My views: 12
For Christmas of 2003, my family finally got a DVD player. Well, okay, technically we had one before that, since there was one with the computer in my parents' bedroom, but that was when we first got one for the TV in the living room. We also got several DVDs to go with it that Christmas, and one of them was Freaky Friday. Since we didn't have many DVDs at that time, we watched the ones we did have over and over throughout the end of 2003 and beginning of 2004. So despite the numerous times I've watched it since then, Freaky Friday will always take me back to that winter and how excited I was to experience these movies and their special features with my family.
Of the movies we got that Christmas, I'm pretty sure this is the only one to make the list, so I obviously kept watching it for reasons other than that it was one of the few DVDs available. I don't think I'll ever get tired of revisiting it. The acting is simply phenomenal. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are so good at playing each other that they almost have me convinced, and even after seeing it a dozen times, I still have to remind myself that no one actually switches bodies. I also really like the story and message. In the beginning, neither Tess nor Anna was actively trying to be selfish, but they had kind of started taking each other for granted, which can lead to all sorts of misunderstandings and fights. We can't physically switch bodies with other people when we get frustrated with them, but we can make a little more effort to imagine what it might be like in their skin.
I think this is one of the first films that actually made me cry. Oh, I had come close to tearing up watching movies before, like when Mufasa died, but I used to be pretty good about keeping my eyes dry. But during the band competition when they're both on stage helping each other out, and later during the toast at the rehearsal dinner, I pretty much always shed a few tears. This movie makes me so emotional, which is a bit unexpected since on the surface it's a lighthearted family comedy. It really manages to get at deep issues about relationships, particularly between family members. Yes, there are a lot of funny things that come out of the switch, but the whole selfless love part is what really matters, and that's what I get out of this movie. Too often, people forget that unconditional, selfless love is what family is meant to be all about. I think whenever two family members get into a huge fight with each other, they should be required to sit down and watch Freaky Friday together. It may be naive to imply that this would solve all the world's problems, but it might solve a few, and that's all you can ask from any movie.
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