Freaky Friday

Freaky Friday (1976)

Genres - Comedy, Children's/Family  |   Sub-Genres - Family-Oriented Comedy, Fantasy Comedy  |   Release Date - Dec 17, 1976 (USA)  |   Run Time - 95 min.  |   Countries - United States  |   MPAA Rating - G
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Review by Andrea LeVasseur

Based on the book by Mary Rodgers, this Walt Disney family comedy showcases a young Jodie Foster doing what she does best: convincingly behaving like an adult. One of the few girl-centric body-switching movies, Freaky Friday works well due to the performances of Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster as the mother and daughter who don't get along until they trade bodies. They both received nominations for Best Actress at the 1976 Golden Globes. The supporting cast of '70s TV stars does pretty well too, with appearances by John Astin, Dick Van Patten, Ruth Buzzi, and even Sorrell Booke (Boss Hogg from The Dukes of Hazzard). Though it's still valid as a family-oriented feature with a moral lesson, this corny comedy is mostly entertaining as a lighthearted glimpse at the style and attitude of the '70s. As a nostalgia piece, it's fondly remembered along with other Walt Disney live-action classics of the time like The Love Bug and Herbie Rides Again. Freaky Friday was remade for TV in 1995 with Shelley Long and Gaby Hoffmann, and significantly updated for a theatrical release in 2003 with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan.