''Freaky Friday'' is a comedic

children's novel Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

written by

Mary Rodgers Mary Rodgers (January 11, 1931 – June 26, 2014) was an American composer, screenwriter, and author who wrote the novel '' Freaky Friday'', which served as the basis of a 1976 film starring Jodie Foster, for which she wrote the screenplay, as ...

, first published by Harper & Row in 1972. It has been adapted for several films, including versions in

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

, and

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

, and was reinterpreted as a horror film for '' Freaky'' (2020). The story features one day, that 13-year-old Annabel Andrews and her mother spent in each other's bodies. Thus it may be considered a modern retelling of '' Vice Versa: A Lesson to Fathers'', the 1882 novel by

F. Anstey Thomas Anstey Guthrie (8 August 1856 – 10 March 1934) was an English author (writing as F. Anstey), most noted for his comic novel ''Vice Versa'' about a boarding-school boy and his father exchanging identities. His reputation was confirmed b ...

in which the

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

s are a father and son, though in the Mary Rodgers version the lesson is to daughters and mothers.

Plot

A willful, disorganized teenage girl, Annabel Andrews, awakens one Friday morning to find herself in the body of her mother, with whom she had argued the previous night. Suddenly in charge of taking care of the New York family's affairs and her younger brother Ben (whom Annabel has not-so-affectionately

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

d "Ape Face" and described as "so neat, it's revolting!"), and growing increasingly worried about the disappearance of "Annabel", who appeared to be herself in the morning but has gone missing after leaving the Andrews' home, she enlists the help of her neighbor and childhood friend, Boris, though without telling him about her identity crisis. As the day wears on and Annabel has a series of increasingly bizarre and frustrating adventures, she becomes gradually more appreciative of how difficult her mother's life is, and learns, to her surprise, that Ben idolizes her, and Boris is actually named Morris, but has a problem with chronic congestion (at least around Annabel) leading him to nasally pronounce ''m''s and ''n''s as ''b''s and ''d''s. The novel races towards its

climax Climax may refer to: Language arts * Climax (narrative), the point of highest tension in a narrative work * Climax (rhetoric), a figure of speech that lists items in order of importance Biology * Climax community, a biological community th ...

and Ben also disappears, apparently having gone off with a pretty girl whom Boris did not recognize, but Ben appeared to trust without hesitation. In the climax and

dénouement Dramatic structure (also known as dramaturgical structure) is the structure of a dramatic work such as a book, play, or film. There are different kinds of dramatic structures worldwide which have been hypothesized by critics, writers and scholar ...

, Annabel becomes overwhelmed by the difficulties of her situation, apparent disappearance of her mother, loss of the children, and the question of how her odd situation came about and when/whether it will be resolved. Finally, it is revealed that Annabel's mother herself caused them to switch bodies through some unspecified means, and the mysterious teen beauty who took Ben was Mrs. Andrews in Annabel's body (to which she is restored) made much more attractive by a makeover Mrs. Andrews gave the body while using it, including the removal of Annabel's braces, an appointment Annabel had forgotten about (and would have missed, had she been the one in her body that day).

Characters

; ;Annabel Andrews :Disorganized (perhaps even slovenly), rebellious, and something of a tomboy, 13-year-old Annabel is a fairly typical teen who believes that adults have it easy and quickly finds herself out of her depth when faced with real adult responsibilities and concerns. She wants to be free because of her mother bossing her around and is really serious about doing some things she wants to do, but she can not because of her mother. ;Ben Andrews, a.k.a. Ape Face :A typical pre-adolescent younger sibling, 6-year-old Ben delights in creating conflict with Annabel, which has led to her nicknaming him Ape Face. Unknown to Annabel, he and his friends think she is the epitome of cool, and he wears the nickname as a badge of honor. The truth comes out when she slips up and calls him Ape Face while her mind is in Mrs. Andrews' body. After she apologizes, he admits that he likes the namebut desperately wants to keep this secret from Annabel. ;Morris/Boris :A childhood friend of Annabel, he has been somewhat afraid of her since a sandbox incident in which she cut his head open with a shovel. Deciding she played too rough, he and his mother have made a point of him avoiding Annabel since. He is a cheerful, charming and handsome young gentleman, and does his best to help "Mrs. Andrews" (really Annabel) as she struggles through a tough day. He has some occasional breathing trouble, attributed to his

