Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Harold Gould, Stephen Tobolowsky, Christina Vidal, Ryan Malgarini, Haley Hudson, Willie Garson

Written By: Heather Hawke and Leslie Dickson, based on the novel by Mary Roger’s

Directed By: Mark Waters

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures

Release Year: 2003

Audio desProduced by: Deluxe

Written by:

Narrated By:

what is it?: A remake of the original, and the book, which has a mother, Tess (Curtis) switch places with her daughter Anna (Lohan), as Tess’s pending nuptials to a new man in their lives (Harmon) looms. But is he really the reason they are so dysfunctional? Perhaps by walking in the others shoes, they will learn how to make things less Freaky.

What Works: I love this film. This is a desert island film for me. It’s a comfort movie. Those kinds of films aren’t always the most technically proficient, but prove to be endlessly rewatchable. I’ve seen this a bunch of times, so naturally I was happy to put my review on the Tomatometer. In honor of this film getting a legacy sequel, and Lohan’s career possibly being revived, it’s time to talk about why this version is great.

Nostalgia need not apply here. I did not grow up with this. So, if you saw my negative review of the original, note that I was in college when this came out. I was working in theaters, pre-blindness, and of course I have the DVD, and I have the movie poster. All of that came when I was 20, not a teen or a kid. Yet, Mark Waters found just the perfect balance so it doesn’t feel like little kids are being courted, and adults can enjoy this. It aims at everyone, casting a wide net.

Jamie Lee Curtis is delightful here. this is part of her excellent comedic work, which she often gets discounted for. but between this and aFish Called Wanda, and several other efforts, you would think she would be known as much for comedy as she is a scream queen. Her ability to poke fun at herself, or her appearance, when she has to pretend to be Anna, is delightful. “I’m like the Cryptkeeper!” She has chemistry with everyone she’s on screen with, and just makes the film better. She also lands the emotional weight at the end with that toast.

but, Lohan is also excellent. She’s in her sweet spot, having already done The Parent Trap and Mean Girls, she’s just continuing to harness her comic timing. She does the angsty teen thing well, and has nice scenes with Henry, when she’s pretending to be older and wiser. The best Harry scene is with Curtis though, at the teacher evaluation where Curtis (as Anna) learns her little brother loves her. All that fighting is just for fun.

Mark Harmon is very nice, very suave, and accessible. He’s an Everyman, who seems ready to accept and understand. Chad Michael Murray plays the bad boy who actually isn’t in a fun way. This was around the time he started to rise with One tre hill. It might be a little schmaltzy at times, or too goofy for some, but I have very little I’d change.

What doesn’t Work: it is a little weird that Harry never gets reprimanded. Like… ever. the more I watch it, he does a lot of things his mother just overlooks. Anna does have a point.

The Audio Description: Sadly, I think this one misses the mark a little. The only thing is, I’ve seen this film a dozen times, and there are a lot of jokes that are explained later. I’m trying to think about the person experiencing this for the first time, and I’m not sure this is the best Deluxe has done. Freaky Friday is pretty close to me having seen it enough that I don’t really need the audio description, personally, because a lot of the images come back to me. But like, with Harry and the underwear, he’s trapped for a while, and his mom is trying to get him out of it, before it is mentioned that he had underwear on his head in the description. So the bulk of the joke is gone. It’s akin to having to explain the punchline to a joke. that’s what it feels like.

Why you Might Like this: because it’s a lot of fun, easily the best version, and a modern classic. With as many times as this thing has been adapted, from the Jodie Foster/Barbara Harris original, to the Wonderful World of Disney version with Shelley Long and Gaby Hoffman that sadly isn’t on Disney plus, to the stage musical from the writers of Next To Normal, which was then turned into a film for Disney Channel, and even the male version with Fred Savage and judge Reinhold, only one has ever gotten a sequel. this one.

Why you Might Not Like it: It’s too goofy for your taste, and you’re still waiting for Breathless to get audio description.

Final thoughts: I’d take this to a desert island with me. Freaky Friday is cinematic comfort food, with a familiarity that plays like your favorite meal, and performances from Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan that make them feel like family. This is the definitive and best adaptation of this material.

Fresh: 9.1/10