Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan reprise their roles in the body-swapping sequel to a remake.
Lightly likable as it is, the sequel to a remake must strain with greater effort to drum up equivalent comic possibilities. In its first montage, the movie borrows from the very experienced director Nisha Ganastra’s The High Note, and it’s a sign of things to come.
Jordan Weiss (Sweethearts, Dollface) is credited for the screenplay, based on a story by herself and Elyse Hollander, and the premise nicely expands the body swapping theme to embrace not only Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her daughter Anna (Lindsay Lohan), but also two teenage girls: Anna’s daughter Harper (Julia Butters) and Lily (Sophia Hammons), the daughter of Anna’s fiancee, Eric (Manny Jacinto).
Before the body swap happens, the film catches up with what Tess and Anna have been doing since the events in Freaky Friday (2003). Still happily married to Ryan (Mark Harmon), Tess appears to have retired as an active psychiatrist and is now awaiting the publication of her first non-fiction book on the subject.
Anna gave up her fledgling career as a musician and became a single mom; she is now preparing for her imminent wedding to British cook Eric, whose first stateside restaurant is about to open in Los Angeles. Anna and Eric are living together in Los Angeles, along with their daughters Harper and Lily, but have not yet decided whether to remain in Los Angeles after their marriage or move to London. That adds to the interpersonal conflict between Harper and Lilly, the latter of whom is still grieving the loss of her mother.
First published in 1972, Mary Rodgers’ novel Freaky Friday was adapted by herself for a Disney live-action version that was released in 1977 and starred Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris. It was typical of Disney’s family-friendly live-action fare at the time, featuring stereotypical characters, enlivened by the performances. Many of its situations felt as though they’d be more at home in a broad comedy in the 1950s.
Adapted by Heather Hach and Leslie Dixon, the 2003 version was directed by Mark Waters, and, smartly updated for the 21st century, the film reflected his sharp sensibilities. Jamie Lee Curtis showcased wonderful aptitude as a comic actress, and Lindsay Lohan showed surprising tenderness in her dramatic scenes. By aging the daughter up, from 13 to 17, more comic possibilities were opened up, and the film took full advantage of them.
(We’ll pause here to observe a moment of silence for the threadbare musical version, released in 2018, which is quite awful, as well as the 1995 Disney Channel version, which I’ve not seen, even though it sounds quite interesting: Shelley Long and Gaby Hoffmann starred, and Melanie Mayron directed. I’m sure there are other Freaky Friday adaptations, somewhere.)
Freakier Friday follows the outline of Mary Rodgers’ book and Mark Waters’ remake, and comes up with a few interesting comic ideas. Mostly, it feels like the writers and filmmakers are picking over territory that has been trod upon so many times that precious little new juice can been squeezed, to mix far too many metaphors.
That being said, Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are very game performers. The film also brings back many of the characters from the 2003 film, including Chad Michael Murray and Stephen Tobolowsky, whether they’re crucial for the narrative or not, which is a lovely nod for nostalgia’s sake.
Beyond nostalgia, the film touches frequently on the themes first developed in Mary Rodgers’ novel: the bond between mother and daughter, and the need to have empathy for the challenges inherent in each role. Freakier Friday is not a truly terrible movie; there are pleasures to be found in the performances, and some of the comic sequences may well bring a smile to the face of many viewers.
If this is your cup of tea, drink and enjoy! If not, other options are available, including Freaky Friday (2003), now streaming on Disney Plus.
The film opens Friday, August 8, throughout the DFW multiplex, only in movie theaters. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Dallas Film Now. 