My Top 25 Switcheroo Movies

In honor of FREAKIER FRIDAY premiering this month, I made a list of all of my favorite SWITCHEROO movies, meaning, the ones where people switch bodies or circumstances, or when a character experiences new circumstances while in disguise or living a "double life", and usually they must gain sincere empathy for each other in order to switch back, or realize something about themselves in order to get their life back.

25. Like Father, Like Son (comedy, fantasy, 1987 PG-13 1h 50m)

why I love it: I saw this in the theater because I was absolutely the target teenage audience at the time. The father, a career-driven surgeon (Moore) accidentally drinks a potion and switches bodies with his laidback teenage son (Cameron) which causes some hilarious moments as the pair mess up each others' lives at school and the hospital, and then gain empathy for the other. Dudley Moore, Kirk Cameron, Sean Astin, Margaret Colin

screenwriters: Lorne Cameron, Steve Bloom, David Hoselton

24. Maid to Order (comedy, fantasy 1987 PG 1h 33m)

why I love it: Another one I saw in the theater, this switcheroo has a Cinderella vibe--a spoiled rich girl is turned into a maid by her fairy godmother in order to teach her empathy. The 80s vibes are off the charts. If you pay close attention, you'll see a young Raymond Cruz (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) in a supporting role. Ally Sheedy, Beverly D'Angelo, Michael Ontkean, Valerie Perrine, Dick Shawn, Tom Skerrit, Katy Segal

screenwriters: Amy Holden Jones, Perry Howze, Randy Howze

23. Family Switch (comedy, drama, 2023 PG 1h 46m)

why I love it: A typical family of five experiences double parent/child switcheroo after a strange encounter at a planetarium. They gain empathy for each other while navigating each others' demanding days: a college interview, job promotion, soccer tryout, and a record deal. Funny appearances include Fortune Feimster, Howie Mandel and more. Ensemble includes Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, Emma Myers, Brady Noon, Rita Moreno, Lincoln and Theodore Sykes.

screenwriter: Victoria Strouse, Adam Sztykiel, Amy Krouse Rosenthal 

22. Dream a Little Dream (comedy, drama, romance 1989 PG-13 1h 54m)

why I love it: Another flick I saw in the theater, because that's about all I did as a teenager, and hello? This starred THE COREYS. The switcheroo: elderly dream researcher (Robards) and teenage boy (Feldman) switch consciousness and communicate in dreams, but the boy doesn't want to switch back. It has its funny moments, but honestly I'm not sure why it got a sequel except that decisionmakers were milking THE COREYS fandom. Corey Feldman, Corey Haim, Jason Robards, Piper Laurie, Harry Dean Stanton, Victoria Jackson

screenwriters: Marc Rocco (also director), Daniel Jay Franklin, Danny Eisenberg

21. All of Me (comedy, fantasy, romance 1984 PG 1h 33m)

why I love it: A dying millionairess, Edwina Cutwater (Tomlin) arranges to have her soul transferred into the body of younger, willing woman but something goes awry, and she finds herself sharing one side of her lawyer Roger Cobb's body (Martin). Adapted from the novel Me Two by Edwin Davis, it's the only one on the list where two people control the same body and it is hysterical. Lily Tomlin, Steve Martin 

screenwriters: Edwin Davis, Henry Olek, Phil Alden Robinson 

20. 18 Again! (comedy, fantasy, romance, 1988 PG 1h 33m)

why I love it: All I have to say is GEORGE BURNS. This switcheroo is between a successful businessman and his teen grandson, caused by his birthday wish to be 18 again. They get in a car accident and switch bodies, but the transformational journey is one-sided: the elder body is in a coma while his soul is in his grandson's body, where he sees life through the grandson's POV and discovers how his son feels about him. George Burns, Charlie Schlatter, Tony Roberts, Anita Morris, Miriam Flynn, Jennifer Runyon, Red Buttons

screenwriters: Josh Goldstein, Jonathan Prince

19. 17 Again! (comedy, drama, fantasy 2009 PG-13 1h 42m)

why I love it: Mike O' Donnell (Perry) is unhappy with his life, and gets a chance to be young again (Efron) when he tries to save a janitor near a bridge, instead jumping through a time travel portal. Heartwarming and funny. Fun appearances from Jim Gaffigan and Margaret Cho. Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Matthew Perry, Tyler Steelman, Allison Miller

