Drop Dead Fred (1991) User Reviews (218)

A Nice Kids Fantasy Film. Rik Mayall is great as Fred. SPOILER

[r-downey1 · 7/10 · 6 October 2004]

I first watched this film when I was six years old and I of course loved it. I am now 17 and for some reason I still think its pretty enjoyable, as it brings back memories of my childhood and makes you wish that you could feel like the way you where then just for one day and see what it felt like to be young again. I am mostly into grown up films now but some child films I still find brilliant no matter how much I now them from watching them over the years, Drop Dead Fred is one of these examples.

The film is about a young woman called Lizzie(Phoebe Cates) and her imaginary friend Drop Dead Fred(Rik Mayall who is one of my favourite comedy actors and as I grew up I have seen him in other really funny shows like The Young Ones, The New Statesman and of course Bottom) in the story when Lizzie's marriage breaks up she is forced by her bullish mother to go and stay the night at her house where she refines her imaginary childhood friend Fred who her mother had locked away many years ago in a box to tray and control Lizzie's life (and by the way I was glad to see Lizzie standing up to her mother at the end) thanks to Fred of course. The part at the end were Fred makes Lizzie realise that she finally has grown up and she can run her own life now and she does not need him anymore and he has to say goodbye to her and give her a kiss and a hug is heartbreaking it made me think that it can be a wee bit sad that I'm as good as grown up now to and to think back to the old days of my imaginary friend. The last seen is good too as we see Lizzie is talking to her friend Mickey who has just found out that his child Nataile has an imaginary friend who's name is Drop Dead Fred and we then now that Fred was not just an imaginary friend he was real and his job is to help all children while they are growing up.

This is a great wee gem of a film specially for Rik Mayall fans like me.I give Drop Dead Fred 7/10. Give it a tray.

Rik Mayall is awesome in this crazy off the wall comedy

[mjw2305 · 7/10 · 31 December 2006]

When Elizabeth (Phoebe Cates) returns to her childhood home after her marriage breaks down, she re-creates her imaginary friend from her childhood; Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall) to help her cope with the loss.

Fred should have never been allowed to enter the world of an adult, he simply breaks everything he comes in to contact with, including Elizabeth's chances of getting her life back on track, and Rik Mayall portrays this maniac in true mad-cap fashion.

'Drop Dead Fred' is wickedly funny, but it does have very serious and accurate undertones beneath all the zany comedy, and is a great deal cleverer than most people give it credit for.

7/10

I had never heard of Rik Mayall until he died

[lee_eisenberg · 6/10 · 14 June 2014]

Rik Mayall died recently. I had never heard of him before then, so I decided to watch a movie in which he starred. I determined that "Drop Dead Fred"'s point is that we all need some fun in our lives. True, a lot of the humor is pretty childish, but it's hard not to laugh at Fred's antics. Indeed, Elizabeth goes through a stark change in the course of the action.

If Phoebe Cates seems familiar, you may have seen her in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (remember the bikini scene?) and "Gremlins". She married Kevin Kline and retired from acting a few years later, although the entire family starred in "The Anniversary Party".

Overall, the movie sets out to entertain, and it succeeds. There needs to be a film festival for movies reminding us of the need to have fun. Aside from this one there would be "Zorba the Greek", "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar" and "Chocolat".

Fred is REAL!

[Theoriginaltruebrit · 30 August 2002]

I am amazed by the amount of people who have discussed this movie in the terms of being about "mental illness".... it should become clear by the end of the movie that this is a fantasy, Fred is not an imaginary friend he is "real" he exists and his sole purpose in life is to help children in a dark place and bring them out of themselves. Imaginary friends do not move on to another child, imaginary friends are the property of those who imagine them. I wouldn't be at all surprised if I saw a review of "Gremlins" on here by the same people who said "nasty little creatures who create distruction around them are not funny". This is a funny movie, plain and simple. Rick Mayall is outstanding as Fred and Phoebe Cates gives the perfect performance as the downtrodden daughter and wife. Anyone who says bad things about this movie has obviously never seen a fantasy movie before and taken it for what it is. I am surprised that they didn't call Demi Moore delusional in "Ghost" because she was refusing to let go of her boyfriend and "imagined" all the stuff that went on. This is a fantasy folks, a pure unadulterated fantasy and it is a bloody funny one at that. Watch it, it will make you laugh, it will make you smile, and it will make you chuckle.... what more can you ask and again Rick Mayall is brilliant.

Cobwebs

[d_penn · 7/10 · 5 June 2023]

This movie is just... wow mixed with a dash of wobbly hand. I'm currently suffering from mental health problems, and this is both funny, creative, and helpful for those know need to understand that, they're not alone, and others know how you feel and can really help you feel like yourself.. A guilty pleasure... Not the greatest film out there but there are far worse... For every "Drop Dead Fred", there are at least a dozen "Jack and Jills"... it definitely went down as a classic. You got 90 mins I mean you make the best out of it for what it's worth.....the actor who portrayed DDF passed away so RIP my boi Fred.

Sweet Fantasy with a Beautiful Ending

[CleverTitania · 7/10 · 29 August 2002]

I originally saw this in my late teens. A few years ago, it started getting good play on cable, and I rediscovered this treasure.

I won't rehash the plot (you can read that on the main page), but the premise has a real interesting idea. What surprised me most by the other comments were things about Elizabeth's emotional state? She's not nuts, and she's not delusional. Just because her mother mistakes Fred for a psychological problem doesn't mean she's right. That's the whole point. While we might have some questions in the beginning, by the end it's quite clear that Fred is real. This is a fantasy after all.

Elizabeth is such a sweet child, it's just such a shame her father never gets a backbone to stand up to her mother. That's the one thing I didn't like about the story. It would seem her father simply abandoned them, which you simply wouldn't believe based on the sweet caring man they depict him to be. I've always adored Marsha Mason, and it was hard to see her as such a cold manipulative woman. You can see underneath, at least at the end, that she has her own issues that cause her to treat her daughter as an adversary. But it's hard to forgive.

Ryk Mayall is hilarious! He's an absolute gem, and I really wish we would see him in more mainstream movies so I could view his talent without video hunting. He is brilliant in the physical comedy, and a riot even when his jokes aren't all that funny. He also shows some really tender moments. He reminds you a touch of a teacher who really loves a student with emotionally inept parents. He's supposed to be showing her what's wrong with her life, making her wake up to the shell of a person she's become, but you can see what he really wants to do is hold her, kiss the top of her head, and tell her it'll all be alright and that (at least) he loves her.

Phoebe Cates turns in one of her best performances (second only to Shag). She plays the vulnerable young woman, who's been cowed by her mother and squashed by her husband, with realism and depth. You can understand her attachment to her philandering spouse (cleverly portrayed by Tim Matheson) when you recognize that she just desperately wants to be loved by someone. But after being; abandoned by her father (and seemingly Fred), emotionally battered by her mother, and losing her only other real friend (Ron Eldard is really charming in this bit) as a child; who wouldn't cling to any shred of love they can get?

While this movie is so funny and energetic, it's at the end it really pays off for the grown ups. Elizabeth comes to terms with the fact that her husband really doesn't care, that she can live her life without the approval or permission of her mother, and that she'll never really be happy until she regains the inner child her mother stole from her. The fantasy scene where Fred helps her step back and face all this is really interesting, I particularly LOVE the metaphor of unwrapping the young Elizabeth from the bed where she's trapped by the same masking tape her mother used to lock Fred in the Jack-in-the-Box. The final moment of Fred's departure, with a warm kiss and hug, is heartbreaking but fitting. And closing the film with Fred continuing his efforts by befriending Mickey's daughter proves the whole point, that Fred is very real and that the imaginary friends in this story have a real purpose. They are there to help children in need in the only way kids really can be helped, with fun.

Siskle and Ebert listed it as the worse movie either had ever seen

[clay_thompson · 1/10 · 7 April 2006]

I went to see this at the encouragement of my movie going buddy. Gordon told me, "It's about a puka. You know, like the rabbit in 'Harvey.'" We sat in the theater and a small child who was sitting with mom and dad turned to Dad and said, "This was horrible." He was about six years old. On our way out of the theater, Gordon said, "I am soooooo sorry." We never spoke about it again.

Later that week, Siskle and Ebert were on 'The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.' They spoke about several movies, and when Johnny asked, "What's the worst movie you've ever seen," without hesitation and in unison they said, "Drop Dead Fred." That pretty much says it all.

Don't let her turn you into one of them!

[Anonymous_Maxine · 9/10 · 21 January 2003]

Drop Dead Fred is a difficult film to review. I saw it for the first time when I was 13 years old or something, and I absolutely loved it because I was right in the middle of the age group at which the film is directed. I watched it again recently, and while the film's slapstick comedy did not hold quite the same massive appeal (although I was still hugely entertained) as it did when I was younger, I regretted to discover that I had grown out of a lot of the goofy antics that went on in the movie.

However, I was reading through some of the reviews written on the IMDb by other users, and was amazed at how offended a couple of people were by this film, revealing in their reviews a total detachment from their own inner selves and a complete misunderstanding for the little people that we call kids. No, for example, I would NOT recommend a seven year old girl to psychiatric help for making a mess. This is arguably one of the most ludicrous ideas that I have ever read on the Internet Movie Database in my entire life, and believe me, I have read some jaw-droppingly moronic comments on this beloved site.

If you read through the user comments for this movie, you can so clearly see the difference in the people who liked it and the ones who hate it that it almost makes you laugh out loud that these people can't see that they are exactly the kinds of people that the movie rebels against. Drop Dead Fred begs Elizabeth not to let her mother turn her into one of them because he doesn't want her to turn into the kind of person who is so uptight and frigid and barren that she would be incapable of enjoying exactly the kind of entertainment and fun that Drop Dead Fred is.

This is a movie that was made for people who are still in touch with their inner child, people who realize that a little girl with a mother who has absolutely no understanding of the mind of a child has every right to escape into the world of an imaginary friend if it will help her escape the grayness and responsibility imposed on her by her mother, who demands absolute perfection and hasn't the first clue about how to raise a child. Very similar things can be said about various IMDb users, such as ones who refer to Fred as a product of a deranged mind or say anything about psychos or brutality or insanity.

Drop Dead Fred is not a film about an insane little girl. Indeed, I like to think that the world is populated mostly with people who understand that the minds of young children operate slightly differently than their parents'and our own, and that they can be forgiven for getting into a little mischief. I am generally against grouping together people who did not like a certain film, but in this case it seems overly obvious that the people who wrote negative reviews of this fun comedy are simply the people who resent being pointed out as the kinds of people that they are.

Drop Dead Fred is a movie that was made for fun, to be enjoyed, laughed at, and respected for reminding us that we need to lighten up occasionally and, while not necessarily flinging spaghetti in a nice restaurant, act like children every once in a while to prevent ourselves from being driven insane by the fast-paced society that we live in. And if you can't do that, if you hated Drop Dead Fred because you simply can't understand that concept, if, indeed, you think that Elizabeth is in dire need of psychiatric care, you may want to step back and look closely at your life and your views.

YOU may be the one in need of therapy.

Uplifting and Empowering

[ACME_Horses · 7/10 · 12 October 2003]

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!

Overrated, goofy movie

[chet19 · 1/10 · 11 September 2005]

If your brand of humor is poo jokes and an annoying guy who likes to draw stripes onto sweaters, than this is a film for you. Not one single thing that Fred did was funny to the rest of us, however. Terribly painful movie to sit through. I like how they tried to make out Lizzy's mom to be mean, bad lady too. If my daughter were a lunatic with imaginary friends wrecking my house, I'd become mean too. The only thing worse than this film is all the people who seem to love it and who talked me into watching this garbage. How many times can they make the same old move over and over again. Bad things happens. Kid blames imaginary friend. No one believes the kid. Kid has to face some test and grow up and make peace with imagination. Zzzzzz

A future cult film?

[Sofalofa · 9/10 · 27 August 2005]

Isn't it funny how this film, whilst massively dismissed as rubbish by critics when it was first released, has attracted a very loyal following of people who hold it very dear to their hearts - isn't that basically the definition of a cult film? Why? The special effects are terrible, it's basically a "breaking into the USA market" vehicle for Rick Mayall, and Marsha Mason looks exactly the same in the "21 years ago" flashbacks as she does in the current time-line.

This film is special because it has that certain endearing uniqueness to it that makes it very personal. Those who love it have watched it many, many times. I've never seen anything like it before or since. It's a Hollywood-style comedy about a mid-20's dippy girl that is re-visited by her childhood imaginary friend when her life starts falling apart... or, it's an increasingly dark study of a girl descending into madness, only to choose reality over fantasy in the end.

Phobe Cates is fantastic in this film. She reacts to Mayall's familiar but still funny "Rick" routine in the sweetest and cutest way. The comic timing of both is excellent. Check out her expression when she asks her mother to "sit down" after Mayall has just delivered his "Cobwebs" line... Adorable.

A curiosity is after Fred's first encounter with Elizabeth's mother. After having his head squashed flat by a fridge door ("Oh no my head, the Megabitch squashed my head! The Bitch! She squashed my head! The evil one reigns supreme!"), the following references by Fred during the rest of the film refer to her as the "Megabeast". Perhaps half way through filming the producers, thinking this would be a lovely summer kiddie film thought it was a tad too "adult" to appeal to a young audience and told the makers to tone it down a bit.. The opening scene, where Marsha Mason reads a bedtime story to her 4 year old daughter only to be told "What a pile of S**t" pretty much sets the scene. Hilarious! There are so many genuinely funny and heart-warming scenes in this film. When Fred makes a "real" mud pie with the 4 year old Elizabeth, the little girl seems to be genuinely enjoying herself ("it's so fun!"). You can't help but smile. And whilst the final goodbye between Elizabeth and Fred is pretty formulaic Hollywood, it still tugs at the old heart strings.

Some people perhaps read too much into the film when they see it as a study of schizophrenia etc, but then again you can't help think that underneath the zany comedy, the writers are subtly giving the film a deeper edge. The scene that really hinges Elizabeth's descent into madness is when she finally despairs of her cheating husband's hopeless ways ("I'm scared to be alone") by Fred, who beckons "come with me" with a very creepy invitation to succumb to insanity.

To me, this film succeeds because it naughtily mixes Hollywood's cliché-ridden nicey-nice "family" comedies with the anarchic British alternative comedy of the 90's. You'll either "get it" or think it's crap. The choice is yours. To those that love it, perhaps it just sparks that missed childhood innocence that runs throughout, as well as our desire to be more rebellious and independent than we are now as adults. The ending is lovely too... Fred carries on helping kids in his own way.

P.S. Carrie Fisher will always be remembered and associated with Star Wars, but she is a superb comedy actress. "But didn't Elvis kill himself?", "Yes, but before that he was really interesting!"... Superb!

Hilarious...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 10 January 2016]

The reason for why I initially purchased this 1991 comedy at the local secondhand DVD store was because of Rik Mayall, the late, great British comedy genius.

I haven't seen "Drop Dead Fred" before now in 2016, 25 years after it was initially released. Shame on me, I know. And it was an error on my behalf, because this is a very funny movie and an enjoyable movie as well. And Rik Mayall really do put on a very good performance as the imaginary friend Drop Dead Fred. I was laughing a good amount throughout the course of the movie, especially because of the hilarious situations that Elizabeth (played by Phoebe Cates) ended up in because of her imaginary friend.

Rik Mayall is quite well-cast for the menacing make-believe friend, and he seemed to be given free hands to do what he wanted with the character. I was more than genuinely entertained by his comedy in this 1991 movie, his brush with Hollywood, although he was always more at home in the British comedy.

Aside from an all-over-the-screen Rik Mayall, then Phoebe Cates also did perform nicely in "Drop Dead Fred" and borough her usual charms. It was a nice treat to have the Princess herself in the movie for a supportive role, that being Carrie Fisher, of course.

"Drop Dead Fred" is a fast paced comedy with lots of laughs.

Denise the Menace

[Wes54 · 1/10 · 4 January 2019]

Grows up to be a raving psycho who destroys everyone and everything - including herself.

