Super Fun Pan-Generational Comedy

As I left an advance screening of Freakier Friday behind a twenty-something and her grandmother, I heard them exclaim, almost in unison, “That was fun!” As someone who falls between the two in age, I agree! This film has pan-generational appeal, effectively capturing the Gen Z, Gen X and Boomer experiences. And, I have a feeling my own Silent Generation mother would also have laughed out loud.

The film relies on a similar structure to its 2003 predecessor Freaky Friday, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, who reprise their roles, as do many of that film’s cast members. For those who somehow missed the 1976 movie, along with the 1995 made-for-TV movie or the 2003 remake of the 1976 film, the main plot point is that a mother and daughter swap bodies due to some magic MacGuffin and can only swap back when they understand one another. The last bit is nicely executed in this film.

Freakier Friday ★★★★ (4/5 stars)
Directed by: Nisha Ganatra
Written by: Jordan Weiss, Elyse Hollander, Mary Rodgers
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan
Running time: 111 mins

As well as the conceit of the movie, many plot points echo the 2003 film: the single parents find love – the meet cute between Anna (Lohan) and Eric Reyes (the charming Manny Jacinto) is, indeed, quite cute – the kids try to end their parents’ marriage, body swap hijinks culminate in a rock concert climax, and, like a good Shakespeare comedy, it ends with a wedding and the restoration of natural order. Even Anna’s old boyfriend Jake (reprised by Chad Michael Murray), who pines for the married and much older Tess (Curtis), finds someone to love, though she bears an eerie resemblance to 2003 Tess.

It is a relief, though not surprising, that director Nisha Ganatra (who directed Mindy Kaling’s Late Night (2019)) avoids the racist elements of the 2003 remake, which relied on “Chinese voodoo” for the switch. Indeed, it centers Asian characters rather than exoticizing them: Anna falls in love with Eric Reyes, a British Filipino father to Lily (Sophia Hammond), her daughter’s nemesis. Despite the potential for a multi-layered blended family story, the film leans into the differences between England and California, rather than addressing other cultural divides.

Making fun of America vs. England is pretty safe ground, as is having the magic generated by Madam Jen (the deadpan Vanessa Bayers hailing from exotic Ohio), a gig worker trying to find her niche. She lost her Farmers Market stand and, now working out of the closest Starbucks, seems more than a little surprised at her powers.

Even if some of these choices seem to pander on reflection, in the moment Genatra and her cast make it all feel natural. And the audience wins. The returning cast members are first rate, recognizable comedians effectively ham it up in smaller roles, and new supporting cast create dimensional, elevated performances that deliver belly laughs: Santina Muha’s INS Agent and X Mayo’s Principal stand out. Also, be sure to stick around for the blooper credits, no spoilers!

This is derivative in every way, but it’s a great sequel. Like Naked Gun, we’ve waited a whole generation, but unlike that film, the actors have literally grown into their new roles. Plus Ganatra breathes new life into the story, particularly capturing the Gen Z experience, both in the daughters Lily and Harper (a nuanced Julia Butters), as well as in Ella, the musician Anna manages (the ever charming Maitreyi Ramakrishnan from Never Have I Ever). Anna’s band, Pink Slip, is better than ever (Lohan brushed up her guitar skills and it shows), and Curtis flexes her comedy chops – she might have chewed through the scenery if it weren’t for some pesky lip plumper (just wait).

Freakier Friday is delightfully self-referential, delivering several satisfying callbacks to the 2003 film. One hilarious scene in Jake’s record store features a choice “Hit Me Baby One More Time” needle drop and showcases editor Eleanor Infante’s brilliant timing, as well as the physical comedy prowess of Curtis and Lohan. Rife with pop-culture references from Dirty Dancing to Braveheart – a student deliberately smears half her face with blue frosting before launching a key lime pie during an all out food fight, which in itself is a nod to the classic American teen comedy – it keeps the audience of all generations of filmgoers engaged and giggling.