Drop Dead Fred (Film Review)

1991 New Line Cinema
Directed by: Ate de Jong; Written by: Carlos Davis and Anthony Fingleton
Starring: Phoebe Cates, Rik Mayall, Marsha Mason, Tim Matheson, and Carrie Fisher
MPAA Rating: PG-13; Running Time: 101 Minutes
The Nicsperiment Rating: 7/10

As a child, Elizabeth is emotionally beaten down and repressed by her domineering mother. Her father shows her love, but when he hits the road, it's down to Elizabeth and her imaginary friend, Drop Dead Fred. Fred appears as a wacky British man who may incite Elizabeth to act out, but also allows her to just be a kid. Now, Elizabeth is an extremely repressed adult. She's lost her job and her husband has left her for another woman. She has to rely on her mother, who is just as domineering as ever...maybe it's time for Fred to make his return...
Look, I get it. The vast majority of filmgoers will not like 1991's Drop Dead Fred. For its small, but dedicated fanbase, of which I am a member, I think several of these factors must be met: The viewer has to first watch the film when they're a pre-teen/tween--it's too mature for little kids, and too immature for anyone else; The viewer has to find the zany Rik Mayall as Fred to be funny; the viewer has to have had a difficult relationship with a repressive mother; Liking Phoebe Cates helps.
If I were to pose those factors as questions, and you answered most of those in the affirmative, you likely have a far higher chance of loving Drop Dead Fred. I first watched this film when I was about 11. Rik Mayall cracks me up with every line-reading in this film. To me, Cates, as Elizabeth, is easily relatable. I patched things up with my mom almost a decade ago, but before that, I could relate to the mother-child dynamic here. I also like looking at Phoebe Cates, even if she's pretty moused up through 90% of this film. 

I am easily in the small camp who loves Drop Dead Fred and appreciates the borderline impressionistic work that director, Ate de Jong, and the film's writers have done here. Yes, if you watch this as an adult, you might hate Fred and want Elizabeth to just act like a normal adult. If you had a perfectly healthy relationship with your mother growing up, Elizabeth may be completely unrelatable. I feel sorry for you. Drop Dead Fred rules! Okay, maybe I don't feel sorry for you. You probably had a well-adjusted childhood. It took a lot of personal misery to make this film work for me. But I'm glad Drop Dead Fred exists.