Search - Freaky Friday on DVD

MPAA Rating: G Content Advisory: Excellent For Children, Watch With Your Kids Movie Release: 1976 DVD Release: 06/01/2004 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Edition: Dual Layered Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 38 mins Studio: Walt Disney Video Members Wishing: 9 Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Fantasy Comedy, Family-Oriented Comedy

Prolific television director Gary Nelson made the Walt Disney live-action comedy Freaky Friday, based on the novel by Mary Rodgers. Barbara Harris stars as suburban housewife Ellen Andrews, the wife of Bill (John Astin) and the mother of Annabel (Jodie Foster) and Ben (Sparky Marcus). Ellen just can't understand what's going on with teenaged Annabel, who hangs around the house making snappy remarks, eating ice cream for breakfast, and calling her brother Apeface. They each make a separate wish to be in the other's place, and they get their wish on Friday 13th. Ellen has to go through the day as a kid, playing on the field hockey team and dealing with typing class. Annabel has to deal with grown-up problems like getting appliances fixed and preparing a banquet. The whole silly story ends with a wacky car-chase/water skiing/hang-gliding conclusion in keeping with other Disney movies of the day. Freaky Friday was remade twice with the same title, and spawned a whole subgenre of body-switching movies in the 1980s. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Barbara Harris - Ellen Andrews
Jodie Foster - Annabel Andrews
John Astin - Bill Andrews
Patsy Kelly - Mrs. Schmauss
Dick Van Patten - Harold Jennings

The success of Mark Waters' remake of Freaky Friday certainly helped the decision to release this fine DVD of the original. The widescreen anamorphic transfer preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1, and will be a treat for anyone who has only seen this movie on television. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1. A French soundtrack is available as well. Spanish subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include a featurette hosted by Jodie Foster in which she reminisces about the making of the film, and a memory game. Disney has also made a two-pack featuring both versions of the film available for purchase. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide