Freaky Friday on DVD

We didn’t know what to expect with this remake of an original we’d never wanted to see, since the original came out during the dark years of Disney studios.

Too bad; we should have given it a try because this new remake is terrific!

What we got was a delightfully entertaining role reversal tale that not only had us laughing out loud but which had some very nice, poignant moments as well.

Jamie Lee Curtis is Dr. Tess Coleman, the mother, and Lindsay Lohan is her daughter, Anna. They pretty well personify "the generation gap" when the movie opens. Tess is successful, driven and busy and her impending remarriage is keeping her even more at odds with her unhappy daughter.

Anna, meanwhile, is being picked on at school and is generally picked on by everyone at home, too – and it seems as if nothing she can ever do is satisfactory to mom.Her life sucks, and her only release is the rock band of which she's part - yet her mom won't let her attend an important audition because it conflicts with her wedding rehearsal.

Enter a Chinese restaurant owner, who puts a spell on them causing them to switch bodies. Well, never has the idea of walking a mile in another’s shoes come so true for either of these people!

All of a sudden, Tess finds what it’s like to be faced with petty and spiteful teachers, nasty peers and, yes, a potential love in the form of a legitimate hunk. Anna, on the other hand, is forced to cope with her mother's whacko psychiatric patients and her well meaning but understandably confused fiance (Mark Harmon), on the eve of their nuptials!

For his part, Harmon has trouble understanding why his bride-to-be suddenly pulls away from his kisses. Something weird this way comes, and it threatens to destroy the lives of both “freaked” characters.

Curtis and Lohan are both wonderful in their roles, giving delightful performances. Curtis probably has the most fun, though Lohan gets some great moments as well as the mother in a teen’s body coping with issues of which she suddenly finds herself on the opposite side.

Freaky Friday even manages to get into some serious issues such as broken homes, new relationships, and teen sexuality, yet honestly and without beating you over the head with them and destroying the entertaining storyline at the same time. A nice balancing act!

In the end, this is a mother-daughter film that fathers and sons can also enjoy. Two generations of our family watched it (mother, father, and son) and all enjoyed it.

Typically, this Disney DVD is first rate as well. It’s presented in both anamorphic widescreen (16x9 TV compatible) and Pan&Scan on the same disc, accessed by the onscreen menu, and the picture quality of this THX-Certified disc is top notch.

Audio is Dolby Digital 5.1 surround and it’s excellent as well. There isn’t a huge amount of surround, but the dynamic range is very good (which comes in especially handy in the rock band sequences) and your theater will get a decent workout.

As for extras, there are some outtakes that aren’t particularly funny, a deleted scene and some alternate endings (and, yes, they went with the best one). You also get a behind the scenes featurette hosted by the delightful Lohan.

Oh, yeah, there are two music videos as well.

Freaky Friday, from Walt Disney Home Entertainment
97 min. anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1, 16x9 TV compatible)/Pan&Scan, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround
Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Harold Gould, Chad Michael Murray and Mark Harmon
Produced by Andrew Gunn,
Written by Heather Hach and Leslie Dixon, Directed by Mark Waters 

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