Plot

A musical about what happens when a mom and daughter argue, get their bodies magically switched, and must make it through the day being the other at high school or preparing for the next-day wedding--while hoping to switch back.

When Ellie and her mother Katherine are at their most stressful moments, each can only imagine how the other's problems could be more difficult. Thanks to the magic from Ellie's father's hourglass, imagination becomes reality when they switch bodies and see what being the other person is like.

Disney Channel's "Freaky Friday" is a madcap body swap musical comedy about a mother and daughter (Katherine and Ellie Blake) who magically spend a day in each other's shoes. Katherine and Ellie face a variety of challenges trying to get through the day as each other and ultimately learn a lot about what life is really like on the other side of the generation gap. In the process, mom and daughter navigate relationships, work, school, fitting in, standing out, and getting by all while facing the hard truth of their altered reality.

Based on the stage musical by Disney's Theatrical Group, it's a new take on the fable, presenting it as an original Broadway-esque/pop musical for kids and families alike. Written by award-winning playwright Bridget Carpenter, based on the beloved novel by Mary Rogers, the story is further illuminated by songs from Pulitzer and Tony Award-winners Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey ("Next to Normal").

This Disney Channel Original Movie is the fifth iteration of "Freaky Friday," but the first in telling the story through music on screen, with the musical numbers progressing the story as well as heightening the emotion of the actions of the story. Adding song and dance to the subtext of each scene, each character's inner dialogue is emphasized and all the more relatable to the viewing audience. The story and the music gets a message across about empathy -- and how the empathy we develop for our parents extends to the rest of the world.

Whether the medium is stage, film or TV, the "Freaky Friday" story tells the truth about the push and pull relationship between parents and kids - it's a story that is ultimately optimistic with a fitting dose of sincere emotion.