Un viernes de locos

Freaky Friday has just the right touch. In making an identity-switch movie, there is always the temptation to overdo things, in both the comedy and the pathos sides. Jamie Lee Curtis has just about the right balance portraying a 15-year-old in a 40-year-old body. On the comedy side, although on occasions coming across as just a little bit too silly, Curtis has on the whole brought out the funny side of the situation without undue exaggeration. The important thing is her success in making the whole thing believable. On the pathos side, her toasting speech in the engagement ceremony is touching performance. Lindsay Logan, on the other hand, has much less opportunity of repeating her brilliant performance in The Parent Trap (1998). The fault is not hers. It's just that it's much less fun watching a 40-year-old in a 15-year-old body than the other way around. While this is obviously the ladies' show, the two beaus provide reliable support. However, it is the fantastic pair of grandpa (Harold Gould) and little brother (Ryan Malgarini) who stole the show, particularly the little guy. I for one would love to see a sequel with this pair swapping bodies. Good flick; well worth the admission price.

This is about the third adaptation of the Mary Rodgers novel. Finally, the team behind this film has gotten it together. It's obvious the original text has been revised in order to include the language of today. But the best thing about the movie is the casting assembled for it, with a sure director's hand behind it.

Actually, this is about the first film that has made me laugh since "Bringing down the house" that came out earlier this year. Most comedies today seem to forget that the basic premise for their existence is to amuse the audiences and entertain them, at the same time.

Mark Waters, the director shows he has a fine sense of how to make things move constantly in this comedy about identity changes. Of course, this film wouldn't be half the fun it is without Jamie Lee Curtis, who has never been as effective in any previous films. Her take on Tess Coleman, the not so cool therapist, strikes the right tone.

Her daughter is played with a lot of conviction by Lindsay Lohan, who is totally believable as the typical teen ager working through the pain of losing a father and getting a replacement she is not too fond of.

Things move at a rapid pace; there is never a dull moment in the film. It's a perfect summer comedy that will leave the viewer satisfied and happy.

Look . . . I'm mainly into sci-fi, fantasy, action-thriller, and special effects movies (i.e. Matrix, LOTR, Identity, Star Wars, etc.) and generally try to avoid chic flicks and warm-fuzzy feel-good movies. After watching the current Freaky Friday starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan now I understand why.

See, I'm a guy, and guys don't cry, well, that's what we've been told. On top of that I'm 48 years old so I'd better have my maturity act together. So, what happened? Besides laughing my butt off at the truly funny scenes (my wife and I caught a few stares from other movie-goers), I had to strain every muscle in my body to keep from bawling like a, no, it can't be true .. . girl.

I might have to consult a therapist (Jamie Lee can certainly fill that role anytime) to understand why this movie had such a profound effect on my emotions. Maybe it's because my parents never really understood me (I certainly understand them now) or maybe it's because I have a couple daughters and I've rarely tried to put myself in their shoes. This movie accomplished that for me, big time . . . the ultimate exercise in empathy.

The interaction between mother and daughter was superbly acted and very believable especially with the switched roles. Moreover, the supporting characters, from the little brother, to the fiancé, to the grandfather, to even the detention monitor at the school were also outstanding and made this story a real winner.

I can honestly say that this is in my top 20 favorite movies of all time and I will most certainly buy the DVD when available. I can't believe I've been saying all this about a movie way out of my usual genre but here it is, in writing. Please watch this movie, and then tell me I'm not losing it. Enjoy!

At first I couldn't understand why this was the version to see. It didn't seem any better than the Shelley Long/Gaby Hoffmann version I enjoyed years ago. Lindsay Lohan was a holy terror and her mom was merely uptight but nothing special. But of course all that changed when the magic spell took effect and Anna woke up horrified.

There are many deserving performances, mostly dramatic, that get Oscar nominations each year. It's easier for a movie like this to get recognition when comedy has its own categories. But Jamie Lee Curtis was amazing. Such a bizarre sight, this middle-aged woman acting like a teen! Maybe Oscar would be asking too much because of the competition, but Curtis certainly deserved a Golden Globe nomination. And Lindsay Lohan did a capable job of the mom in a teen's body, trying so hard to fit in at school.

Harold Gould's performance also should be noted. He made quite a likable buffoonish grandfather. I liked Rosalind Chao's clueless, almost stereotypical restaurant hostess. Lucille Soong made us notice as Chao's meddling mom who just HAD to help this family. And Jeff Marcus as one of Tess' more troubled patients.

Although the musicians showed talent, I will say I agree with the first opinion Tess had of her daughter's music. It was all just noise! I liked the music for the wedding rehearsal.

I still want to see the Jodie Foster original, and twice I have been annoyed that someone felt the need to do a remake rather than show the original. But this one was really worth it!

To make Freaky Friday work perfectly; you would have to believe that Jamie Lee Curtis is Lindsay Lohan and Lindsay Lohan is Jamie Lee Curtis. Although at times it seemed that way, at other times, it just seemed like Lohan was trying to be Curtis and Curtis was trying to be Lohan. Any way you look at it, Freaky Friday is a family-friendly film that tries to please everyone, and does. It pleases shallow teen prep girls because of Chad Michael Murray. It pleases teen boys because of Lindsay Lohan. It pleases older men because of a Jamie Lee Curtis thong shot. It pleases older women because of Mark Harmon. It pleases the whole family, being that they already saw Finding Nemo and it's the only other family movie out there.

Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis) (changed from Ellen Andrews from the novel by Mary Rodgers) is a harried psychiatrist who still has time for her family. Anna Colemen (Lohan) (changed from Annabel Andrews) is supposed to be a typical teenager (but is anything but), and has daily fights with her younger brother Harry (Ryan Malgarini) (changed from Ben Andrews). Tess is going to marry Ryan (Harmon), because her husband died three years ago (can't there be a Disney movie with both parents still alive?), of whom Anna doesn't approve. After a fueled feud, Tess and Anna open fortune cookies that switch bodies: Tess is in Anna's body, and vice versa. Whatever will be done?

Although most people have praised Curtis for her accurate portrayal of a typical teen (although with the people at my school, what she does is anything but typical), and she should be, Lohan does better at being an adult. If Lohan, a teenager, could be an adult so well, that's rather scary. I thought at most times Lohan was Tess, but Curtis was having too much fun as Anna to really be thought of as great. Instead of acting like Lohan, Curtis just acts like a young kid who just ate too much ice cream.

One part of Freaky Friday that I didn't like is how often we were put in an awkward situation. And when they were there, they just didn't seem plausible. All of a sudden, Anna-as-Tess is a guest on a talk show, talks to someone she has a crush on, and watches Tess-as-Anna perform? Not only were they awkward, they were just not believable. On the other hand, Freaky Friday not only has some genuinely funny moments, but is also quite touching at times. Obviously, it was going to be, and Tess and Anna were going to learn to respect each other, considering it was shown in the trailer.

One other part I didn't like was how far it strayed from the book. It only focused on Anna-as-Tess (Annabel-as-Ellen), and how she spent her day. Of course, back then she was a housewife, but now she has to be a successful doctor. I do admire it for changing it, unlike others, which is basically watching the book. Overall, Freaky Friday is a likable, pleasant 90-minute diverter. It won't change your life, but you won't be upset you saw it.

My rating: 7/10

Rated PG for mild thematic elements and some language.