Freaky Friday
Buena Vista Pictures | Release Date: August 6, 2003 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
70
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 36 Critic Reviews
Positive:
29
Mixed:
7
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
A funny, shrewd, no-bull family comedy about the relationship between mothers and teenage daughters that allows Curtis the comedian to remember her days as a slinky starlet while making use of her wisdom as the mother of an adolescent girl herself. Read full review
90
The New York TimesDana Stevens
Since her character wears no historical costumes and suffers from no debilitating ailment, it is likely that Ms. Curtis will be overlooked when Oscar season rolls around. This is a shame, since it is unlikely that any other actress this year will match the loose, energetic wit she brings to this delightful movie. Read full review
88
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
Offers plenty of honest, good-natured laughs in the process. That's something young and old can appreciate equally. Read full review
88
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
This is the first real family comedy I've seen in a long time: one honest enough to satisfy teens, wryly funny enough for adults and zany enough for little kids. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesManohla Dargis
Turning ordinary life into movie magic is one of the most difficult, least-heralded challenges for any filmmaker. What makes Freaky Friday a charmer isn't how far-out things get for this mother and daughter, but how sweet and distinctly un-freaky a kid, her mom and their love for each other can be. Read full review
80
NewsweekDavid Ansen
Screenwriters Heather Hach and Leslie Dixon have devised some lovely and hilarious variations on Rodgers’s irresistible premise. Read full review
80
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Cheerful, energetic and on the money. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderTed Shen
The premise provides a fine showcase for the two appealing actresses, who appropriate each other's vocal and physical mannerisms with dead-on accuracy. Read full review
80
Washington PostJennifer Frey
Terrific at capturing what teenage behavior would look like on a grown-up. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
The new "Freaky" plays the obvious gags in ways both surprising and imaginative. Read full review
80
VarietyJoe Leydon
Genuinely clever switched-identities romp. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Deliciously acted and good-humored to its core, it's one of the summer's very best surprises. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleC.W. Nevius
This is Curtis' film. Looking a little like a combination of Carol Burnett and Annie Lennox, Curtis has this character down. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTy Burr
Freaky Friday version 2003 is a shinier, snappier animal, partly because young girls now dress like Avril Lavigne, and partly because Jamie Lee Curtis has her best role in years and knows it. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
A family-friendly remake funnier, fresher and more affecting than the flavorless original. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Body-switch plots are a license for adults to act like kids; probably nobody has had more fun at it than Tom Hanks did in "Big," but Curtis comes close. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
Disney's best comedy in years. Read full review
75
USA TodayClaudia Puig
It all adds up to belly laughs aplenty and a rollicking good time. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
Waters directing, from a perky script by Heather Hach and Leslie Dixon, is bouncy and assured enough to give a cheeky lilt to what otherwise might have been an earnest PSA for intergenerational peace, love and understanding. Read full review
70
SalonStephanie Zacharek
Even though this is a light, cheerful picture about family relationships, it never feels overplayed -- its tone is bright without being garish. And it moves breezily. Read full review
70
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Freaky Friday mines a lot of laughs from common misapprehensions adults have about adolescent life, with fun bits of observation about schoolwork, dating, and other practices where kids have to bend the rules in order to survive. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter Rainer
Freaky Friday gives Curtis the chance to go all goofy and showcase her gift for splayed physical comedy. Read full review
67
Portland OregonianStephen Whitty
Lohan has a fresh presence; in a world of pale blond princesses it's a relief to see a freckled redhead who looks like she eats occasionally. A pleasure, too, to watch a young actress accomplished enough to play not only a punky high schooler, but a punky high schooler with a middle-aged woman trapped insider her. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleSteve Davis
There’s enough intelligence and wit here to sustain your interest, especially when Curtis and Lohan are in peak form. They put the freak in this Freaky Friday. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
The movie is directed by Mark Waters (responsible for the indie black comedy, "The House of Yes") and mostly, he's workmanlike, but smart enough to get out of the way of the nicely balanced two lead performances. Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Motion picture cotton candy - sweet while it lasts, easily disposed of, and insubstantial. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldChristine Dolen
Some older movies are so terrific, so capable of touching new generations that they cry out to be updated and remade. The mildly entertaining Freaky Friday isn't one of them. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
An unexpected delight. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
The performances, of a higher order than the film's cheesy script and double-cheese direction, are the reasons to see the picture. A reason not to: the means by which parent and child trade bodies. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineAngel Cohn
Harmon and Murray are cardboard cutouts of ideal boyfriends; the only male performer allowed to shine is newcomer Ryan Malgarini, who nearly steals every scene he's in. Read full review
60
Film ThreatKevin Carr
Doesn’t offer any huge revelations about life, the universe and everything, but it’s not meant to. It’s meant to be a fun kid’s movie, and it’s a must see for mothers and daughters. Read full review
60
Village VoiceEd Park
The situation -- a mother-daughter mind-body switcheroo -- is as enduringly appealing as it is absurd, and the comedy flows therefrom. Read full review
60
EmpireAngie Errigo
Happily, Jamie Lee Curtis gurning through a guitar solo (she is Lady Spinal Tap, after all) while her floundering ‘mother’ mimes on stage is amusing. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Freaky Friday commits a lot of sins; luckily, it has Curtis and a few others to cover them up. Read full review
50
Film ThreatRick Kisonak
Post-personality switch, the picture does come to life somewhat but proves a one trick pony. Read full review
50
Dallas ObserverBill Gallo
There's so much EFFORT here to convince us of the switcheroo (already one of Hollywood's oldest ploys) that we soon weary of it. Read full review
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