Freaky Friday -- 2003

Freaky Friday

(2003)

Rated G
My Rating: 4 Stars

Jamie Lee Curtis
Lindsay Lohan
Mark Harmon
Harold Gould
Chad Michael Murray
Stephen Tobolowsky
Christina Vidal
Ryan Malgarini

“Whoa! She's blind!”

This film would have gotten 5 stars, had it not been for a few things listed below. It's an amazing film. Bravo to the actors and director and everyone else who was involved in the making of this film. It was hilarious, sweet and totally unique.

Summary:
Have you ever wished you could trade places with someone else for the day? Ever been envious because someone else seems to have a perfect life and yours is full of troubles? Think again.

Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her daughter Anna (Lindsay Lohan) have one or two things in common, one being that they share the same last name. Oh. They also live in the same house. They get along about as well as a cat and dog and the pet canary (they don't have one; it was just a simile). Tess is a psychiatrist; Anna plays in a rock band. Tess is getting married again; Anna likes a boy but isn't sure if he likes her and she definitely doesn't like her Mom's boyfriend. Tess loves her son Harry; Anna hates her brother.

But the climax comes when (1: Tess is getting married in two days. (2: Anna is in detention twice in one day. (3: The band gets an opportunity to play at a big concert (just one song!) but it's in the evening of Tess and Ryan's wedding rehearsal/dinner. Tess says absolutely not; that's ridiculous. Why would Anna even think of asking something like that of her?! Unfortunately (or perhaps not), Anna asked the question while they were at their favorite Chinese restaurant and someone overheard the argument that followed.

Just at the climax if their anger towards each other, a Chinese grandmother toddles up to them, offering each a fortune cookie bearing this legend: “A journey soon begins, it's prize reflected in another's eyes. When what you see is what you lack, then selfish love will change you back.” Immediately afterwards, an earthquake shook the building and all thoughts of weddings, auditions and elderly Chinese ladies with silvers trays out of their heads.

That night, however, something strange happened. At least, that's what Tess thought when she woke up... in Anna's room. Suddenly, she discovered that she was not only in Anna's room, she was also in Anna's body! And true to form, Anna was in Tess' room, in Tess' body.

This set of circumstances would have dismayed anybody but it doubly dismayed Anna and Tess. The wedding is... tomorrow. Can they be changed back? If so, how?

What I Liked:
1: This movie was brilliantly acted. I was constantly amazed at the actors and how well they played their parts. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, especially.
2: The lessons the viewer learns while watching this movie are numerous. I was also surprised how several of them came about.
3: The twists... I wouldn't have thought of half of them.
4: The romance.
5: The humor. I kept laughing out loud throughout the entire film. Bravo!
6: Even though I'm not into rock, I must say, I was impressed by the musical abilities of the bad. They were pretty good. :-)

What I Didn't Like:
1: The rock music gave me a headache.
2: Some crude references. Nothing terrible but not especially good either. :-P

Things to Know:
1: Some immodesty. Nothing that didn't help the film but...
2: There is a lot of rock.
3: Some typically dressed/styled teens.
4: Mean pranks played by some of the characters.
5: The Chinese grandmother practiced 'magic' on Tess and Anna.

I repeat, however, this story is amazing.

“Well, when you get your body back, it's grounded.”

The Parent Trap -- 1998

The Parent Trap

(1998)

PG for mild mischief

My Rating 5 Stars

Lindsay Lohan

Dennis Quaid

Natasha Richardson

Elaine Hendrix

Lisa Ann Walter

Simon Kunz

Ronnie Stevens

Joanna Barnes

The first time I watched this movie was during a difficult time in my life and it made me laugh so hard. Ever since then, it's been my in my top ten list of movies... along with Fiddler on the Roof, Miss Potter and Narnia.

Summary:

When Hallie Parker (Lindsay Lohan), cool girl from California, and Annie James (Lindsey Lohan), prim miss from England, meet at summer camp, they promptly become worst enemies. So what that they both look so much alike that no one can tell them apart!

“The difference between us is that I have class and you don't.” [insert British accent]

But after a round of pranks played on each other and the two are sent to the isolation cabin, they can't help but notice the similarities in their lives... such as, they both love Oreos with peanut butter on them, they each have one parent missing (Hallie only has a dad and Annie only has a mom) and their birthdays are on the same day.

It's then that Annie begins to wonder... she asks Hallie if she has a picture of her mother. Yes, Hallie says, but only one and it's only half a picture, torn down the middle. Annie's eyes widen. “My picture of my father is half a picture, too!” And when they show each other their pictures, it's clear that Annie and Hallie look alike for good a reason: they're identical twins.

The girls immediately become inseparable. The time they have together seems very short, now. As the precious moments pass and the time draws ever nearer to part, they come up with a scheme so hair brained that it might just work. They were going to switch places. Annie would pretend to be Hallie and go to California while Hallie would pretend to be Annie and go to England. The purpose of said plan is two-fold:

1: They each get to know the parent that had missed.

2: Get their Mom and Dad back together.

What ensues is hilarious and incredibly sweet. My entire family loves this film!

What I Liked:

1: The score... from the first until the last, it's perfect!

2: The acting. Everyone is incredibly gifted... I love Lisa Ann Walters and Simon Kunz. :-)

3: Lindsay Lohan. She's a big reason the movie is a success.

4: The story. I love the evil girlfriend. But I wish they hadn't used the name Meredith. Lol. I like that name.

5: The pranks. They didn't seem outlandish or impossible.

6: Elaine Hendrix was a great pick for the girlfriend. ;-)

7: The scene where Hallie meets her mom for the first time never fails to tear me up.

8: The Elizabeth James character is probably my favorite. She is so graceful.. gentle.. beautiful and I love her smile! Shy... demure.

What I Didn't Like:

1: Meredith is fairly seductive, which is quite necessary for the story, but some of the outfits are... well, less than modest.

2: One part, Nick touches Meredith inappropriately. We always put a pillow over the t.v. at that point. It happens when “Hallie” (Annie) is first home and is watching them out the window through her camera.

I highly recommend this film. :-)