Drop Dead Fred

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1991 film by Ate de Jong

title: "Drop Dead Fred" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1991-films", "1991-black-comedy-films", "1991-independent-films", "1990s-english-language-films", "1990s-fantasy-comedy-films", "american-black-comedy-films", "american-fantasy-comedy-films", "american-independent-films", "british-black-comedy-films", "british-fantasy-films", "british-independent-films", "films-about-imaginary-friends", "films-scored-by-randy-edelman", "films-set-in-1970", "films-set-in-1991", "films-set-in-minnesota", "films-shot-in-minnesota", "magical-realism-films", "new-line-cinema-films", "polygram-filmed-entertainment-films", "working-title-films-films", "films-directed-by-ate-de-jong", "1991-american-films", "1991-british-films", "english-language-independent-films", "english-language-black-comedy-films", "english-language-fantasy-comedy-films"] description: "1991 film by Ate de Jong" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_Dead_Fred" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1991 film by Ate de Jong ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox film"]

FieldValue
nameDrop Dead Fred
imageDrop dead fred ver1.jpg
captionTheatrical release poster
directorAte de Jong
producerPaul Webster
screenplayCarlos Davis
Anthony Fingleton
storyElizabeth Livingston
starring{{Plainlist
musicRandy Edelman
cinematographyPeter Deming
editingMarshall Harvey
studioPolyGram
Working Title Films
distributorNew Line Cinema (North America)
Rank Film Distributors (United Kingdom)
Manifesto Film Sales (International)
released
runtime101 minutes
countryUnited Kingdom
United States
languageEnglish
budget$6.7 million (est.) or £3,650,000
gross$24 million
::

| name = Drop Dead Fred | image = Drop dead fred ver1.jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = Ate de Jong | producer = Paul Webster | screenplay = Carlos Davis Anthony Fingleton | story = Elizabeth Livingston | starring = {{Plainlist|

Plot

Unassertive and repressed Minneapolis court reporter Elizabeth Cronin visits her husband Charles, from whom she is separated, on her lunch break, hoping to sort out their problems. He reasserts his desire for a divorce and says that he is in love with another woman, named Annabella.

While she is at a public phone, first a man breaks into her car to steal her purse, and another steals the car itself. Forced to run back to work at the courthouse, she arrives late and gets fired. As she leaves the courthouse, she runs into childhood friend Mickey Bunce, who brings up memories they shared, including those of Elizabeth's imaginary friend, Drop Dead Fred. Mickey reminds her how everybody else thought she was crazy. A series of flashbacks show that though he caused havoc, he also gave her happiness and a release from her oppressive mother, Polly.

After a pep talk from her friend Janie, Elizabeth moves back in with her mother, who blames her for her divorce, and changes her appearance to impress Charles. She finds a taped-shut jack-in-the-box, and removes the tape, releasing Fred. He agrees to help her feel better, which she believes will only happen when she wins back Charles. However, his childish antics do more harm than good. He sinks Janie's houseboat, causes havoc at a restaurant, and tricks Elizabeth into attacking a violinist in a shopping mall.

Worried by Elizabeth's recent odd behavior, Polly takes her to a (children's) psychologist. In the waiting room, Fred is seen meeting up with the imaginary friends of other patients, who are all children. The doctor prescribes medication to rid her of Fred, whom he and Polly believe is a figment of her imagination. The medication also has the effect of slowly killing Fred.

Fred reminds Elizabeth that one day, while they were making a mess on the dinner table, she heard her mother coming and she imagined him hiding in a jack-in-the-box. Polly, fed up with Elizabeth playing with Fred, took the jack-in-the-box and taped it shut, essentially taking Fred away from her. The event left Elizabeth traumatized, and her father Nigel left not long after. Elizabeth then wrote a letter to Fred, saying they'd run away together. Elizabeth and Fred run away from Polly and a nurse to Charles' party.

Charles now wants her back and she is overjoyed until Fred discovers he is still cheating with Annabella and tells Elizabeth. Heartbroken, she tells Fred that she cannot leave Charles because she is scared of being alone. She then passes out. They escape to a dream sequence in which she is able to reject Charles and stand up to Polly, declaring she is no longer afraid of her. She frees her imprisoned childhood self. Fred tells her that she no longer needs him, so they kiss and he disappears.

Upon awakening, Elizabeth dumps Charles and stands up to Polly. Before leaving, she reconciles with Polly and encourages her to find a friend to escape her own loneliness. Days later, she visits Mickey and his daughter Natalie, who blames Drop Dead Fred for the mischief that just caused her nanny to quit. Elizabeth realizes Fred is now with Natalie, although she cannot see him anymore.

Cast

Production

Tim Burton and Robin Williams were offered the roles of director and Fred, respectively. They turned them down.

The film's screenplay was rewritten by director Ate de Jong and producer Paul Webster throughout pre-production. For the rewrites, de Jong took inspiration from being molested as a child by his older half-brother, stating, "The trauma of child abuse goes deep and its claws reach far in time. It was not something ever spoken about on the set, not with Rik or anyone, but for me it existed."

Filming took place in August and September 1990. Filmed in Minneapolis, a large part of the film was filmed at Prince's Paisley Park Studios in the suburb of Chanhassen.

