Drop Dead Fred (1991)

You probably already know the synopsis. Woman in her 20's, Elizabeth, who has always been dominated by her mother. When she wa a little girl, Elizabeth used fantasy as a way to cope with her mother. She invents an imaginary friend, "Drop Dead Fred". Together they rebel against the mother. Fast forward then to her 20's and Fred returns to help her figure out an unhealthy relationship with her boyfriend...and finally get some closure with her mother.

It cannot be said that Elizabeth's character is mentally ill. The reviewer who said this is being as silly as Fred...unless of course he/she is a doctor and has counseled with Elizabeth :) This was a movie about a woman healing.

This was also a wholesome movie that the entire family can watch together. Some of the humor may be over the heads of children, but there are no swear words or violence for the sake of violence. Great fun--and funny!

Fmovies: For those of us who had or have a mother like that portrayed so brilliantly by Marsha Mason, and felt insignificant and controlled, like Phoebe Cate's character, we understand this movie and it speaks loudly to us. I love this movie and used to watch it whenever I was feeling a bit down. It cheered me up every time. It's a carefree, fun ride that reminds us that all will not fall apart if everything isn't perfect. Do you remember FUN?

Every actor in this movie owned their character perfectly. I particularly love the scene when Carrie Fisher pretends to throttle Drop Dead Fred. She gets it. She plays along. She believes in her friend that she loves.

There are many very memorable funny lines in this movie. COBWEBS for one!

This is THE PERFECT MOVIE.

Drop Dead Fred is a side-splittingly hilarious film, with Rik Mayall as the fantastic lead role - Drop Dead Fred. After breaking up with her boyfriend and losing her job, Elizabeth returns to her mother's house. After discovering a taped up jack-in-the-box in the cupboard, Drop Dead Fred escapes from his prison, and bursts out into freedom ... only chaos can ensue now! Phoebe Cates, who plays Elizabeth, now has a whole new load of trouble on her hands. Fred is her childhood imaginary friend - and only she can see him! There are so many funny parts in this film, it's impossible to name them all, but Rik Mayall never fails to bring up the laughs in any scene, as he gives a highly energetic, enthusiastic performance. The ending is really touching and I can never forget how when I was younger I always got upset by it. It beautifully concludes the movie, and will make you feel warm inside. Watch it and try not to laugh. It's near impossible.

Drop Dead Fred fmovies. First I must say that I prejudged this movie as an idiotic pile of c***. How could anyone create such filth?(I got all this from the previews). But I was stunned when I caught this film on television one day, because I liked it in all respects. There have only been a couple of movies that I have judged so harshly without seeing them and was enthralled by them and Drop Dead Fred was one of them. This movie was hilarious but it was more then just that. A lot of people did not understand this movie because they were searching in the shallow waters and never dove deep into the meaning of it. Fred may or may not be a figment of Phoebe Cates imagination, that is left for the viewer to decide. He was obnoxious, he was mean and selfish, but was their any other way to portray him? Cute and cuddly maybe? Sweet and likeable? Now that would have annoyed me. Fred was a troublemaker, he was the wild, uncontrollable child in Phoebe Cates. He represented the ounce of child left in her. This movie was made to show that adults abandon the child within to live a bore of a life. This adult was portrayed in Cate's mother to contrast with her character. People who deny their inner child can never live an entirely fulfilling life.

Rick Mayall did an incredible job as Drop Dead Fred. Without him, the movie would not have survived. But everyone else in the movie did a great job too. This movie is very enjoyable-watch it with an open mind.

I am disgusted by the degree to which I see this movie denigrated among the user comments here on imdb.com. Instead of pointlessly hypothesizing about the dullness and pointlessness that most likely constitute your personal lives, I choose to take the high road, and merely state that Drop Dead Fred will make you laugh, cry, and question nearly everything about your life...if you listen to it. If you haven't seen it...go and watch it! If you have seen it, and you don't like it...watch it again, and pay attention this time! And lighten up!

And if you have seen it, and love it like I do (and like all self-respecting human beings do), then go watch it again, and have some fun!

Here's a little gem most everyone hated and totally misunderstood! Able to be loved by younger kids and laughed-at by the more "balanced" adults, DROP DEAD FRED is just fun. That's all it was ever meant to be! My children "grew up" with this film in our library and we have seen it probably 30 - 40 times over the years.

For those with absolutely no humor or sense of childhood-wonder still, you would be doing yourself a big favor to miss this flick. Rik Mayall (who never cut it for me particularly) is Phoebe's imaginary childhood friend made flesh and come back to haunt her. True, he is tasteless, inspirationally trouble-making and a straight-up fruit-cake, but surely wouldn't that make for the ideal imaginary friend? I laughed at the reviewer claimed "her" imaginary friend had way better taste and wouldn't be seen dead acting like "Fred"....pity her! I had one too...a couple of back-ups even and they would have LOVED Fred!

The entire point of the film is brought to bear at the very conclusion of the film when Phoebe realises she has finally grown up and Fred knows it is time to "move-on." Personally I found this extremely touching, but there again, I never grew up!

Manic Mayall was born for this one role and he makes the most of it. The restaurant scene with Cates, who is just so cool, elegant and stylish throughout, is laugh-out-loud funny...again, IF you have a sense of humor. Prudes may well be offended by some of Mayall's antics, my four children weren't! Slate the film all you wish, it remains a total ONE-OFF.....name another like it!

Wonderful little bit of stupidity and like I said, if they make them cuter than Cates, I've missed the boat!