WAY TO READ A LINE: Jamie Lee Curtis in Freaky Friday

Sentences are what makes movies great. Sure, visuals, acting, and story all have their great say. But sentences can tie all those aspects together in harmonium. The sentences are where we understand situation. A great sentence can articulate emotion, character depth, situation, and tone of a movie all at once. The 'Way to Read a Line' portion of Dumb Reviews is a hall of fame of sorts for these sentences.

Freaky Friday. Have you seen it? It's alright if you haven't, its a disney movie starring Lindsay Lohan. It was the movie that let us know- 'uh oh, she's gonna be hot' after the delightful re-telling of The Parent Trap. Here we see Lindsay cast as a punk rocker styled teen, which is a way to show us she is a little bit rock n roll despite her little bit of country upbringing. The Parent Trap made Lindsay work, sharing most of her scenes with herself in a dual role. Here- Lindsay doesn't have to do much, as she is being carried by Jamie Lee Curtis.

Oh you know what line I am going to do. The line is so great, it pretty much is the entire movie.

1:17 mark (then you shouldn't watch the rest)

"OH I'M LIKE THE CRYPT KEEPER!!!!"

'Oh I'm like the crypt keeper'. The line establishes that Jamie Lee is here to play the game. She is willing to say stupid and genial lines with such gusto that a teenager who looks like a mom is not just plausible, but of course one exists. Jamie Lee just set the gold standard for the standard of adults who have switched with the body of their teenager (Hanks in Big does not count, no switching... the movie you're thinking of is Judge Reinhold/Fred Savage in Vice Versa). All in the line about a basic cable late 90s reference. The Lohan character would've been about 8 when Tales from the Crypt aired, but clearly the character (now in Mom form) couldn't think of anything uglier than the crypt keeper. But maybe not uglier... wrinklier, and older both are covered by the Crypt Keeper, as is the angst expressed in teen's and their nostalgic references. It also should be noted that Tales from The Crypt was dead and gone, but Disney did a good job of picking a safe target, one that was still well enough within our collective memory (not too soon, not too late) to get a whole harted chuckle out of.

I really can't think of anything else from that movie you need to know about. I have seen the movie, as it aired on a consistent basis on the Disney Channel back when Even Stevens re-runs were in about 3rd or 4th rotation. Mom switches body with daughter, they learn to love to live.... but just say the line to yourself plainly, now say it to yourself with the enthusiasm of Jamie Lee Curtis. It's ridiculous, and it is just what the movie needed. Too bad, nothing everTry saying it to your friend out of context, or to someone on the street. I haven't tried that, but I bet it'd be semi-funny. It's the best line from a C+ movie. The line alone explains why the plus is a necessary addition: sweet Jamie Lee.

Congratulation Jamie Lee Curtis-- Way to read a line.