adenoids In anatomy, the adenoid, also known as the pharyngeal tonsil or nasopharyngeal tonsil, is the superior-most of the tonsils. It is a mass of lymphatic tissue located behind the nasal cavity, in the roof of the nasopharynx, where the nose blend ...

and possibly a

psychosomatic A somatic symptom disorder, formerly known as a somatoform disorder,(2013) meatloaf Meatloaf is a dish of ground meat that has been combined with other ingredients and formed into the shape of a loaf, then baked or smoked. The final shape is either hand-formed on a baking tray, or pan-formed by cooking it in a loaf pan. It ...

, but she is won over when she samples the new dish and finds it tasty. ;Ellen Jean Benjamin Andrews :Despite setting the events in motion and later ending them

deus ex machina ''Deus ex machina'' ( , ; plural: ''dei ex machina''; English "god out of the machine") is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly and abruptly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence. Its function ...

-style, Mrs. Andrews remains (along with Annabel's body, which she has taken) an

unseen character An unseen character in theatre, comics, film, or television, or silent character in radio or literature, is a character that is mentioned but not directly known to the audience, but who advances the action of the plot in a significant way, and w ...

for much of the book, only revealing herself and what she has done at the end of the day.

Sequels

Mary Rodgers wrote two sequels featuring the Andrews family. In ''A Billion for Boris'' (October 1974), Annabel and her friend Morris/Boris discover a TV set that tunes into future broadcasts and begin betting on horse races. In ''Summer Switch'' (September 1982), Annabel's little brother Ben and their father Bill inadvertently switch bodies as both are leaving for the summer, leaving the boy to negotiate Hollywood and Dad to attend summer camp. Thus ''Summer Switch'', too, may be considered a modern retelling of ''Vice Versa''. All three Andrews family novels were soon published in Harper Trophy trade paperback editions. In later HarperTrophy editions, the second story has been titled ''ESP TV'' (1999) and ''A Billion for Boris: Also known as ESP TV'' (2003), . A thematic sequel by Rodgers and

Heather Hach Heather Hach is an American screenwriter, librettist and novelist. Early life Hach graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder School of Journalism, and later worked as a research assistant at ''The New York Times'' Denver bureau and as a ...

was published by The Bowen Press, HarperCollins, in May 2009: ''Freaky Monday'', in which 13-year-old schoolgirl Hadley and a teacher she dislikes "switch bodies". (Hach and

Leslie Dixon Leslie Dixon is an American screenwriter and film producer. She began her career as an original screenwriter, writing films such as 1987's '' Outrageous Fortune'' and '' Overboard''. She then moved into adaptations and re-writes, developing the ...

wrote the 2003 screenplay for Disney's third

film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...

, below.)

Film adaptations

''Freaky Friday'' has been adapted many times into films with similar plots: *

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

adapted the story into a 1976 film with a screenplay written by Rodgers. The film stars Barbara Harris and

Jodie Foster Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and the ho ...

as Ellen and Annabel. * Disney's second adaptation premiered in 1995; this film stars

Shelley Long Shelley Lee Long (born August 23, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and comedian. Long portrayed Diane Chambers on the hit sitcom ''Cheers'' and received five Emmy nominations, winning in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Serie ...

and

Gaby Hoffmann Gabrielle Mary Antonia HoffmannStated on '' Finding Your Roots'', November 21, 2017 (born January 8, 1982) is an American actress. She initially found success as a child actress, appearing in ''Field of Dreams,'' ''Uncle Buck,'' and ''Sleeple ...

as Ellen and Annabel Andrews, switched by magical amulets responding to their wish to have each other's lives. * ''

Freaky Friday ''Freaky Friday'' is a comedic children's novel written by Mary Rodgers, first published by Harper & Row in 1972. It has been adapted for several films, including versions in 1976, 1995, 2003, and 2018, and was reinterpreted as a horror film f ...

'' (2003), written by

and

, has the protagonists' names changed to Tess Coleman (

Jamie Lee Curtis Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American actress, producer, children's author, and activist. She came to prominence with her portrayal of Lt. Barbara Duran on the ABC sitcom '' Operation Petticoat'' (1977–78). In 1978, she m ...

) and Anna Coleman (

Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at the age of three. Having appeared as a regular on the television soap opera '' An ...

). They are switched by magical fortune cookies given to them by a meddling old Chinese woman on Thursday night after she overhears them arguing at her daughter's restaurant. Even after being returned to normal, the daughter is fortunately able to prevent her mother from meddling by knocking over the cookies. *

Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...

and

Disney Theatrical Productions Disney Theatrical Productions Limited (DTP), also known as Disney on Broadway, is the flagship stageplay and musical production company of the Disney Theatrical Group, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios, a major business unit of The Walt Di ...

produced another

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

, adapting the musical of the same name, which premiered in August 2018;

Heidi Blickenstaff Heidi Blickenstaff (born December 28, 1971) is an American actress based in New York City best known for playing a version of herself in the musical '' itle of show' during its Off-Broadway and Broadway runs, as well as for originating the role ...

reprises her role as the mother, while

Cozi Zuehlsdorff Cozi Noelle Zuehlsdorff (born August 3, 1998) is an American actress and singer known for her role as Hazel Haskett in the movie ''Dolphin Tale'' (2011) and the sequel, '' Dolphin Tale 2'' (2014). She also appears in '' Mighty Med'' as Jordan, ...

portrays her daughter. The protagonists' names were changed to Katherine and Ellie Blake, respectively. * ''Freaky'' (2020), directed by Christopher Landon from a screenplay by Landon and Michael Kennedy, reinterprets ''Freaky Friday''s basic plot as a

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

slasher film A slasher film is a genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools like knife, chainsaw, scalpel, etc. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as a ...

; ''Freaky'' stars

Vince Vaughn Vincent Anthony Vaughn (born March 28, 1970) is an American actor. Vaughn began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in minor television roles before attaining wider recognition with the 1996 comedy-drama film '' Swingers''. He has appeared in ...

and

Kathryn Newton Kathryn Newton (born February 8, 1997) is an American actress. She is known for her starring roles as Louise Brooks in the CBS comedy series ''Gary Unmarried'' (2008–2010), Abigail Carlson in the HBO mystery drama series '' Big Little Lies' ...

as an infamous

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

and a tormented high school student, respectively, who switch bodies after the former stabs her with an ancient dagger. The film's working title was ''Freaky Friday the 13th''. Additionally, a

of the sequel novel ''Summer Switch'', starring

Robert Klein Robert Klein (born February 8, 1942) is an American stand-up comedian, singer, and actor. He is known for his appearances on stage and screen. He has released four standup comedy specials: ''A Child of the 50s'' (1973), ''Mind Over Matter'' (197 ...

and

Scott Schwartz Scott Schwartz (born May 12, 1968) is an American actor best known for his roles as a child actor in '' The Toy'', ''A Christmas Story'' and ''Kidco''. Life and career Schwartz co-starred opposite Richard Pryor and Jackie Gleason in 1982's ' ...

, was made in 1984 as part of the ''

ABC Afterschool Special ''ABC Afterschool Special'' is an American television anthology series that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from October 4, 1972, to January 23, 1997, usually in the late afternoon on weekdays. Most episodes were dramatically presen ...

