Freaky Friday (2003)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Mark Waters

Writers (WGA):

Mary Rodgers (novel)
Heather Hach (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

6 August 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

Mondays are manic. Wednesdays are wild. And Fridays are about to get a little freaky.

Plot:

An overworked mother and her daughter do not get along. When they switch bodies, each is forced to adapt to the others life for one freaky Friday.

Plot Keywords:

Restaurant | Chinese Restaurant | Widow | Fiancé | Wedding

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 5 wins & 10 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 15	6:00 PM	TBS
Mon. Nov. 16	12:30 AM	TBS

Cast

Jamie Lee Curtis	...	Tess Coleman
Lindsay Lohan	...	Anna Coleman
Mark Harmon	...	Ryan
Harold Gould	...	Grandpa
Chad Michael Murray	...	Jake
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Mr. Bates
Christina Vidal	...	Maddie
Ryan Malgarini	...	Harry Coleman
Haley Hudson	...	Peg
Rosalind Chao	...	Pei-Pei
Lucille Soong	...	Pei-Pei's Mom
Willie Garson	...	Evan
Dina Waters	...	Dottie Robertson
Julie Gonzalo	...	Stacey Hinkhouse
Christina Marie Walter	...	Same Shirt Girl

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild thematic elements and some language.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Mandarin

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:G (all jurisdictions) | USA:PG (certificate #39942) | Malaysia:U | South Korea:All | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:Livre | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. | Netherlands:AL | Norway:7 | Philippines:G | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:6 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, California, USA

Company:

Casual Friday Productions

Trivia:

An installment of "Lizzie McGuire" (2001) starring Hilary Duff (and also produced by Disney) is considered a fourth version of Mary Rodgers' story (see movie connections). Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan had a rivalry during this period (also see trivia for Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004)) and apparently Duff, losing out on this role, demanded that her show get "Freaky" for one installment.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: When asked, Anna tells Jake that she plays her "dad's old Telecaster". The guitar she plays in the movie is not a Telecaster but a Telesonic that wasn't produced and sold until July of 1998. However, the Telesonic is a guitar made by Fender themselves and based heavily on the design of the Telecaster. It is considered a 'supersonic' version of the original guitar, hence the name 'Telesonic'. It would be quite reasonable, for the sake of keeping explanation to a minimum, for Anna to refer to her guitar as a Telecaster.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Tess: Honey, wake up.
Anna: No.
Tess: Anna. Greet the day.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Lindsay Fully Loaded (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

Happy Together

Curtis outstanding as troubled teen in mom's body

At first I couldn't understand why this was the version to see. It didn't seem any better than the Shelley Long/Gaby Hoffmann version I enjoyed years ago. Lindsay Lohan was a holy terror and her mom was merely uptight but nothing special. But of course all that changed when the magic spell took effect and Anna woke up horrified.

There are many deserving performances, mostly dramatic, that get Oscar nominations each year. It's easier for a movie like this to get recognition when comedy has its own categories. But Jamie Lee Curtis was amazing. Such a bizarre sight, this middle-aged woman acting like a teen! Maybe Oscar would be asking too much because of the competition, but Curtis certainly deserved a Golden Globe nomination. And Lindsay Lohan did a capable job of the mom in a teen's body, trying so hard to fit in at school.

Harold Gould's performance also should be noted. He made quite a likable buffoonish grandfather. I liked Rosalind Chao's clueless, almost stereotypical restaurant hostess. Lucille Soong made us notice as Chao's meddling mom who just HAD to help this family. And Jeff Marcus as one of Tess' more troubled patients.

Although the musicians showed talent, I will say I agree with the first opinion Tess had of her daughter's music. It was all just noise! I liked the music for the wedding rehearsal.

I still want to see the Jodie Foster original, and twice I have been annoyed that someone felt the need to do a remake rather than show the original. But this one was really worth it!