Believe it or not, it’s been 17 years since Walt Disney Pictures brought a fan favorite, Freaky Friday, to theaters. This famous rendition of the 1972 novel by Mary Rodgers starred Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. Walt Disney Pictures released two renditions of the story before this 2003 blockbuster, the original 1976 version starring Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris. The second was a made-for-TV film starring Shelley Long and Gaby Hoffmann in 1995. Third time’s a charm!
As the story goes, Anna Coleman suffers through a life of teenage struggles. Her mother, Tess, is a widowed therapist. Personal stress leads to typical mother-daughter feuding. That is, until a family dinner one night at Pei-Pei’s, when the pair’s tension builds into an explosive, public argument. Pei-Pei’s mother interrupts the fight to offer Anna and Tess fortune cookies, and after cooling down, they read their fortunes aloud. Directly afterwards, an earthquake shakes the building, but only Anna and Tess feel it. All seems well, until the next morning, when the two wake up in each other’s bodies!
The rest of the story follows, as the two learn about one another’s lives, and the struggles that the other has to face each day. Gaining an understanding and appreciation for one another brings Anna and Tess closer than ever before. Freaky Friday is a beloved coming-of-age film, for mothers and daughters alike! Watch it now on Disney+.
Have you seen Freaky Friday (2003)? Do you prefer a different rendition? Let us know in the comments! Check out some of our recent entertainment articles: