Unpacking Why Watching 'Freaky Friday' As An Adult Creeped Us Out

The movie as we remember was great! A misunderstood teen who’s forced to live a day in her mom’s shoes, but rewatching it, some things just don’t sit right with you as an adult!

The movie that makes for great comedy takes you a bit aback as an adult. Being a kid, some of the jokes may have gone over your head, a treat to laugh at now. But some of the humor is a bit questionable.

The movie is still good; however, it has its flaws that we can now detect as an adult. After experiencing our bits of life, here are some things you might be freaked out by when you watch it again.

Casts Asians in a negative light

The restaurant owner is portrayed as a stereotypical Asian that is a money-hungry entrepreneur. And her mom is cast as non-English speaking, then hand’s mystical fortune cookies over to the mom and daughter, which inevitably results in their switch.

Their stereotypical portrayal of the Asian characters in this light can breed racism. It doesn’t help in the world facing the issues that it does today either, so it’s good to pick it up and be aware of it.

The teen love interest was part of the school staff.

You read that right; Jake (Chad Michael Murray) wasn’t just an older guy at school. He worked for the school, which is why he had access to the rooms where the papers were stored!

As a kid, it might have gone over your head why that kind of age gap is so inappropriate, but as an adult, you can see how inappropriate it actually is. And did her mom even know how old this guy was because Anna (Lindsay Lohan) was, after all just 15!

The teacher’s quite clearly holding a grudge.

I mean, Tess (Jaime Lee Curtis) did have a boyfriend at the time Mr. Bates (Stephen Tobolowsky) asked her out. Instead of letting it go, he decides to play the petty card and hold it against her daughter; talk about unethical!

Forcing a kid into a job she’s not equipped for

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Okay, as a teen, I get you can barely focus on anyone but yourself, but Anna did not have to go into her mom’s job and pretend to be a therapist. It made for good comedy, but are sick days not a thing?

Not to mention Tess in Anna’s body just pretends that her job is just sitting there and listening to people’s feelings. Uhm, in therapy, you actually work through the problems you discuss, Tess, not sure if that’s going to cover it!

Sabotage

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So Tess was all about being friends and playing nice but after switching places with Anna it seems her story changes. Thankfully she finally figures out that Stacey (Julie Gonzalo) is just a no-good bully, she goes ahead to sabotage her test.

You’d think as an adult and therapist, Tess would know better. It was a great moment of bonding between a mom and her child, but not a great teaching moment for all the kids watching.

The movie may have its flaws, but it was still a great movie, especially with a twist of change right at the last moment! You might cringe through certain moments, but it’s definitely worth a rewatch!