As a little girl: Why did you rob our house, cut half your hair off, and mix everything on the table with mud? I didn't do it! Fred did!

As an adult: Why did you rub dog poop into the carpet, smash an expensive violin, and sink that houseboat? I didn't do it! Fred did!

And what was the lesson she needed to learn? To not be afraid of her mom, whose only "crime" was trying to save her fading marriage and her daughter's fragile sanity.

If they make them sexier than Phoebe Cates I want their addresses!

[uds3 · 22 May 2002]

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!

There is a strong possibility that I have over-analysed this film.

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 1 January 2008]

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 film—one 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 movie—the 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 friend—one fully aware of her pal's troubled mental history—would 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.

Imagine that.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 5/10 · 29 July 2022]

I like the concept of 'Drop Dead Fred (1991)' more than its execution. In essence, it's a coming-of-age story about a young woman whose failing marriage and pushy mother prompt her to move back home. Here, she comes across her long-forgotten imaginary friend, the eponymous Fred, and gets into all sorts of trouble as he turns her life upside down with his penchant for wanton destruction. At its core, the narrative is about self-actualisation, which is an interesting angle to approach a brash fantastical comedy from. The character arc at the centre of the story is satisfying, and Cates brings an undeniable warmth to her down-trodden hero that makes it impossible not to root for her. I appreciate the fact that the film doesn't make romance its main focus, instead remaining centred around its protagonist's inner journey and evolution into a fully-formed individual. Though an alternate romantic interest is included, he's never used as a measure of the central arc's success. Also, I'm super glad that Fred isn't turned into a love interest. So far, so good, right? Well, the problem with the piece is that it just isn't all that funny. A lot of this stems from the fact that Fred is just annoying, a loudmouth lord of chaos who flicks bogies and incessantly moans. I know that's kind of the point, but I think that his overbearingly unbearable nature is meant to be sort of endearing and it just isn't. Mayall does what's expected of him; in fact, he's generally good in the role. It's just that the character isn't all that great. I simply don't find Fred's pseudo gross-out, always loud, unapologetically over-the-top schtick funny. At the same time, it isn't especially unfunny. It's grating, but not unwatchable. It does work fairly well on occasion, with a few scenes being somewhat humorous, and it also feeds into the narrative generally well. Typically, it's fine. As is the overall affair. There are a couple of scenes that imply a wider imaginary friend mythos that I could've done without, but the rest is decent enough for what it is. Your mileage will vary depending on how humorous you find Fred. For me, this is an intermittently enjoyable and conceptually interesting affair, but it isn't exactly a side-splitting one.

Warms even the coldest of Hearts.

[main-38 · 7/10 · 18 August 2009]

As part of my old job I was allowed all of the free DVD's I could handle. At one point I had over 500. I am in the midst of selling a lot of them and it is a painful process. I had a solid pile of about 100 that I wanted to sell. 'Drop Dead Fred' was at the top of the pile. I had never watched the movie and for some reason, last night, it was calling to me. I am really glad I decided to watch it and remove it from the doomed pile.

On the surface this is one of those early 90's kids movies that actually is not really intended for kids. Do you remember that movie with Martin Short? 'Clifford'? It is the same idea. It is a style of film making that is not utilized nearly enough. The movie is crewed and lewd and almost perfect. Fred rules! I love the imaginary friend idea and I think it was depicted in perfect absurdity.

The plot is simple but far from stale in the way it is presented. Girl has crappy life, remembers childhood imaginary friend and then said imaginary friend comes back into girl's life and wreaks havoc. The film's colorful and quirky nature invigorates the plot 200%. It is also really heartfelt and gives you a warm mushy feeling at the end which honestly is something that we all need to experience every now and again seeing as we live is such a cruel and depressing world full of heartless and blood thirsty ingrates.

Underneath the comical veneer is something else- something much darker and disturbing. There is something very psychological about this film. Fred, the imaginary friend, is ID through and through. I would go as far to say that this film should be shown in PSY100 classes to demonstrate the ID, EGO and SUPER EGO and how they work. Although the film is comical I think the plot plays with the idea of mental illness a lot. I will make the argument that Lizzy suffers from Schizophrenia and this film is a depiction of her battle with the illness.

