Freakier Friday
director Nisha Ganatra reveals that the upcoming sequel will fix one glaring issue from the original movie. Released in 2003, Freaky Friday stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan as a mother and daughter who are forced to get along after inadvertently switching bodies. Curtis and Lohan return to lead the Freakier Friday cast as Tess and Anna, respectively, but the sequel is set to introduce even more body-swapping, with a daughter and stepdaughter now involved as well.
Though the body-swapping element returns in force in Freakier Friday, Ganatra reveals in an interview with EW that one element that won’t be returning from the 2003 film is Asian stereotyping. Speaking about the Asian representation in the previous film, Ganatra calls addressing the problem “complicated” just because of how “beloved” the original was. But she makes her stance clear, saying: “there were some stereotypes that were hurtful.” She continues:
“I remember watching it and feeling torn, mostly about the Asian representation, and also the soundtrack that was being used [in the scenes at the restaurant]. It was something I brought up right away when I had my first meetings with the producers. I had a moment of the presentation that was like, ‘problematic Asian representation!'”
Star Manny Jacinto, who plays Eric, Anna’s soon-to-be-husband, in Freakier Friday, admits that he had “concerns” other whether to join the movie because of how the first film represented its two Asian characters:
“When I considered hopping on board, I remember watching the first Freaky Friday and being like, this did not age very well, regarding the diverse characters. Knowing Nisha and speaking to other people within our circles, I knew we had a captain who was very much aware of those archetypes, or those issues presented in the first one. I felt very well taken care of.”
Ganatra confirms that both Pei-Pei (Rosalind Chao), and her mother (Lucille Soong) will be returning in Freakier Friday, but things will be different this time. Of the returning characters, the director says: “we owed audiences to make it right on this one.” As for how Pei-Pei and her mother factor into the movie, Ganatra and screenwriter Jordan Weiss included “some really fun moments in there,” including one funny dialogue scene. As Ganatra summarizes: “Do you think I have nothing better to do than solve your problems?“
Freakier Friday also includes an Anna line about her wanting to braid hair “in a non-culturally appropriative way,” signaling the attention paid to representation in the film. Ganatra stresses such inclusions are “little moments that don’t betray this movie, but were satisfying for people who found hurtful moments in the last one.” Check out the final comments on the matter from Ganatra and Jacinto below:
Ganatra: “It was a different time and wasn’t done intentionally [in the 2003 film], but it’s a real thing. It’s something I, being Asian, was super conscious of.”
Jacinto: “I don’t know if it would have been the same or had the same heart and charm if it was a different director. She keeps it very grounded and real, but also charming and fun. That’s a fine line to play, and she walks it really well.”
What This Means For Freakier Friday
The Representation Fixes Are A Bonus
Times change and what is considered acceptable in one decade may not be considered acceptable in another. At the time, Freaky Friday‘s problematic Asian representation didn’t too severely hurt the movie with critics or at the box office. The Lindsay Lohan film currently enjoys an 88% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it ultimately grossed $160 million on a $20 million budget before going on to develop a pᴀssionate following, especially among viewers of a certain generation.
Freakier Friday addressing its predecessor’s issues regarding representation are unlikely to have a major impact on the movie’s bottom line since it seemingly isn’t a primary focus of the narrative. As Ganatra says above, these changes in the sequel are more to fix past wrongs while bringing back two memorable supporting characters. Pei-Pei and her mother are minor characters in the overall story of the first film, but they were crucial specifically when it came to the mechanics of the body-swapping magic, and they could serve the same function in the sequel.
The Freakier Friday cast includes the return of Chad Michael Murray, Mark Harmon, and Stephen Tobolowsky, with newcomers including Julia ʙuттers, Elaine Hendrix, Chloe Fineman, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Vanessa Bayer.
Our Take On Freakier Friday’s Updated Asian Representation
The Sequel Is Making A Positive Change
It’s not clear exactly how Pei-Pei and her mother will factor into Freakier Friday, but it’s a promising sign that Ganatra has ensured that these two characters will not be portrayed in a culturally insensitive way. Decisions regarding representation typically aren’t mentioned in reviews unless the representation is problematic, so there’s a chance the updated portrayals of Pei-Pei and her mother will fly under the radar for many.
Adequate cultural representation also isn’t enough on its own to make a film good. Hopefully, the sequel can deliver more laughs and emotional moments, too. Still, though, regardless of the movie’s ultimate quality, it’s worth celebrating Freakier Friday‘s attention to thoughtful representation.
Source: EW
