Drop Dead Fred is a 1991 comedy film released by New Line Cinema. and directed by Ate de Jong. Rik Mayall stars as Drop Dead Fred of the title, the imaginary friend of Elizabeth, played as an adult by Phoebe Cates. The supporting cast includes Marsha Mason, Tim Matheson, Carrie Fisher, and Ashley Peldon as young Elizabeth. The film centres on an introverted young woman who is reunited with the imaginary friend of her youth, often with manic and unpredictable results. Image File history File links Dropdeadfredred. ... Paul Francis Webster (December 20, 1907-March 18, 1984) was a American lyricist. ... Phoebe Cates (born on July 16, 1963) is an American film actress known for her roles in several teen films, most notably Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Gremlins. ... Richard Michael Rik Mayall (born 7 March 1958) is an English comedian and actor. ... New Line Cinema, founded in 1967, is one of the major American film studios. ... is the 109th day of the year (110th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... The year 1991 in film involved many significant films. ... A comedy is a dramatic performance of a light and amusing character, usually with a happy conclusion to its plot. ... New Line Cinema, founded in 1967, is one of the major American film studios. ... Richard Michael Rik Mayall (born 7 March 1958) is an English comedian and actor. ... For other uses, see Imaginary Friend. ... Phoebe Cates (born on July 16, 1963) is an American film actress known for her roles in several teen films, most notably Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Gremlins. ... Marsha Mason with Richard Dreyfuss in The Goodbye Girl Marsha Mason (born April 3, 1942, St. ... Tim Matheson, an American actor, was born Timothy Lewis Matthieson on December 31, 1947, in Glendale, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. ... Carrie Frances Fisher (born October 21, 1956) is an American actress, screenwriter and novelist. ... Ashley Peldon Ashley Peldon (born April 2nd, 1984 in New York, New York) is a TV and film actress. ...

Tagline

• Dishes. Relationships. Wind. This guy breaks EVERYTHING.

Synopsis

Elizabeth "Lizzie" Cronin (Phoebe Cates) is a young woman with wallflower tendencies who lets others walk all over her. One day she loses her money, her car, her job, and her apartment...all within the same lunch hour. Lizzie's controlling mother Polly (Marsha Mason) forces her to come back and live in her childhood home. Phoebe Cates (born on July 16, 1963) is an American film actress known for her roles in several teen films, most notably Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Gremlins. ... Marsha Mason with Richard Dreyfuss in The Goodbye Girl Marsha Mason (born April 3, 1942, St. ...

Returning to her old bedroom, Lizzie finds a jack-in-the-box in the cupboard. She opens it and releases Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall): her imaginary friend from childhood, whom only Lizzie can see. Fred, a troublemaker who wreaks havoc wherever he goes, often got Lizzie into trouble when she was a little girl; immediately, he proceeds to do so again. As a child, Lizzie was tormented by the overbearing Polly, who drove away Lizzie's father Nigel; after that, it was Fred alone who made Lizzie happy and gave her an outlet for her frustrations. Fred was eventually sealed in the jack-in-the-box; now, upon being released, he is disappointed that Lizzie has grown up and lost her zest for life. For other uses of the term Jack in the Box, see Jack-in-the-Box (disambiguation). ... Richard Michael Rik Mayall (born 7 March 1958) is an English comedian and actor. ...

Fred promises to make Lizzie happy again. She says that will happen only if she is reunited with her husband Charles (Tim Matheson), who cheats on her. Fred helps out as only he can, which gets Lizzie into even more trouble with her friends, and with Polly. Then Lizzie is reunited with her childhood crush Mickey Bunce (Ron Eldard), who is now a recently-divorced single parent. Although Mickey would love to resume his friendship with Lizzie, she is bent on saving her marriage to Charles. Tim Matheson, an American actor, was born Timothy Lewis Matthieson on December 31, 1947, in Glendale, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Lizzie has a "makeover" at the behest of Polly. With this new look, Lizzie woos back her husband. She also lets Polly take her to a psychiatrist (Alycia Lutz), who prescribes drugs which will rid Lizzie of Fred. Just before Lizzie takes the last of these pills, she learns that Charles is still cheating on her. Heartbroken, Lizzie turns back to Fred. For other uses, see Psychiatrist (disambiguation). ... An assortment of psychoactive drugs A psychoactive drug or psychotropic substance is a chemical substance that acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it alters brain function, resulting in temporary changes in perception, mood, consciousness and behavior. ...