I am told that a remake is in the works and that British Comedian Russell Brand is set to play Fred. He is getting a lot of flack on both his message board and this message board as well. Part of me, as Any fan of this movie would, agrees that it is near perfect and a remake is pointless- however if I had one complaint it is that the film does not look all that great (with the exception of Phoebe Cates). Visually, the film is kind of dull. I think it would be invigorating to see the film done with more in terms of effects. And in Russell Brand's defense, have we really seen enough of his work to discriminate against him and know that he will ruin a remake? I HATED 'Forgetting Sara Marshall' but Russell Brand really made it's excruciating length and general blandness slightly more bearable.

Please please PLEASE do not watch!

[jacobliterator · 1/10 · 27 June 2016]

Y'know, when I first saw this movie as a child (about 10 years old), I hated it. I thought the humour was vulgar and predictable, the effects were unconvincing at best and the characters trying to resemble real life ended up being so stereotypical, even Punch-Out would be jealous. But after watching it again, I realized something...

IT'S EVEN WORSE NOW! Not only do all the complaints I put before still apply, but the psychological side of this movie is just terrifying. Nothing these characters do is logical and they frequently break out into behavior we would deem as unacceptable or even insane. The concept of fantasy meets reality is completely shot in the foot if THIS is the reality you're creating.

The only decent thing in this movie and I'm really pushing it is when Fred interacts with the other imaginary friends. I must admit, that idea, while still immature, had some potential.

Apart from that, this movie is unacceptably bad. Without a doubt, the worst movie I've ever seen.

Great for kids and adults that like fantasy.

[snarfyl · 10/10 · 19 November 2004]

This is a movie that I loved as a kid. I never understood any of the adult parts of the movie of course at a young age. But the movie itself never left my memories and has stayed with me as I've grown up. Now I am going on 26 years old and watching it again. I haven't seen it since I was in elementary school. It brings back so many good memories and was one of my favorite movies as a kid. Now that I'm an adult I understand all the adult parts of the movie which now has a slightly different meaning. But it's still a good movie for kids and for any adult that likes fantasy. Especially adults like me that wish they could go back to being a kid.

Silly adult fantasy that would fare better now than in the early nineties

[Robert_duder · 6/10 · 28 June 2008]

I'm blown away by how many reviewers refer to this as a family or kids comedy/fantasy? Are you high? Drop Dead Fred is anything but made for families or kids. In fact it's a twisted adult fairy tale comedy that is cute and silly but could have went a lot further had it been released nowadays as a dark comedy with a much stronger more talented cast. The entire time I spent the film thinking what an iconic and remarkable role Drop Dead Fred would have been for Jim Carey as a comeback right now. He could have taken that role and really made it twisted and demented the way it was meant to be. The entire premise of the film pretends to have some sort of morale but it doesn't at all...it's a bitterly ironic adult comedy about a deranged lunatic who uses violence and emotional abuse to make a quiet mousy 20 something girl find herself. Sound like a promising morale for kids? The cast just wasn't strong enough to make the potentially terrific physical comedy, and dark moody one liners really matter. The film seems to be iconic to some and perhaps that's just something about an early nineties film but for the most part Drop Dead Fred misses it's mark while being mildly entertaining.

Phoebe Cates, fresh from trying to remove herself from the Brat pack eighties stigma plays Lizzie, a perpetually walked on woman who loses her husband, car, money and job all in one day which drives her to the brink of sanity and Fred. Cates is decent enough but she plays mousy and quiet but never really comes out of that shell the way she should have. This would have been a great role for a stronger actress with better range like Winona Ryder, or Christina Ricci (who was too young at the time, I know.) Someone with a dark brooding side for this tone of the film. Cates struck gold in the eighties but didn't have talent to carry it on. Apparently a very talented British comedian and TV Personality Rik Mayall plays the 'fantastic' drop dead Fred. He never quite nails the idea behind the very dark and often sadistic role...compare it to Michael Keaton's Beetlejuice...and you'll see he doesn't even come close. He is outright annoying and doesn't come across as intelligent in the least. In a round about and disturbing way he is supposed to make Cates see herself and he doesn't at all. He isn't funny and tries too hard with the jokes and pratfalls. Tim Matheson is decent as Cates' slimy husband, and Carrie Fisher is good although completely out of place being far more talented than this cast as Cates best friend. She has one of the funniest roles coming from actual talent as an actress.