screenwriters: Jason Filardi

18. Tootsie (comedy, drama, romance, 1982 PG 1h 53m)

why I love it: Believe it or not, this was a HUGE big deal when it came out. An actor like Hoffman, who'd played tons of hyper hetero-masculine roles, dressing as a woman? Shocking to many. The switcheroo is an actor dressing as a woman to get a role on a soap opera. If we pitched it now, it might not land as hilariously absurd, but it did 43 years ago, and helped shed a little light on misogyny in the workplace, in relationships, and in society as a whole. Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning, Bill Murray, Sydney Pollack, Geena Davis

screenwriters: Don McGuire, Larry Gelbart, Murray Schisgal

17. The Change Up (comedy, fantasy 2011 R 1h 52m)

why I love it: Mitch (Reynolds) is a single slacker and his childhood best friend is Dave (Bateman), a lawyer, husband, and father of three. They envy each other's lives until they wake up hungover and in each other's bodies. Their struggle to avoid destroying each other's lives before figuring out how to switch back is absolutely hilarious. Ryan Reynolds, Justin Bateman, Leslie Mann, Olivia Wilde, Alan Arkin

screenwriters: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore

16. Down to Earth (comedy, fantasy 2001 PG-13 1h 27m)

why I love it: After dying too young, a Black bike messenger with hopes of becoming a successful comic gets a second chance to live, but he returns as a rich white businessman. This is a remake of Heaven Can Wait (1978), which was a remake of Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) and incorporates several bits from Chris Rock's Bigger and Blacker album--which honestly makes it the funniest of the three movies. Chris Rock, Regina King, Chazz Palminteri, Eugene Levy, Jennifer Coolidge, Wanda Sykes, John Cho

screenwriters: Chris Rock, Lance Crouther, Alli LeRoi, Louis C.K., Elaine May (Heaven Can Wait), Warren Beatty (Heaven Can Wait)

15. Vice Versa (comedy, fantasy 1988 PG 1h 38m)

why I love it: This switcheroo is among my favorites because Judge Reinhold and Fred Savage both have some hysterical moments while playing a divorced father and 11-yr-old son who switch bodies. Add in school/work responsibilities, an ex-wife and a girlfriend, plus some bad people who want the same artifact that mystically causes the switch--this one is about as absurd and funny as it can get. Judge Reinhold, Fred Savage, Corrine Bohrer, Swoosie Kurtz, Jane Kaczmarek, David Proval, Jane Lynch, Ajay Naidu

screenwriters: Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais

14. The Skeleton Key (drama, horror, mystery 2005 PG-13 1h 44m)

why I love it: No spoilers here! I hesitate to say too much about why I included this on the list or why I love it. Yes, there is a switch, caused by dark folk magic. This suspenseful, spooky tale is steeped in New Orleans superstition and culture. Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, John Hurt, Peter Sarsgaard, Thomas Uskali

screenwriters: Ehren Kruger

13. The Truth About Cats & Dogs (comedy, romance 1996 PG-13 1h 37m)

why I love it: A heartwarming story about a self-deprecating veterinarian/radio host (Garofalo) who asks her fashion model friend (Thurman) to pretend to be her while meeting a love interest (Chaplin), but their plan gets away from them. Supporting cast/radio callers include Bob Odenkirk, David Cross, Robin Williams. It is a reimagining of the story of Cyrano de Bergerac (1897). Janeane Garofalo, Uma Thurman, Ben Chaplin, Jamie Foxx

screenwriter: Audrey Wells

12. Big Business (comedy 1988 PG 1h 37m)

why I love it: Another fun 80s flick that I saw in the theater. The swap happens in the 1940s in the small town of Jupiter Hollow, where two sets of identical twins are born in the same country hospital on the same night and the nurse accidentally mixes up the pairs. One pair belongs to a poor local family and the other to a rich couple traveling from NYC. The mismatched sets of twins cross paths 40 years later as adults when a big business deal threatens to closedown the Jupiter Hollow factory. Bette Midler, Lily Tomlin, Fred Ward, Edward Herrmann, Michael Gross 

screenwriters: Dori Pierson, Marc Reid Rubel

11. Switch (comedy, fantasy 1991 R 1h 43m)

why I love it: A misogynistic heterosexual man's ex-lover kills him and he reincarnates as a woman. Karma at its best, perhaps. There are moments that are seriously outdated, but it still holds a place on this list for taking the switch concept to an interesting, extreme, and funny place. Ellen Barkin, Jimmy Smits, Lorraine Bracco, Catherine Keener

screenwriters: Blake Edwards (also director)

10. Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (comedy 1991 PG-13 1h 42m)

why I love it: A fun, coming-of-age tale of what happens when five siblings are left home alone all summer while their mother travels to Australia (it was the 80s and no one blinked at that premise LOL), leaving the kids with an elderly babysitter... who dies. The kids drop off the corpse at a funeral home, not realizing all of their spending money is in her purse. To survive, the oldest teen, Sue Ellen (Applegate) makes a fake resume to get a reception job at a garment manufacturer, but gets hired as an exec assistant to the VP of the company. Keeping up the "double life" lie and being responsible for her siblings culminates into a big, crazy ending. Some of the funniest moments involve the eldest teen brother, Kenny (Coogan). Christina Applegate, Keith Coogan, Joanna Cassidy, Josh Charles

screenwriter: Neil Landau, Tara Ison

9. Overboard (comedy, romance 1987 PG 1h 52m)

why I love it: This switch isn't mystical or magical, like many on this list, but it is funny. Cruel heiress Joanna Stayton (Hawn) hires working class carpenter Dean Proffitt (Russell) to work on her yacht, and then refuses to pay him. Afterwards, she accidentally falls overboard and develops amnesia. Her husband, Grant, abandons her for her fortune. Dean seizes the opportunity to get revenge for her not paying him, identifies and convinces her that they're married with four sons, using her as a babysitter, cook, and maid. His hilarious plan works until she starts remembering who she really is. Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Edward Herrmann, Katherine Helmond

screenwriter: Leslie Dixon

8. Mulholland Drive (drama, mystery, thriller 2001 PG 2h 27m)

why I love it: When the writer/director is DAVID LYNCH, that's all you need to know. Officially: After a car wreck on Mulholland Drive renders a woman amnesiac, she and a Hollywood-hopeful search for clues and answers across Los Angeles in a twisting venture beyond dreams and reality. Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Jeanne Bates, David Birnbaum

screenwriter: David Lynch (also director)

7. Trading Places (comedy 1983 R 1h 56m)

why I love it: As part of a "nature vs nurture" bet between millionaire brothers, an uptight Wall Street commodities broker (Aykroyd) and a cunning street hustler (Murphy) find their positions of class reversed. The broker loses his home, job, reputation, and status, while the hustler seems to gain fortune and privilege overnight. There was a time when I may have said this was an outdated story, but with recent events over the last decade, yeah, this is more timely than ever and still hilarious. Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche

screenwriter: Timothy Harris, Herschel Weingrod

6. The Secret of My Success (comedy, romance 1987 PG-13 1h 51m)

why I love it: Michael J. Fox could make hanging drywall funny and interesting. This charming story about a new college graduate from Kansas who lacks work experience, trying to get hired and make it in the high stakes NYC business world, is one of several about "yuppies" in the 80s. He gets hired in the mailroom of his uncle's company, then pretends to be an executive, a "double life" element that provides some really funny moments where he keeps having to change clothes and stay under the radar. This film is not an adaptation of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, as some people have asserted, although there are similarities. It is also somewhat similar to Working Girl (1988) starring Melanie Griffith, which I also recommend--although that doesn't fit "switcheroo" quite as well as this one. Michael J. Fox, Helen Slater, Richard Jordan, Margaret Whitton, Jon Pankow

screenwriters: Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr., AJ Carothers

5. Big (comedy, drama, fantasy 1988 PG 1h 44m)

why I love it: The switcheroo element happens when a 13-yr-old Josh (Moscow) wishes on a carnival Zoltar machine to become "big" and wakes up as an adult (Hanks). As a boy trapped in a man's body, he must navigate a job, apartment, girlfriend, and more. Equal parts funny and heartwarming. Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard, Jared Rushton, David Moscow

screenwriters: Gary Ross, Anne Spielberg

4. Mrs. Doubtfire (drama, romance, war 1942 PG 1h 42m)

why I love it: I could write a lengthy blog post just about this story. Officially: After a bitter divorce, an actor (Williams) disguises himself as a female housekeeper to spend time with his children held in custody by his former wife (Field). The writing. The cast. The quotable lines. The poignant moments. It's one of Robin Williams most memorable roles, shining in this "double life" switch. He brings his singular humor and deep sensitivity to it, makes us laugh and brings tears to our eyes. Sally is perfection as a concerned mom and fed up ex-wife to his chaos. Beautiful. Funny. Profound. Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein, Scott Capurro, Lisa Jakub, Matthew Lawrence, Mara Wilson, Robert Prosky, Anne Haney

screenwriters: Randi Mayem Singer, Leslie Dixon, Anne Fine (book "Alias Madame Doubtfire")

