August 9, 2003 -- “Freaky Friday,” the remake of the 1976 Disney film starring Jodie Foster, works a lot better than I expected it would. The last thing anyone needs this summer is another lame remake or sequel, but this one is very entertaining. I might have to go back to watch the first film to see if it measures up to the remake.

Jamie Lee Curtis of “The Tailor of Panama” stars as the mother, Tess Coleman, who magically switches bodies with her daughter, Annabell Coleman (played by Lindsay Lohan of “The Parent Trap,” another good Disney remake) the day before Tess' wedding to Ryan (played by Mark Harmon of “The Presidio”). Tess and her daughter had been fighting before the switch, each thinking the other has life pretty easy. The magical body switch gives them a chance to see just how difficult their lives really are. Tess has to go to school, where she finds out her daughter's teachers and classmates can be pretty tough to deal with. Anna finds out her mother's career as a psychiatrist is very challenging. She also finds out things about Ryan and her little brother that give her a new perspective on her life. The story turns sentimental near the end, and quite effectively so.

The key to this kind of movie is the actors ability to make the audience believe that a teenage girl's mind is in the body of her mother and vice versa. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan do this very well. The fun of the story is in the mistakes each of them make trying to pretend to be someone they are not. The sentimental part of the story is that they each gain a better appreciation for value and worth of each other, and other people in their lives, too. This film is rich in these kinds of positive human values.

Other characters in the film include Grandpa (Harold Gould), Anna's bratty little brother, Harry, (Ryan Malgarini), Anna's boyfriend, Jake (Chad Murray), Anna's mean-spirited teacher, Mr. Bates (Stephen Tobolowsky of “Groundhog Day”) and Rosalind Chao of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” who plays Pei-Pei, the owner of the Chinese restaurant where the magical body switch takes place (caused by magical fortune cookies). Lohan, who is a singer, as well as an actor, performs her first pop single, “Ultimate,” on the movie soundtrack. She also performs as a singer and guitar player in the movie as part of a garage band trying for a nightclub gig.

The main characters are all treated with respect. The characters of Tess and Anna are well-written, but the other characters in the film are very thin. Ryan, who should have been a major character, is almost completely pushed aside as he becomes more and more confused by the bizarre behavior of Tess and Anna. Jake is a mere plot device. His motivations change with slight breezes. Nevertheless, the light and breezy comedy works very well for the most part, and the film's emotional climax is surprisingly powerful. This film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2003 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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