The classic Disney film from 1976 is redone into this entertaining and funny remake starring the duo of Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. Writers Heather Hach, and Leslie Dixon manage to take a creaky wheeled comedy and make it fresh, of course modernizing it, but also create a cast of genuinely likable characters that people will love. In this version Jamie Lee Curtis plays Tess Coleman, an uptight, strict, and anal mother who is very busy with her career. As well as her family and her upcoming marriage to her boyfriend Ryan (Mark Harmon), and her daughter Anna, who is a drama queen who is bullied in school, failing in class and is at war with her mother almost 24/7.
The two are polar opposites, complete paradoxes and it shows as they battle with one another every moment of the day. After the two fight in a Chinese restaurant, they’re given fortune cookies by a mischievous old waitress who tells them to break them open which leads to an shattering Earthquake no one has felt except them. The next morning they get one heck of a surprise as Tess wakes up in Anna’s body and Anna wakes up in Tess’ body. Terrified, frantic, and shocked, the two manage to make a deal and live each other’s lives until they can figure out how to switch back. In the process the two learn to understand the other’s life, friends, and situations while becoming ever closer. What propels this film into the entertaining aspect is the relationships between the cast of characters. Curtis instills a strong sense of power and determination into her character giving her more dimensions beyond the concept of the strict uptight mother.
Curtis can act, which is a plus, so when she’s being annoying to the character of Anna, she’s never really annoying to the audience. We know she’s strict, and we know she’s anal but Curtis makes it look as if there is a method to her madness. Lohan was great in “Parent Trap” and she’s great in this. The two actresses to take their massive generation gaps and combine them, showing that their bodies have switched and Lohan and Curtis pull off their shtick well. It was stunning because Lohan and Curtis simply perfect each other’s personalities, their facial expressions, tone of voices, and best of all, their mannerisms. What’s great is that even pretending to be one another, Curtis and Lohan have a lot of chemistry and play off one another. Their quirky quick dialogue, hilarious one-liners, and opposite pairing is just great to watch. “Freaky Friday” is a fun, very well-acted and laugh out loud funny remake.