3. 13 Going on 30 (comedy, fantasy, romance 2004 PG-13 1h 38m)

why I love it: A sweet, funny story of 13-yr-old Jenna (Allen) who makes a birthday wish to be 30, so she can escape her angsty teenage experience and wakes up the next day as an adult (Garner). She enjoys the freedom of adulthood and her dream job. She brings back the "Thriller" dance at a workplace event, advises some young friends that "Love is a Battlefield," and hilariously dates a hot hockey player, but then examines her priorities and misses being her younger self. Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Andy Serkis, Krista B. Allen, Sean Marquette

screenwriters: Josh Goldsmith, Cathy Yuspa

2. Freaky Friday (comedy, family, fantasy G 1976 1h 38m)

why I love it: Others may argue with me, but on my list, this is THE OG in switcheroo movies! In this one, a busy stay-at-home mother and teenage daughter switch places for a day and chaos ensues! It premiered when I was 4, but it got serious mileage as a re-run on network TV, and later, as a rental. The parents, the fashion (OMG the false eyelashes and bell bottoms), the gender roles and expectations, and teenage JODIE FOSTER--it's a fun little snapshot of 70s middle class life. From the overflowing washing machine and disaster dinner prep to the water ski show finale, it is pure elder-GenX nostalgia. Jodie Foster, Barbara Harris, John Astin, Dick Van Patten 

screenwriter: Mary Rodgers (adapted screenplay & book)

1. Freaky Friday (comedy, family, fantasy 2003 PG 1h 37m)

why I love it: I absolutely love this remake the best (yes, there are others). In this version, the mother has a career as a successful therapist, and the daughter is an aspiring indie rocker. With respect to the beloved original, Jamie Lee Curtis (mom Tess) and Lindsay Lohan (daughter Anna) are both exceptional at playing each other trapped in the wrong body. Both give us laugh out loud moments and together they deliver a lovely message of empathy and love. I think I love this more than the original because while the 1976 ending was absurdly wild, it didn't pay off as much in the empathy for the other person's position in life. And, if you've read any of my other lists, you know I love when there are lots of quotable, funny, memorable moments that come from supporting cast--some of my favorites in this one are the interactions between the little brother and the grandpa, the Chinese restaurant owner and her mystical, mischievous mother, poor confused Jake, and the hilarious moment of affirmation for the woman at the butcher counter. Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Mark Harmon, Harold Gould, Chad Michael Murray, Ryan Malgarini.

screenwriter: Heather Hach, Leslie Dixon, Mary Rodgers (book)

Bonus: Freakier Friday (comedy, family 2025 PG 1h 50m)

why I love it: Yes, I've already seen it in the theater... 10/10 on nostalgia for the 2003 version! Nearly the entire cast returns for this fun sequel, which takes place 22 years later. It brings double the switcheroo factor when a goofy fortune teller causes grown-up Anna (Lohan) to switch with her teen daughter Harper and Tess (Curtis) to switch with her step-granddaughter-to-be Lily. I laughed at so many jokes about aging, and the scene in Jake's record store was a scream. It still delivers on the empathy moments, as well as the hilarious supporting cast moments. Most of all, I respect the hell out of Jamie Lee Curtis for using her recent Oscar winner status to choose roles that are fun and allow her to show her range while supporting other actors/actresses she loves, rather than doing what other Oscar winners sometimes do, which is demand only "serious" roles. JLC is clearly comfortable in her own skin and having the time of her life, and the outtakes are the proof. Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Mark Harmon, Manny Jacinto, Chad Michael Murray, Ryan Malgarini, Haley Hudson, Christina Vidal, Stephen Tobolowsky.

screenwriter: Jordan Weiss, Elyse Hollander, Leslie Dixon, Heather Hach, Mary Rodgers (book)

Happy viewing and keep writing,