MovieChat Forums > Freaky Friday (1977) Discussion > Why do so many people prefer this one ov...

Why do so many people prefer this one over the remake?

posted 17 years ago by alicia-angel92
55 replies | jump to latest

I've seen the remake lots of times, mainly cuz I'm a Lindsay Lohan fan (i'm a fan of her acting, not her behavior lol) and my mom rented the original with Jodie Foster and I thought it'd be interesting to see Jodie's acting as a younger girl. But honestly, this one was just WEIRD. Yeah, I know it's original, but original isn't always better. Some things in this movie that just seemed weird:

- When Anabelle's mom switches into her daughter's body, she doesn't act like a teenager at all. I mean yeah, she's supposed to be confused on how to act, but she keeps calling her friends "young lady" over and over, it's like c'mon, I think she should at least know that Anabelle or any other regular teenager doesn't address their friends as "young lady". She just seemed so out of it, it wasn't even funny. At least in the remake, it was actually funny when Lohan was the mom inside the daughter's body. But it was so irritating in the original.
-Anabelle (in her mom's body) starts doing the laundry, and throws shoes in the washing machine? I mean c'mon, anyone with common sense knows not to throw SHOES in a WASHING MACHINE.
-Also, when Anabelle (in the mom's body) was at home and all those people were showing up and yelling at her and all that chaos....even the real mom wouldn't have been able to handle all that chaos. NO ONE CAN. No one is THAT demanding.
-THe part I really don't get is why is it so important for Anabelle to water ski for the dad's work?? What does her skiing have to do with his work at all? seriously? and then they all sink into the water and just laugh about it? wtf?

And there's lots of other stuff that I didn't get, but that's all I'll say for now. I mean, everyone says the original is better just cuz it's original. If you do prefer the older one, can you please explain why? I don't get it. The remake was just more believeable and the writing was better, i Just got bored with the original. I won't trash you if you disagree with me, but I'd like to hear other's opinions on this.

[–] jdr9999 15 years ago

- The mom was pretty uptight, not exactly hip with the teen lingo!
- Some kids with stay at home moms have no clue on how to use appliances- mom does everything for them!
- Real stay at home moms can handle the chaos- they are excellent multitaskers:)
- The skiing adds to the slapstick antics.

I love the old one so much, the acting is great and the comedy is spot on. If I am feeling blue this movie is a great pick-me -up!

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Flashman 14 years ago

Part of the Problem is that You didn't grow up in the '70s when this was made & don't have a Clue of the Mores & Attitudes of the that Era. You're looking @ this w/ Modern day Mores & Attitudes & putting them on a time that was Less open & less liberal. Women were just really starting to make an Impact on the work Force as well, which is to this day a major threat to most male ego's.

She doesn't Act like a teenager because she's Not a teenager, hasn't been one for 20 + years & doesn't remember how to act like one because of the responsibilities she's had to take on Raising a daughter, running a house hold, etc.

But then certain types of materials that made up shoes Could be washed, hence her washing those shoes.

Obviously you've never had those kind of responsibilities. Because it can be & has been done for centuries.

I believe it has some thing to do w/ over coming some thing that she's not comfortable w/ & some thing her father really wishes her to do w/ him. But, I've neither watched the film, nor read the book in years, so I'll have to go back & do so to cheque myself.

[–] alicia-angel92 14 years ago

Okay, there's really no need to randomly capitalize letters, it honestly just makes your post more confusing to read.

Anyhow, I get what you're saying, and just FYI, even though I'm young, to tell me that I don't have a clue of what women had to go through back then with women's liberation and whatnot is just inaccurate. And also FYI, I happen to do my own laundry, so you obviously don't know what responsibilities I've had and haven't had.

Now, I understand about the women's liberation and what was going on in that time period, but that still doesn't change my opinion that this movie was poorly written and not entertaining at all. It's not that I look at these movies with a certain "attitude"; I watched them both with a very open mind. I just think that the modern version is written and directed better. Anytime somebody states that they like a remake better than the original, people always seem to attack them saying "No! It's a classic! You young people just don't appreciate classics!" Which usually isn't true. Some people just don't want to admit that remakes CAN be better than originals. It's possible.

[–] leobaylor 14 years ago

Yes. It is possible that remakes can be better than the original. Just not in this case.

[–] Veronica65 13 years ago

because the remake was nothing but a trendy piece of garbage! It didn't even REMOTELY have the layers that this one does. it was a stupid Hollywood hack job remake just like all the remakes they're doing because they've run out of all originality.

[–] jolem53 13 years ago

I saw the original when I was very young. When remake came out I was not target audience.

[–] tchr88 13 years ago

I've taught 4th and 5th grade the last several years. After our standardized testing is over with at the end of April, I show the three Freaky Friday movies to my class so they can compare/contrast them. They always get excited, esp. about the Lindsey Lohan version, because that's the one they've seen. I always show them in sequence (Foster first, then Hoffman, then Lohan version), and interestingly my students every year tell me they prefer the original (thinking they were going to prefer the Lohan version). When I ask them why, I always get the same answer: it just seems more real (genuine). I do like the Lohan version but it just seems like another cookie-cutter show you always see on the Disney Channel. (I also love the Hoffman version ... Gabby Hoffman is a terrific actress.)

By the way, being a tomboy as a child does NOT mean you'll be a lesbian! I am living proof of that. I (a woman) am married (to a man) and have one child, and even at age 42 I still consider myself a tomboy, though there are some girlie things I like (gotta make my next appointment for a pedicure!!!!). I know most of you realize the truth of that statement; I just want to make sure Rosie O'Donnell knows. I think she's already got her sights on Shiloh Jolie-Pitt ...
LOL!

Jackie: She's sick and I'm her understudy. Roseanne: Well, who's going to say "tureen of beef"??

[–] Pheebshirl 12 years ago

I like both and saw both as an adult. I felt the Lindsay/Jamie one didn't get quite as silly as the original which I felt was let down a bit by its ending (the water skiing/Jodie Foster driving a mini scenes went on a bit long and became a bit farcical). In terms of performances I felt Foster had the edge on Lohan, while Curtis and Harris were about level in my opinion (though I did find Harris's wig/terrible hair quite distracting).

I love 80's movies

[–] seas286 12 years ago

I was born in 1978 and the original 1976 version is the one I grew up with. I still love it to this day and have it on DVD. I have never seen the remakes, and don't care to. Barbara Harris steals the show with her quirky comedic performance. She is a fantastic actress. I also loved her in The North Avenue Irregulars another 70's Disney film I grew up with.

[–] vababy 12 years ago

I like the remake alot better.I felt the original one was too over the top.The remake had a better storyline.

[–] deem_bastille 10 years ago

I have two words...

car

stairs.

OH THANK YOU GOD! THANK YOU SO BLOODY MUCH!!! Basil Fawlty

[–] coreycitn63 9 years ago

Jamie Lee Curtis did a horrible job as Anna while Lindsay did a better performance as Tess.