Freaky Friday (1976)

Sorry, this movie sucks

Nice effects though.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

With their vibrant turns, Harris and Foster make the movie. The idea of body reversals may not be a new one but it's never been done better than here. Mom (Harris) snipes at daughter (Foster) who still does her own thing anyway. So what would each do if they had role reversals for a day. What would Mom do if she were suddenly in daughter's body and vice-versa. So it's a 30-year old in a teenager's body and a teenager in a wife-mother's body. The concept's loaded with funny potential without much trying. Mom learns what it's like to be in school again, especially when grappling with a new-fangled typewriter, while daughter cooks for Dad's (Astin) big business buffet, with something called an "oven".The material, of course, makes the laughs easy to come by. Still, the two leads shine in their respective roles. Some of the material can get touchy as when daughter uses Mom's mature figure to tempt neighbor boy. Nonetheless, it's humorously finessed. Hard to believe Foster really is only 13 given her abilities. Good to see such movie vets as Marie Windsor, Patsy Kelly, and Iris Adrian picking up paydays. I had to check the cast list twice to make sure it really was noir vamp Windsor playing a teacher, of all things. Anyway, except for the overdone madcap of the finale, the movie's a delight, even for non-Disney viewers like myself.

Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster make Freaky Friday very good wholesome family fun. Foster and Harris are the whole entertaining show. I really love Freaky Friday as it's so plainly enjoyable. Annabel is one of Foster's many great roles. Preteen Jodie is terrific as Annabel. Young Foster is so good as Annabel, she darn near makes Freaky Friday more than just a free flowing comedy by craftily emplacing dramatic depth through her characterization. Freaky Friday takes on a higher meaning than its fun and simply good story. There's no discernible plot and it's a good thing! It shows sort as a series of kind moments, I really appreciate it for that. Barbara Harris is excellent as Mrs. Andrews. She really nails the feel of the movie with her performance. Barbara Harris IS soooo gorgeous. Freaky Friday has an easily enjoyable premise. The mother becoming the daughter and going back to school and the daughter becoming the mother and going off to work is a great movie formula. The Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan Freaky Friday isn't nearly as good as this one, but I still like that one too. This movie is massively popular. Freaky Friday is beyond great, its greatness isn't restrained by its technical rating. Freaky Friday is a friendly, fun, fine film.

Parents and children are usually at odds in matters of responsibility and what is expected of them. Parents do not have it easy because there are times when they feel they want to step back from their stressed lives in exchange for what they perceive is an easy life their children are living. In turn, children would change places with a parent in that it would give them the freedom to do things their elders are denying them.Basically, that is the premise for this Walt Disney film that is based on the Mary Rodgers novel. Directed by Gary Nelson, the 1976 film pales in comparison to the much better revision of 2003 directed by Marc Waters resulting in a much entertaining film. The problem for this film lays in the fact it is not as funny as the much superior remake that came out almost thirty years later.The only thing going in this version is the wonderful performance by Barbara Harris, an actress that has not been seen much lately, but who always delivered either in her stage work, or in films. It is our loss. Ms. Harris is equally matched by Jodie Foster as the grown up trapped in a young body. John Astin, the wonderful Patsy Kelly playing a housekeeper from hell, Kay Ballard and Ruth Buzzi do their best to save the comedy.

Never particularly loved this movie but it is lifted above the usual Disney fare by Jodie Foster, who was just totally incredible in this. You watch her and she nails the part - her performances in her movies are always better than great but to have been this good as a kid is kinda spooky, she delivers her lines so well. She is just about one of the finest actresses working in movies today along with Meryl Streep. It is so rare for a child to be as mature in performance as Jodie was. I guess the nearest child star in terms of performance is Haley Joel Osment. I have seen the remake with LL and JC but they just do not make such a good job of the parts as Jodie and Barbara (who seems to have disappeared from the movie scene-curse of the older actress).