Phoebe Cates plays Elizabeth, a young married woman desperate to win back the affection of her husband, Charles, who has been having an affair with a tarty blonde (he is obviously frustrated to be married to one of the most beautiful women in the world, only to have her dress like a school ma'am and wear full-length flanellette nighties in bed!). When Elizabeth moves back home with her domineering mother, she finds her life further complicated by the re-appearance of her imaginary childhood friend, the destructive Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall), who proceeds to wreak havoc wherever she goes.
Cue loads of jokes about poo, bogies and doing it like pigeons.
At first glance, Drop Dead Fred seems to be far too childish for most adults, and occasionally too adult for young kids (with some sexual content and swearing). However, this vehicle for the zany talent of British comedian Rik Mayall, is, in my opinion, an oft misunderstood filmone which is much darker and more disturbing than many people actually give it credit for.
A large percentage of those who profess to have loved the film since childhood seem to take it at face value: they see Drop Dead Fred as a lighthearted and fun fantasy moviethe perfect showcase for Mayall's very physical and energetic style of comedy. I, on the other hand, reckon that there is more to Drop Dead Fred than at first meets the eye. And it isn't all nice. After all, Mayall's early comedy was always a bit dark and subversive.
Think about the film a little longer, and it becomes apparent (to me, at least) that Drop Dead Fred is actually a film about mental illness, loneliness and a desperately unhappy person's lifelong craving for attention. Cates' character brings back Fred because she is feeling ignored and unloved (this time by Charles), and is also, once again, being oppressed by her mother, who has always undermined her confidence. With Fred as an excuse for her behaviour, Elizabeth is able to draw attention to herself without accepting any blame. When seen in this light, Drop Dead Fred becomes a whole lot more interesting.
Take, for example, the moment when Elizabeth confesses to her best friend Janie (played by Carrie Fisher) that she has sunk her house-boat. One would normally expect screaming, shouting and furious anger at such news. But, instead, Janie remains relatively calm. Surely only a very close, understanding friendone fully aware of her pal's troubled mental historywould react in such a way.
Similarly, when Elizabeth says to Janie that she can see Fred sitting at a board meeting, Janie behaves in a manner which might seem unorthodox to most people: rather than saying how ridiculous Elizabeth is being, she instead wheels the empty chair out of the meeting room and tries to throttle Fred. Strange behaviour indeed, until we appreciate that Janie is, once again, well aware of her friend's delicate mental state and is merely trying to placate her.
And then there is the ending, in which Elizabeth takes green pills that cause Fred to weaken, and the dream sequence, in which she symbolically frees herself from her mother's ties: moments which suggest that Elizabeth had 'lost the plot', and that Fred never really existed.
By the close of the film, Elizabeth has gained enough confidence to ditch Charles and confront her mother, and so Fred moves on, becoming imaginary friend to another little girl. Once again, many viewers see this as a positive finalé: one in which Fred still exists and is now having fun with someone new.
I don't.
I just see another child who is suffering from severe emotional trauma (caused by her parents, of course).
Then again, I have issues of my own.
Cue loads of jokes about poo, bogies and doing it like pigeons.
At first glance, Drop Dead Fred seems to be far too childish for most adults, and occasionally too adult for young kids (with some sexual content and swearing). However, this vehicle for the zany talent of British comedian Rik Mayall, is, in my opinion, an oft misunderstood filmone which is much darker and more disturbing than many people actually give it credit for.
A large percentage of those who profess to have loved the film since childhood seem to take it at face value: they see Drop Dead Fred as a lighthearted and fun fantasy moviethe perfect showcase for Mayall's very physical and energetic style of comedy. I, on the other hand, reckon that there is more to Drop Dead Fred than at first meets the eye. And it isn't all nice. After all, Mayall's early comedy was always a bit dark and subversive.
Think about the film a little longer, and it becomes apparent (to me, at least) that Drop Dead Fred is actually a film about mental illness, loneliness and a desperately unhappy person's lifelong craving for attention. Cates' character brings back Fred because she is feeling ignored and unloved (this time by Charles), and is also, once again, being oppressed by her mother, who has always undermined her confidence. With Fred as an excuse for her behaviour, Elizabeth is able to draw attention to herself without accepting any blame. When seen in this light, Drop Dead Fred becomes a whole lot more interesting.
Take, for example, the moment when Elizabeth confesses to her best friend Janie (played by Carrie Fisher) that she has sunk her house-boat. One would normally expect screaming, shouting and furious anger at such news. But, instead, Janie remains relatively calm. Surely only a very close, understanding friendone fully aware of her pal's troubled mental historywould react in such a way.
Similarly, when Elizabeth says to Janie that she can see Fred sitting at a board meeting, Janie behaves in a manner which might seem unorthodox to most people: rather than saying how ridiculous Elizabeth is being, she instead wheels the empty chair out of the meeting room and tries to throttle Fred. Strange behaviour indeed, until we appreciate that Janie is, once again, well aware of her friend's delicate mental state and is merely trying to placate her.
And then there is the ending, in which Elizabeth takes green pills that cause Fred to weaken, and the dream sequence, in which she symbolically frees herself from her mother's ties: moments which suggest that Elizabeth had 'lost the plot', and that Fred never really existed.
By the close of the film, Elizabeth has gained enough confidence to ditch Charles and confront her mother, and so Fred moves on, becoming imaginary friend to another little girl. Once again, many viewers see this as a positive finalé: one in which Fred still exists and is now having fun with someone new.
I don't.
I just see another child who is suffering from severe emotional trauma (caused by her parents, of course).
Then again, I have issues of my own.