'' series. A film of the first sequel called ''Billions for Boris'' starring Mary Tanner as Annabel, Scott Tiler as Boris, and Seth Green as Ape Face was released in 1984. A major difference between the novel and the films is the presence of an outside influence switching the often-bickering mother and daughter against ''both'' their wills. Because of this, both serve as protagonists, and the films start shortly before the switch, illustrating the conflict between the two, then follow the trouble both have adjusting to their new circumstances, and the new respect and understanding they both come to have for each other before switching back. Mary Rodgers also added a hobby for Annabel to the story, with an important competition, for which her mother lacks the skill, serving to bring the action to a climax. This addition was kept in subsequent versions, although the original hobby of

waterskiing Water skiing (also waterskiing or water-skiing) is a Surface water sports, surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a Cable skiing, cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on two skis or ...

changed to other events, and an important simultaneous event for the mother (her

wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

rehearsal dinner A rehearsal dinner is a traditional pre-wedding ceremony in the United States, usually held after the wedding rehearsal and the night before the wedding ceremony. The guests generally include the married-to-be couple and others who form the weddi ...

) was added to the 2003 film. The latter two also drastically change the character of Morris/Boris. In both films, his name is changed (Luke in the 1995 film, Jake in the 2003 film), and he is already Annabel's love interest, rather than being an enemy of hers. Like the 1976 film, both of the updated versions of the characters fall in love with Annabel's mother (due to Annabel flirting with him while in her mother's body). Marc McClure, who played Boris in the 1976 film, also has a cameo as a delivery man (who is also named Boris) in the 2003 film.

Stage and television musical

stage musical Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

has been developed by

only for licensing, with the music written by Tom Kitt and lyrics written by

Brian Yorkey Brian Yorkey is an American playwright and lyricist. His works often explore dark and controversial subject matter such as mental illness, grief, the underbelly of suburbia, and ethics in both psychiatry and public education. Early life Yorkey w ...

and the book by

Bridget Carpenter Bridget Carpenter (born in New York City) is a television writer and playwright. Biography She received an M.F.A. from Brown University in 1995.Rodriguez, Bill"Bridget Carpenter swings into Trinity" providencephoenix.com, May 11–18, 2000 Her ...

. The musical began performances at the Signature Theatre, Arlington, Virginia on October 4, 2016. Directed by

Christopher Ashley Christopher Ashley (born July 6, 1964) is an American stage director. Since 2007, he has been the artistic director of the La Jolla Playhouse. Career Ashley graduated from Yale University in 1986, with a Bachelor of Art in Theatre.

, with choreography by

Sergio Trujillo Sergio Trujillo is a theater director and choreographer. Born in Colombia and raised in Toronto, Canada, he is now an American citizen and resides in New York City. Trujillo was the recipient of the 2019 Tony Award for Best Choreography for ''Ai ...

, the cast features Emma Hunton (as the daughter Ellie), Jason Gotay and

(as the mother Katherine). Ashley explained that the musical is based on the original Rodgers book as well as the films. The musical is set in the present time in Chicago. The musical began performances at the La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego, on January 31, 2017, and ran to March 12. The cast features Emma Hunton and Heidi Blickenstaff.Clement, Olivia
"La Jolla ''Freaky Friday'' Begins Jan. 31"
''Playbill'', January 31, 2017. This was followed by runs at Cleveland Play House in April and the

Alley Theatre The Alley Theatre is a Tony Award-winning theatre company in Houston, Texas. It is the oldest professional theatre company in Texas and the third oldest resident theatre in the United States. Alley Theatre productions have played on Broadway at L ...

in June 2017. A

of the stage musical was announced on September 29, 2017. Blickenstaff reprised her role as the mother, Katherine, while

starred as the daughter, Ellie. Carpenter returned to adapt the musical as a teleplay, while Kitt and Yorkey returned to oversee the music and lyrics. The TV adaptation was produced by Susan Cartsonis and Thomas Schumacher. The film premiered in summer 2018.

References

External links

* {{Freaky Friday 1972 American novels 1972 fantasy novels American children's novels Children's fantasy novels American fantasy novels adapted into films Fiction about body swapping 1972 children's books American novels adapted into television shows