Welcome to Curmudgeon Corner, a guest column where SarahGVincentViews.com invites a friend to share their thoughts about various topics. Today, our guest and friend is Bob Tremblay, who often goes to screenings and movies with me! Going to movies with Bob makes them even more fun!
Disclaimer: Any views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this column are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies or positions of SarahGVincentViews.com.
An argument can be made that a children’s movie only has to appeal to its target audience. When an adult film critic fails to be impressed, an apologist will say, “That movie wasn’t meant for you.” I remember taking a friend’s two children to a movie that they absolutely adored and I absolutely hated, an opinion they could not understand. They jokingly gave me grief about it later. That the movie faded into obscurity didn’t matter to them at the time.
So, is it simply enough that these children enjoyed themselves at the movies? Who cares what some fuddy-duddy critic thinks?
I strongly believe that a children’s film should strive to be more than appealing. It should strive to be good. Of course, what constitutes “good” is subjective, but it typically manifests itself in films that dare to be different or place a premium on quality.
Take “Freakier Friday.” Please. Despite thoroughly lacking in creativity, the film, a sequel to “Freaky Friday” (2003), is bound to be a box-office hit. Why? Here are a few reasons. It features two stars in Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, who resume their roles from the 2003 movie. Name recognition never hurts marketing campaigns. It also faces little competition at the box office. Most importantly, this sequel is designed to appeal not only to its target audience but to the adult audience who saw the 2003 version or even the 1976 version starring Jodie Foster or Barbara Harris. This is, in fact, the seventh film in the franchise based on Mary Rodgers’ 1972 novel. So much for daring to be different.
Of course, children seeing “Freakier Friday” won’t care if this is the seven hundredth version of the film. Adults fond of the earlier versions might not care either. Nostalgia provides a powerful pull. It doesn’t matter if it’s good. It’s familiar.
I’m sure there are plenty of people who could eat hamburgers every day. They’re tasty and comforting. But one wonders how they would react to eating filet mignon. “Freakier Friday” is the cinematic equivalent of hamburger.
The movie is basically a rehash of the 2003 film with the same cast doing a variation of the same stunts. The only major difference is that instead of two people changing bodies four people do. More isn’t merrier in this movie. The charm of the previous films can be found in the mother-daughter relationship where antagonistic characters learn what it’s like to be in the other’s skin. Here, the plot centers around two characters who don’t like each other plotting to sabotage a marriage of their respective single parents. It’s a reverse “Parent Trap,” a 1998 film that also featured Lohan. Even that movie was a remake.
“Freakier Friday” could have been tolerated if it at least made an effort to be better – better script, better direction, more imagination, less regurgitation. It does succeed in being bland. Imagine a hamburger without a bun, salt, pepper, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and ketchup. It’s edible and maybe enjoyable, but it would have been a lot tastier with the fixin’s.
An example of cinematic filet mignon? How about “Frozen”? In that film, one sister almost kills her younger sister by accident. The younger sister also falls in love with a prince who turns out to be anything but charming. Assassination attempts, eternal winters, an unexpected “act of true love.” Not your typical Disney film. Yet it was a box-office smash. Great music, too. I hate to break it to “Freakier Friday” fans, but when that film ends up in the land of forgotten remakes, “Frozen” will still be entertaining children – and adults alike. Talent has a habit of standing the test of time. Mediocrity not so much.
Want some personal nostalgia? Sure you do. Growing up, I watched a good amount of television and, looking back, many of the shows I watched were garbage yet I didn’t think so at the time. A sad example: “My Mother the Car.” I’m pretty sure my parents told me the show was garbage, but I disagreed with them. What do those fuddy duddies know? They turned out to be right, of course. The show, about a talking car, lasted one season.
“Freakier Friday” does execute paint-by-the-numbers filmmaking well. No venturing outside the lines. No surprises. Curtis and Lohan, both gifted actresses, try their best to rise above the material. It’s a hit-or-miss proposition with far too many misses.
So, who needs better films when second-rate films do the trick? They certainly are easier to make with few risks involved. Hollywood cynically thinks that children will watch anything. In a perfect world, children wouldn’t. They would favor films that are enjoyable – and well-made. Instead, they might have to sit through “Freakiest Friday.” In that film, perhaps Curtis changes bodies with her infant great-granddaughter. I actually would look forward to seeing Lohan change Curtis’ diapers. Now that’s entertainment.
