Freaky Friday (1976)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Gary Nelson

Writers:

Mary Rodgers (screenplay)
Mary Rodgers (book)

Release Date:

21 January 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

Annabel and her Mother are not quite themselves today- in fact, they're each other! [UK]

Plot:

A mother and daughter find their personalities switched and have to live each other's lives on one strange Friday.

Plot Keywords:

Wish | Water Skiing | Typewriter | Wish Fulfillment | Hockey

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes.

Cast

Barbara Harris	...	Ellen Andrews
Jodie Foster	...	Annabel Andrews
John Astin	...	William Waring Andrews
Patsy Kelly	...	Mrs. Schmauss - Maid
Dick Van Patten	...	Harold Jennings
Vicki Schreck	...	Virginia
Sorrell Booke	...	Charles Dilk - School Principal
Alan Oppenheimer	...	Mr. Joffert
Ruth Buzzi	...	Opposing Coach
Kaye Ballard	...	Coach Betsy
Marc McClure	...	Boris Harris
Marie Windsor	...	Mrs. Murphy - Typing Teacher
Sparky Marcus	...	Ben Andrews
Ceil Cabot	...	Miss McGuirk
Brooke Mills	...	Lucille Gibbons - Secretary

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG (TV rating) | Iceland:L | Canada:G (video rating) | Australia:G | Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

The title song "I'd Like to be You for a Day" is sung by Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster.

Goofs:

Continuity: As the fired maid does a wheelie in traffic, the long shot shows her rotation in one direction, but the close shot finds her spinning in the another.

Quotes:

Mrs. Ellen Andrews (as Annabel): I was only kidding, Daddy.
Mr. William Waring 'Bill' Andrews: Daddy? You never called me "Daddy" before?
Mrs. Ellen Andrews (as Annabel): [covering up the problem] Oh, and I never will again, Bill, Dear.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gilmore Girls: Haunted Leg (#3.2)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

I'd Like to Be You for a Day

Barbara Harris is da bomb

While the remake with Curtis and Lohan was good and Hollywood smooth with better production values (so what), the main difference is in the lead actors. I mean you know Jodie Foster can act circles around Lindsay Lohan (who couldn't) but the main difference is in the moms. Jaime Lee Curtis is a savvy pro who has her own take on the role but it's pretty flat in comparison. Barbara Harris I didn't remember from her small roles in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Peggy Sue Got Married but now that my memory has been jogged, she did a fine job. This movie, though, is her tour-de-force. What a fantastic performance. She is flawless and incredibly funny in this role. As fine a comedic turn as anyone has ever done; the nuances of voice, the facial expressions, the slapstick - all spot on.

Jodie Foster is no slouch either. Her teenage roles have showed maturity beyond her years and a thorough understanding of her roles. She shines in this one. The supporting cast is well chosen and they're all good too.

I can see why they remade it, though. Todays kids don't usually get into old movies so with a box office cinch like Lohan, why not? I like a lot of the 60's and 70's movies since that is my generation and subsequently have trouble enjoying the 30's and 40's movies. But a good movie is a good movie no matter when it was made.