Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Slapstick '90s comedy is filled with crass humor.
Parents Need to Know
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Drop Dead Fred
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 4 parent reviews
Based on 13 kid reviews
Kids say that this film elicits a wide range of reactions, with some viewers cherishing its humor and heartwarming messages about self-love, while others criticize it for crude content and disturbing undertones. The inconsistent tone has led to mixed reviews, yet many fans still appreciate its unique style and the memorable performance of its lead actor.
- sentimental value
- inappropriate content
- mixed reactions
- unique style
- self-love message
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Elizabeth (Phoebe Cates) has left her cheating husband (Tim Matheson) to move back in with her domineering mother (Marsha Mason). While back in her childhood bedroom, she stumbles across an old jack-in-the-box that is taped shut. She reopens the box, and out comes her imaginary childhood friend, Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall), who is still just as mischievous, obnoxious, and playful as he was back when Elizabeth was just a little girl making giant mud pies, breaking valuables, and causing all kinds of trouble with him. Now, Drop Dead Fred must find a way to convince Elizabeth that it's OK for her to be herself, in spite of what her lying husband and manipulative mother tell her, as they scheme to send Elizabeth to a psychiatrist who prescribes pills that do away with imaginary friends like Drop Dead Fred.
Is It Any Good?
It's obnoxious, crass, gross, and firmly dated in the early 1990s. But in spite of (or because of) this, DROP DEAD FRED is a hilariously juvenile comedy that also tries to show the importance and value in being true to yourself. Drop Dead Fred is played by the brilliant British comedic actor Rik Mayall, and while his general behavior and dialogue in this one might grow tiresome for those who don't appreciate this level of silliness and slapstick, in the right mindset, this is, on the whole, as imaginative as it is zany.
While the movie would most likely plant some bad ideas into the heads of impressionable younger kids, for older kids and parents, especially those who had imaginary friends when they were younger, Drop Dead Fred is a joyful evocation of childhood anarchy, of limitless energy and boundless imagination.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the different types of violence in movies and TV shows. What makes the moments of violence in this movie cartoonish, as opposed to realistic or graphic?
What makes this a slapstick comedy, as opposed to another type of comedy?
In this movie, kids (and Elizabeth as an adult) with imaginary friends are shown as being in need of psychiatric and pharmaceutical help. Do you think the use of pills on children with imaginary friends curtails their active imaginations and personalities, or does it help them to live normal and productive lives?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : July 22, 2003
- Cast : Marsha Mason , Phoebe Cates , Rik Mayall
- Director : Ate de Jong
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 103 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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