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 | Generation Gap | Chinese Restaurant | Remake | Widow

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 5 wins & 10 nominations

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

Color:

Color (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:

No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani was offered a role as a member of the band.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In all but the third close shot of the drummer at the House of Blues auditions (while he mouths at Anna), the drums you hear are different from those he plays (you hear cymbals when he never actually strikes any, etc.). In the third shot, the audio and video appear to be synchronized.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: (#30.16)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

...Baby One More Time

Just the right touch

Freaky Friday has just the right touch. In making an identity-switch movie, there is always the temptation to overdo things, in both the comedy and the pathos sides. Jamie Lee Curtis has just about the right balance portraying a 15-year-old in a 40-year-old body. On the comedy side, although on occasions coming across as just a little bit too silly, Curtis has on the whole brought out the funny side of the situation without undue exaggeration. The important thing is her success in making the whole thing believable. On the pathos side, her toasting speech in the engagement ceremony is touching performance. Lindsay Logan, on the other hand, has much less opportunity of repeating her brilliant performance in The Parent Trap (1998). The fault is not hers. It's just that it's much less fun watching a 40-year-old in a 15-year-old body than the other way around. While this is obviously the ladies' show, the two beaus provide reliable support. However, it is the fantastic pair of grandpa (Harold Gould) and little brother (Ryan Malgarini) who stole the show, particularly the little guy. I for one would love to see a sequel with this pair swapping bodies. Good flick; well worth the admission price.