Like Father, Like Son

Over a decade after the original Freaky Friday came the first male equivalent.

I remember when this was a new release on VHS. My parents and older sister really wanted to watch it, since they were Growing Pains fans and this was a starring vehicle for that infuriating Kirk Cameron.*

They wound up watching it when it was on a premium movie channel during a free preview we got.

Once I was old enough for the movie, soon afterwards, I rented it. I hope the family liked it more than I did because I was bored out of my mind.

I didn’t laugh once. I could have rewatched it now but first of all doing so would cost money. Second, I was a Math/Econ major and the first thing they teach you in Econ is that there is no such thing as a free lunch – there’s always the opportunity cost of time. No way I’m using any of my time to sit through this again.

I’m particularly mad because this film was a moderate hit, and thus when Vice Versa came out the following year it bombed because many people felt like they had already seen the story. It should have been the other way around, and Roger Ebert shared my opinion, as he revealed his shock that the plot of one of 1987’s worst films was also the plot of one of 1988’s best films.

On that note let’s just put this behind us. I’ve give it 10 points because Dudley Moore is a comedy legend.

Bottom Line: As worthy of admiration (absolutely none) as Kirk Cameron the person.

Up Next: Quality skyrockets.

*Tales of his evangelicalism are the stuff of infamy, but he might have topped himself by being a vociferous anti-masker.