4. Drop Dead Fred (Drop Dead Fred)
Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall) believes that imaginary friends are for life, and not just for childhood. Which is why, at the end of a bad day, Lizzie (Phoebe Cates) releases him from his original jack-in-the-box, finding his immaturity a welcome antidote to the adult world. But, having left home and started her life, she no longer needs his puerile encouragement and anarchic energy. He might make her laugh as they reminisce on the pranks they would play but it isn't long before she remembers why she had kept him locked away. Fred is bouncy, bawdy and bad-mannered, a cartoon character who refuses to accept that Lizzie has changed. She can no longer be cajoled into misadventure but would rather try to patch things up with her now-separated husband. Of course, this doesn't stop Fred from trying...
Drop Dead Fred is a curious film; the exaggerated performances and endless silliness are ostensibly the mark of a children's comedy, yet the slapstick and crude jokes take on a much darker edge when we discover just how malicious Fred can be. As a result of being blamed for all of his misdeeds, Lizzie has grown up a victim of emotional abuse; a socially maladjusted 'lost little girl' played for laughs. And while it reaches a happy (but predictable) ending, you can't help but wonder just who, if anyone, the film was targeted at.