Freaky Friday

Freaky Friday has just the right touch. In making an identity-switch movie, there is always the temptation to overdo things, in both the comedy and the pathos sides. Jamie Lee Curtis has just about the right balance portraying a 15-year-old in a 40-year-old body. On the comedy side, although on occasions coming across as just a little bit too silly, Curtis has on the whole brought out the funny side of the situation without undue exaggeration. The important thing is her success in making the whole thing believable. On the pathos side, her toasting speech in the engagement ceremony is touching performance. Lindsay Logan, on the other hand, has much less opportunity of repeating her brilliant performance in The Parent Trap (1998). The fault is not hers. It's just that it's much less fun watching a 40-year-old in a 15-year-old body than the other way around. While this is obviously the ladies' show, the two beaus provide reliable support. However, it is the fantastic pair of grandpa (Harold Gould) and little brother (Ryan Malgarini) who stole the show, particularly the little guy. I for one would love to see a sequel with this pair swapping bodies. Good flick; well worth the admission price.