Freaky Friday

In my view, this is the quintessential empathy movie. A mother and a daughter change perspectives about life, love and family responsibilities, after they get to experience one full (hence freaky) Friday in each other's body. By now a classic in its genre, the movie touches upon the mother-daughter struggles during adolescence and the challenges that arise from juggling work and family life responsibilities. Oftentimes, we assume we know what the other person thinks and feels, just because we live in the same house or we know them as friends or clients, and we judge others by our own standards. Jamie Lee Curtis character, the mother, gets to experience what it is like to be mobbed, treated unfairly, and passing complicated math tests in highschool. On its side, her daughter (Lindsay Lohan) gets a glimpse at a typical day at work with emotionally unstable clients, and a book presentation on TV. Both had love interests which they now see under a more gentle, judgement-free light. I absolutely love watching it with my daughter. It is hilarious, and has many empathy moments and ethical lessons:

a) Not everything is as it seems.

b) Give people the benefit of the doubt.

c) It takes some effort from our side to discover the authentic, real person behind the everyday face. 

d) You might be surprised when you dig deeper. 


No votes yet
Mark Waters
Film Category: 
United States