In a dream sequence, Fred helps Lizzie face the two demons of her life: Charles and Polly. In her old room, Lizzie finds her childhood self strapped to her bed. Lizzie unstraps her young self and, in the process, frees her present adult self. Fred tells the reluctant Lizzie that, after all these years, she no longer needs him. He kisses her goodbye and disappears.

Lizzie returns to the real world and dumps Charles for good. Then she collects her belongings from Polly's house, including Fred's jack-in-the-box. Lizzie tells her mother how she feels about the way Polly has always treated her. Lizzie also tells Polly what she thinks of how Polly treated Nigel...who, as a result, finally walked out on them despite his love for Lizzie. Now it's Lizzie's turn to walk out on her mother, which leaves Polly well and truly alone.

Lizzie goes to Mickey and makes peace with him. She also hits it off with his daughter, whom Mickey explains is quite a handful. As they approach Mickey's house, his daughter nearly runs into them. Mickey's live-in nanny claims the "young lady" has made a terrible mess, which the girl blames on Drop Dead Fred. Lizzie realizes that Fred has not truly gone; he is now the imaginary friend of Mickey's daughter.

Phoebe Cates and Rik Mayall in Drop Dead Fred

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Cast

• Phoebe Cates as Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Cronin
• Rik Mayall as Drop Dead Fred
• Marsha Mason as Polly Cronin
• Tim Matheson as Charles
• Carrie Fisher as Janie
• Keith Charles as Murray
• Ashley Peldon as Young Elizabeth
• Daniel Gerroll as Nigel Cronin
• Ron Eldard as Mickey Bunce
• Bridget Fonda as Annabella (uncredited)

Phoebe Cates (born on July 16, 1963) is an American film actress known for her roles in several teen films, most notably Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Gremlins. ... Richard Michael Rik Mayall (born 7 March 1958) is an English comedian and actor. ... Marsha Mason with Richard Dreyfuss in The Goodbye Girl Marsha Mason (born April 3, 1942, St. ... Tim Matheson, an American actor, was born Timothy Lewis Matthieson on December 31, 1947, in Glendale, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. ... Carrie Frances Fisher (born October 21, 1956) is an American actress, screenwriter and novelist. ... Ashley Peldon Ashley Peldon (born April 2nd, 1984 in New York, New York) is a TV and film actress. ... Daniel Gerroll (born 16 October 1951 in London, England) is an actor, best known for his appearances on American television. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Bridget Jane Fonda (born January 27, 1964) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-award nominated American actress. ...

Locations

In addition to the studio scenes, on-scene filming took place at many locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. These include the Gaviidae Common on Nicollet Mall, Lowry Hill and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis; Harriet Island, and the Wells Fargo Tower in St. Paul; and Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota. A movie studio is a controlled environment for the making of a film. ... Minneapolis redirects here. ... State capitol building in Saint Paul Saint Paul is the capital and second-largest city of the state of Minnesota in the United States of America. ... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  Ranked 12th  - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 8. ... Gaviidae Common is an upscale shopping mall located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... View of Nicollet Mall from the skyway Nicollet Mall is a portion of Nicollet Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Along with Hennepin Avenue, it forms the cultural and commercial heart of the city. ... Location of Lowry Hill neighborhood within the Calhoun-Isles community. ... One of the most celebrated art museums in the country, the Walker Art Center is known for commissioning and presenting innovative contemporary art; fostering the cross-pollination of the visual, performing, and media arts; and engaging diverse audiences in the excitement of the creative process. ... Paisley Park Studios is a studio and multimedia company run by rock/rhythm and Blues artist Prince. ... Chanhassen is a city located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. ...

Release and response

The film was released to cinemas on April 19, 1991. did quite poorly at the box office, grossing $3,625,648 on its opening weekend and $13,878,334 over its entire theatrical run.^[1]. However, since its release on video, it has become somewhat of a cult classic in certain circles. It was released on DVD on July 22, 2003.^[2] is the 109th day of the year (110th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 203rd day of the year (204th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

External links

• Drop Dead Fred at the Internet Movie Database

• Drop Dead Fred review by DVD Answer Man
• Mystical Movie Guide review of Drop Dead Fred
• Screenshots, posters, and other images from Drop Dead Fred