Drop Dead Fred

Drop Dead Fred is a 1991 British/American fantasy comedy film directed by Ate De Jong, produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films and released and distributed by New Line Cinema. The film was promoted as a lighthearted children's film but there are notable adult themes and gags and some elements of black comedy, emotional abuse, mental illness, bizarre visual and make-up effects and profanity.

Rik Mayall stars as the title character: a happy, anarchic, and mischievous imaginary friend of a young girl named Lizzie (Phoebe Cates) and arch nemesis of her overbearing mother, Polly (Marsha Mason). He causes chaos around the home and neighborhood, but nobody can see him except her. When she grows up and has an emotional crisis, he returns to "cheer her up" in his own unique way, causing more chaos than ever before. The supporting cast includes Carrie Fisher, Ron Eldard, Tim Matheson, and Bridget Fonda.

Plot

Lizzie Cronin is an unassertive and repressed woman, domineered by her controlling mother, Polly. While taking her lunch break from work, she calls her husband, Charles, whom she is separated from, 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 the public phone, first her purse is stolen, then her car. Forced to walk back to work, she arrives late and loses her job. Polly then appears, again takes control, and brings her back to the house she grew up in.