I'm really not trying to discredit what people think of this film. If you grew up with it as a favorite...more power to you. But for me seeing it for the first time I just saw a lot of twisted potential in it that never pans out. This could be compared to a lot of other films in the same vein and you'd see those other films have big talented casts...Beetlejuice, and Death Becomes Her and even Monty Python films, to name a couple adult fantasy films. I don't think director Ate de Jong really knew where to go with this film and it was probably one of his first English US releases so he jumped on it but it was mis cast and rushed a great deal. Still people seem to love it as a cult classic but I think anyone looking for the type of film that this is should maybe steer clear of this one because it's average and completely misguided sadly. 6 out of 10

Just drop dead movie!

[Jetset971 · 1/10 · 30 November 2010]

Man! What a painful experience it was watching this. I saw almost twenty years ago and still wince ever time I see even the box cover of this cinematic eyesore of a movie! I sat through this atrocity, giving it every chance I could to make me at least smile once, and got absolutely nothing. It was flat from the word go. Cates, A much better actress than what she is given here to do, is just dull to watch as she gets tormented by hear irritatingly unfunny imaginary friend Fred, name of actor cant remember nor do I wish to. You would think that Freds crazy antics would be at least mildly amusing for a little while. But no, he starts out as annoying and gets worse throughout the whole film. Honenstly, I found myself praying for this movie to make one scene or moment or even line funny. Whoever wrote, directed or even produced this crapola needs to be hunted down and flogged!

how many annoying teachers and idiots have seen this?

[sizeeofachaffage · 10/10 · 15 September 2005]

OK, lets make it official, people have no sense of humor if this movie is about mental illness and full of bad jokes to you.

I have never stopped loving this movie and am appalled that so many people are that uptight and dull in there ways that they cant collapse in laughter just by thinking about it.

i have seen it, i own it on DVD and i will say that the only bad thing is it isn't long enough. whoever doesn't let out a chuckle when mister pooh the knitted monkey has his intestines(feathers)removed needs to lighten up and let the inner child back into there hearts.

Did you non lovers of this film watch pride and prejudice and other none side splitting boring moves when you were growing up. learn to relax and let go.

perfect if anything.

Virtually impossible not to love this film!

[HelloNeighbour · 7/10 · 19 August 2008]

Drop Dead Fred is definitely one of those films you will be able to watch over and over again without finding the jokes any less funny than they are in the beginning. Although being released in 1991, almost anybody watching Drop Dead Fred for the first time will love it despite it's maturing age. Rik Mayall is without a doubt the star of this film playing Drop Dead Fred, Elizabeth's imaginary friend who turns up when she needs him most - aka when her life is in turmoil and she needs to find fun and happiness again to have the strength to carry on through. Mischievous and rude Fred is absolutely hilarious, coming up with childish yet spiked pranks, sayings and nicknames which mortify Elizabeth despite her having loved him to pieces when she was a young child faced with her formidable mother.

Although it is rated in the UK as a 15 certificate I personally think that a 12 certificate would have been more suitable for this film as it DOES appeal from the young to the old, and only contains a few choice swear words which are fairly mild.

Highly recommended that you should watch, or even better buy - its extremely cheap because of its release date and your couple of quid spent will definitely not be a couple of quid wasted!

Yuck.

[bandimal · 1/10 · 10 September 2000]

I saw this movie when it first came out. I was a junior in high school, so my boyfriend and I thought that the "sophomoric" humour would be most appropriate for a date. We were wrong. We both hated the movie. Drop Dead Fred is just a bunch of outrageous and disgusting gags (pun intended) which might amuse a six-year old one second and have his parents covering his eyes the next. The idea of an imaginary playmate becoming flesh-and-blood is quite amusing but the plot of this movie (if there is one) keeps Fred nothing more than "someone to blame" and a troublemaker. My imaginary playmate was much more caring, sensitive, and mature than Fred will ever be...