4.0 out of 5 stars
How Book Adapations Should Be, April 28, 2011
This review is from: Summer Switch [VHS] (VHS Tape)
"Freaky Friday" was the first `teen' book I tackled, aged 8. Aged 19, I found out there were sequels - and "Summer Switch" is the best. Many years later, I learned that this too had been filmed, and yesterday I got my hands on a tape.
All I can say is, unlike the dubious Disney adaptations of the first book, Bruce Harmon and Mary Rodgers (whose novel it is) have done a fine job bringing this one to the screen.
Taking a sensible approach, they depart in only one (ill-judged, but necessary to speed up the plot, admittedly) scene from the original text. Of course, adaptations have to fillet some detail though - and here there is one obvious embarrassment. The storyline that Ben Andrew's teacher becomes his father's boss is left out of the movie... except it was probably left on the cutting room floor as one of the last scenes has a line of dialogue that `hangs' as it obviously refers to a deleted scene containing that relationship.
Leaving this error aside, Robert Klein and Scott Schwartz turn in neat performances as father and son, and Rex Everhart is the Captain Splasher Wilking of our imaginations. Good support from Sam Stoneburner as Ty Donovan and Anna Maria Horsford as Stepahnie Marshak are the most notable of an all-round likeable cast.
Sure, this movie will feel dated to today's kids - no cellphones, what's a `cassette,' `walks in the woods are fun' etc; but if you loved the book it's based on, this is well worth tracking down. Unlike most book adaptations, this won't spoil your memories and may just add a little to your enjoyment.
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