Reception

Box office

Release The film, produced on a budget of just under $6.8 million, was released theatrically in the United States and Canada on May 24, 1991, grossing $3,625,648 on its opening weekend, and $13,878,334 over its entire theatrical run. It grossed £1,794,121 in the UK and $24 million worldwide.

Critical response

Gene Siskel gave the film zero stars and said "This is easily one of the worst films I've ever seen." Film critic Johanna Steinmetz suggested that its premise was inspired by children with imaginary friends who later develop dissociative identity disorder. Peter Freedman of the Radio Times called it a "largely uninteresting and unfunny comedy", adding, "It's a nice idea, but it falls between all available stools and ends up as a mess on the floor thanks to the poor execution. It's particularly irritating if you've seen the much better Harvey." Angie Errigo of Empire magazine wrote, "There is scarcely a laugh to be had unless you are six years old or immoderately fond of such wheezes as depositing dog poop on a white carpet."

Retrospective reviews continued to pan the film for being anything but funny. In a 2002 review published by astralresearch.org, composer Carl Schroeder saw no humour in the comedy, writing that the lead character's "psychic crisis is poignantly realistic...the creature who is visible only to the woman is like a poltergeist energy of her repressed self, a problematic ego container into which her powers of assertion and creativity were poured and stored." Writing for Entertainment Weekly in 2009, Margaret Lyons asked, "Is it supposed to be hilarious, or a really, really depressing story about the long-term effects of emotional abuse?" Leonard Maltin stated, "Phoebe Cates' appealing performance can't salvage this putrid mess...recommended only for people who think nose-picking is funny."

Despite being a critical failure, the film has gained some status as a cult film, though still noted for being "rife with hypocrisy". Writing for The Daily Telegraph in 2021, Alexander Larman praised the film, calling it "a sophisticated and ahead-of-its-time black comic exploration of anxiety and depression."

Legacy

Universal had made plans to produce a remake of Drop Dead Fred in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Comedian Russell Brand was set to portray the eponymous character with Land of the Lost screenwriter Dennis McNicholas and producer Marc Platt also reportedly involved. Development of the film was quietly cancelled following the poor reception to Arthur, another remake starring Brand in the title role.

Drop Dead Fred is a frequent topic of conversation for the podcast How Did This Get Made?, which had one of its more popular episodes dedicated to debating it. Podcast co-hosts June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas were positive towards the film, with Raphael even calling it one of her favorite films, while fellow co-host Paul Scheer and guest Casey Wilson were critical of it.

Comparisons were drawn between the similar premises of Drop Dead Fred and the 2024 fantasy film IF, directed by and starring John Krasinski, ahead of the latter's release. When confronted on this, Krasinski stated he was aware of and liked Drop Dead Fred, but denied any direct connection or inspiration.

References

References

  1. "Drop Dead Fred (1991)".
  2. (2005). "Back to the Future: The Fall and Rise of the British Film Industry in the 1980s - An Information Briefing".
  3. (14 December 1998). "15 years of production".
  4. Harrison, Mark. (September 1, 2017). "Drop Dead Fred: Looking Back On A Cult Classic".
  5. (1991-07-02). "Drop Dead Fred (1991)". [[Box Office Mojo]].
  6. Siskel, Gene. (24 May 1991). "'Backdraft': A Spectacle Graced by Fine Acting". [[Chicago Tribune]].
  7. Steinmetz, Johanna. (24 May 1991). "Pop psych can't bring 'Dead Fred' to life". [[The Chicago Tribune]].
  8. Freedman, Peter. (1991). "Drop Dead Fred – review".
  9. Errigo, Angie. (1 January 2000). "Drop Dead Fred".
  10. Schroeder, Carl. (2002-09-28). "Review of ''Drop Dead Fred''".
  11. Lyons, Margaret. (April 28, 2009). "'Drop Dead Fred' remake: Let's not flick boogers at it just yet".
  12. Maltin, Leonard. (2017). "Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide: The Modern Era (Previously Published as Leonard Maltin's 2015 Movie Guide)". Penguin.
  13. Stone, Loryn. (16 December 2017). "Drop Dead Fred – The Cult Classic Rife with Hypocrisy".
  14. Larman, Alexander. (15 May 2021). "Rik Mayall's mental health misadventure: how Drop Dead Fred repelled America". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
  15. Kit, Borys. (April 27, 2009). "Universal Remaking 'Drop Dead Fred'".
  16. Justin, Neal. (13 November 2023). "'How Did This Get Made?' Podcast Pays Tribute to Its Favorite Minnesota Movie: 'Drop Dead Fred'".
  17. McNab, JM. (May 10, 2024). "John Krasinski Insists That His New Movie Wasn't Inspired by a Cult '90s Comedy".

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1991-films1991-black-comedy-films1991-independent-films1990s-english-language-films1990s-fantasy-comedy-filmsamerican-black-comedy-filmsamerican-fantasy-comedy-filmsamerican-independent-filmsbritish-black-comedy-filmsbritish-fantasy-filmsbritish-independent-filmsfilms-about-imaginary-friendsfilms-scored-by-randy-edelmanfilms-set-in-1970films-set-in-1991films-set-in-minnesotafilms-shot-in-minnesotamagical-realism-filmsnew-line-cinema-filmspolygram-filmed-entertainment-filmsworking-title-films-filmsfilms-directed-by-ate-de-jong1991-american-films1991-british-filmsenglish-language-independent-filmsenglish-language-black-comedy-filmsenglish-language-fantasy-comedy-films