The Magical World Of Disney #340: Top 100 Disney Movies, Part 10

82. Freaky Friday (2003)

Freaky Friday is a 2003 American fantasy-comedy film directed by Mark Waters and written by Heather Hach and Leslie Dixon. Based on Mary Rodgers’s 1972 novel of the same name, it is the second remake of the same story, and third installment overall in the Freaky Friday franchise. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan as a mother and daughter, respectively, whose bodies are switched by a mysterious and magical Chinese fortune cookie.

The film was released in theaters on August 6, 2003, by Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures. It grossed over $160 million worldwide on a budget of only $26 million, marking it a commercial success. It additionally received largely positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Curtis and Lohan. The film earned Curtis a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. It was Disney’s third film adaptation of the novel, after the 1976 film, starring Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster, and the 1995 made-for-TV film, starring Shelley Long and Gaby Hoffmann.

Disney’s FREAKY FRIDAY is the extremely funny and heartwarming comedy everyone will love. Dr. Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her teenage daughter Anna (Lindsay Lohan) have one thing in common — they don’t relate to each other on anything. Not clothes or men or Anna’s passion to be in a rock band. Nothing. Then one night a little mystic mayhem changes their lives and they wake up to the biggest freak-out ever. Tess and Anna are trapped inside each other’s body! But Tess’s wedding is Saturday and the two must find a way to switch back — fast! Literally forced to walk in each other’s shoes, will they gain respect and understanding for the other’s point of view?

Like most body switch films, Freaky Friday is one that takes you by surprise. Long before Lindsay Lohan became notorious for breaking the law, she was a good actress with Mean Girls and this, easily her strongest role. Lohan & Jamie Lee Curtis each do a great job using each other’s instincts and personalities and using it on themselves. The film is also very funny too and has some really good direction from director Mark Waters.

81. Miracle (2004)

Miracle is a 2004 American sports film about the United States men’s ice hockey team, led by head coach Herb Brooks, portrayed by Kurt Russell, who won the gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics. The American team’s victory over the heavily favored Soviet professionals in the medal round was dubbed the “Miracle on Ice”. Miracle was directed by Gavin O’Connor and written by Eric Guggenheim and Mike Rich. It was released on February 20, 2004, where it grossed $64.5 million on a $28 million budget and received positive reviews, with Russell’s performance garnering the most praise from critics.

Filled with exhilarating nonstop hockey action and heart-racing suspense, MIRACLE is the inspiring true story behind one of the greatest moments in sports history — the 1980 United States ice hockey team’s triumphant Olympic victory against the Soviet Union. Kurt Russell gives a brilliant performance as the dynamic and determined coach Herb Brooks, who had an impossible dream — beat the seemingly unbeatable Soviets at their own game. Starting with a handpicked group of 26 undisciplined kids, Brooks coached them to play like they never played before, and turned 20 of them into a team that believed they could achieve the unachievable — and in the process, united a nation with a new feeling of hope.

A brilliantly executed movie showcasing the famed Miracle On Ice during the 1980 winter Olympics with a great performance by Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks.

#100 & #99

#98 & #97

#96 & #95

#94 & #93

#92 & #91

#90 & #89

#88 & #87

#86 & #85

#84 & #83

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