Movie Review by Susan Hodgetts
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Mark Harmon, Harold Gould, Chad Michael Murray
Director: Mark S Waters
A re-working of the original Barbara Harris/Jodie Foster film from 1976 FREAKY FRIDAY features Jamie Lee Curtis as the mother and Lindsay Lohan as the daughter forced to swap bodies to learn a harsh lesson in respect.
Dr Tess Coleman (Curtis) is a busy shrink who’s about to marry Ryan (Mark Harmon) much to her great delight but her daughter Anna’s (Lindsay Lohan) great chagrin. Having been widowed three years before the issue is difficult but the biggest issue by far slapping them in the face is the fact that Tess and Anna are going through the mother-daughter hate relationship and totally misunderstand each other. Teenage rebel rocker Anna has streaky hair and an attitude like a tetchy bulldog. Her and younger brother Harry rip each other to pieces whilst Shrink Mom Tess is busy ordering halibut for her wedding buffet. Anna practises with her rock band in the garage but needs to go to a big audition on the same night as her mother’s wedding dinner. But Mom would never let her go – would she? When the disagreements reach fever pitch and the pair have a blazing row in a Chinese restaurant, the meddling Chinese owner sees an opportunity to let both have a taste of their own medicine. Consequently Mom is sent back to survive high school for the day and Anna is thrown into the nutty, needy world of her mother’s shrink patients. Both are desperate to change back to salvage their own plans, lives and reputations, but they must see eye-to-eye first…
Good, enjoyable family entertainment along with great guitar solos, both Curtis and Lohan are superb in their roles and director Mark Waters handles potential confusion over the body switches perfectly well, and keeps the plot moving along so there never seems to be a dull moment. In fact, the actresses manage the switch so well, it’s hard to match the characters beforehand with their own skins. The plot is nicely balanced too with guys for the gals in the form of Harmon as Ryan for Mom and the rather attractive Chad Michael Murray as Jake, Anna’s fixation at High School.
Perhaps not as witty as it might have been from the material available but still very enjoyable fluff and a perfect feel-good movie.
