Before her crowning role as Cady Heron, and long before her rebellious streak and bouts of drug addiction, Lindsay Lohan turned out some deliciously addictive family classics: including “The Parent Trap” (1998), “Life–Size” (2000) and of course, “Freaky Friday.”
In “Freaky Friday,” Lohan plays the fifteen–year–old Anna Coleman, an angsty teenage girl resentful of her mom Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) for not taking her dreams of being a rock star seriously (we’ve all been there, girlfriend) and for getting remarried too soon after the death of her father. Both think the other one has it easier. After Tess and Anna visit a Chinese restaurant and are given some magical fortune cookies by the wise and observant restaurant–owner, they wake up the next morning as usual – except they are in each other’s bodies.
What many people don’t know is that this surprisingly entertaining movie is a remake of a 1976 Disney film of the same name, which features Jodie Foster as the lead role. The general plot line is the same, but this version has been updated for the new millennium. It shines because of its amazing cast, and Curtis and Lohan play off each other very well.
While we root for Lindsay to clean herself up and make her long–awaited comeback (“Liz & Dick” on Lifetime this month!), it’s always fun to take a look at her underrated classics. “Freaky Friday,” directed by Penn alum Mark Waters, is a funny throwback to a big hit of our elementary school years, a reminder of the struggles of getting along with parents and a warning to always heed the advice of your fortune cookies. This movie’s the ultimate: it’s automatic, we’re sure of it.
