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  • Alternative Character Interpretation:
    • It isn't much of a stretch to imagine Lizzie as severely schizophrenic (especially when her interactions with Fred cause her to act in extremely erratic and destructive ways). When you look at Lizzie's childhood, she lives with a mean mother and rebels against her - except with Fred doing the rebelling for her. When she takes drugs as an adult to make her stop imagining Fred, Fred becomes lethargic. If you think of Fred as Lizzie's subconscious, it becomes a very depressing and disturbing film.
    • Many who view this film don't seem to realise Liz is an abuse victim. Her mother had her solely to save her own marriage then when that didn't fix her problems, she took her pain and anger out on Liz as a child. She forces Liz to believe her worth is entirely based around male validation. This social pressure causes young Elizabeth to create Fred who is like a friend, father and ideal man all in one. He's her rebellion against everyone trying to fit her into the "perfect woman" role using force, control, guilt, drugs and even the threat of physical violence.
    • Fred's existance. Is he really an imaginary friend, or is that merely a description, with Fred being an Elliott-esqe character? Basically speaking, is he (along with his so-called "friends") a spiritual entity that only appears to those who need him, and then leaves them when they no longer need him?
  • Angst? What Angst?: Janie loses her home and every single possession she has. Her response: A mildly irritated sigh and then moving on.
  • Audience-Alienating Premise: Several modern reviews point to this as being a problem with the film, which would explain why it was dismissed by critics before gaining Cult Classic status. More favorable reevaluations interpret the film as a purposefully awkward Black Comedy about Lizzie coming to terms with adulthood after being defined by various personal traumas, most of which manifest in zany, juvenile ways due to reflecting her hesitation to grow up. The failure came from the studio not knowing how to market this, resulting in it resembling either a kid's film with inappropriately adult themes, or an "adult" comedy with no grip on how juvenile it is, not helped by how its intended goal seems like an acquired taste even in concept, though takers would be found eventually.
  • Critical Dissonance: Hated by critics, considered a Cult Classic by the public.
  • Cult Classic: Died a quick death at the box office, yet look at how large the main entry page for the movie is here.
  • Designated Hero: Fred. He acts like an absolute psychopath and damn near ruins Elizabeth's life but is supposedly doing it for a good purpose, which makes him a good guy.
  • Fan-Preferred Couple: Although it is implied that Lizzie gets together with Mickey (her childhood friend) at the end of the film, fans seem to prefer the idea of Lizzie and Fred being together. It makes sense, considering the fact that they both have way more chemistry and the fact that they actually kiss towards the end of the film before saying goodbye.
  • Harsher in Hindsight: The movie's themes involving mental illness are a lot less amusing if you know about Carrie Fisher's own struggles with mental illness.
  • Heartwarming Moments: The ending where it's revealed Fred is still alive and is now the imaginary friend of Mickey's daughter.
  • Jerkass Woobie: Polly. Before her daughter Lizzie leaves for good, Lizzie even realizes her mom must hurt inside and tells her to to find a friend to escape loneliness.
  • Les Yay: What does it say about Lizzie that her imaginary friend, clearly representing aspects of herself, likes looking up women's skirts. The skirt of her own mother, no less. The answer: it's pretty damn obvious Elizabeth is sexually repressed. Her mother and husband keep her controlled in a childlike state.
  • Nightmare Fuel
  • One-Scene Wonder:
  • Tear Jerker: The scene in which Elizabeth has to say goodbye Fred after she'd finally been able to face her fears, with Fred telling her that she doesn't need him anymore. This line in particular is really sad:
    Fred: You have to go alone...I can't get back now.
    • This scene will be even tougher for Rik Mayall fans to watch since his death.
    • The flashback when Fred is taken away the first time and sealed up in the Jack-in-the-Box.
  • Too Bleak, Stopped Caring: Everyone in the film is either a terrible person or is insane, so many viewers can't bring themselves to care about any characters.
  • Uncertain Audience: Probably the biggest reasoning for why it was so panned on release is not knowing who the film is meant for: is it a wacky fantasy comedy about an imaginary friend that just so happens to involve dead-straight themes of abusive parents and ex-lovers? Or an adult-oriented Black Comedy that just so happens to take its juvenile slapstick and Toilet Humor at face value? While its atonality has ironically gained the film some praise in more recent years, it's evidently quite limited due to its lack of tonal and moral balance.
  • Unintentionally Unsympathetic: Lizzie's father is portrayed as a good man that was driven away by his wife's controlling behaviour but he comes across as very unsympathetic when his response is to walk out of his daughter's life (thus leaving her with said controlling wife) and never contact her again. It could be that he did try to contact her off-screen but that Polly refused it to spite them both as Lizzie and her father seem to much prefer each other to Polly. It wouldn't be unheard of for the parent that retained custody of a child following a divorce refused the other parent contact and it would also aid Polly in keeping Lizzie under her thumb.
    • Polly herself towards the end is treated as something of a Jerkass Woobie whose unpleasant behaviour is the result of loneliness and a deep-seated desire for companionship… except that doesn’t quite justify or even explain why that led to emotionally abusing her only child her whole life. Not to mention Mickey's comment to Lizzie that "we were all a little scared of your mother" implies that its really no one else’s fault but hers that she has no friends!
  • Vindicated by History: In its initial release, critics (and some of the audience) hated the film. Throughout the years though, some have admitted to enjoying the film (even to this day) thanks to some of the hammy performances by the actors and is considered a cult-classic.
  • What Do You Mean, It's for Kids?: It doesn't know how to mix childish fun into a rather adult movie very well, so of course some people would see it this way. For instance, the opening scene is a crayon animation which depicts a toy monkey being decapitated by a guillotine. And that's just the opening.
  • The Woobie: Lizzie. Her mother is emotionally abusive, her father abandoned her, she loses her car, her husband, her money, and her job all in one afternoon, and she has to put up with Fred's antics.

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