager has any sense.