Irish Wish Perfectly References Lindsay Lohan’s $160.8M Hit From 21 Years Ago (& Hides A Deeper Meaning)

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Irish Wish

Netflix’s hit rom-com Irish Wish perfectly references a $160.8 million hit movie from 21 years ago, adding a deeper meaning to the 2024 Lindsay Lohan film. Irish Wish tells the story of a book editor named Maddie who is in love with her author, Paul, and gets a chance to live out her dream of marrying him thanks to some magic from St. Brigid and the Irish wind. This Lindsay Lohan movie is charming and funny, making it easy to root for Maddie to find love.

Irish Wish is Lohan’s second movie role since her big return to Hollywood in Netflix’s 2022 movie Falling For Christmas. The actress started her career at just 3 years old and continued to work steadily until a few years after Lindsay Lohan acted in Mean Girls. From 2007 to 2022, the actress struggled to find her footing, seeing a decline in roles. Luckily, Lohan bounced back in 2022 and has shown herself more than capable of playing a romantic lead in rom-coms. Her past films also haven’t been forgotten, as proven by a clever joke in Irish Wish.

Irish Wish Makes A Secret Freaky Friday Joke

Irish Wish makes a very subtle but hilarious joke referencing Freaky Friday, Lindsay Lohan’s 21-year-old movie starring her and Jamie Lee Curtis. When Maddie makes her wish to St. Brigid, she doesn’t think it works. The saint asks her why, and her response is, “Isn’t there supposed to be an earthquake or lightning bolt or something?” This references the scene in Freaky Friday where Anna, played by Lohan, switches bodies with her mother, Tess, played by Curtis. After they both want each other to understand one another and open the fortune cookie, they feel an earthquake, and the lights flicker.

The line in Irish Wish serves as a nod to Lohan’s acting roles prior to leaving Hollywood. Freaky Friday was one of Lindsay Lohan’s best movies. The movie is so great that it’s remembered better than the original version that came out in 1976. With Maddie’s question bringing attention to Lohan’s past roles, the two eras of Lohan’s career can also be compared. Irish Wish shows that Lohan is still an incredible actor with talent, charm, and wit two decades after Freaky Friday. Lastly, this reference is perfect since Disney already confirmed Freaky Friday 2 with Lohan and Curtis.

How Irish Wish Connects To Freaky Friday Thematically

In addition to the Freaky Friday joke in Irish Wish, there are thematic connections between the two movies. In Freaky Friday, Anna and Tess wish for a life that they don’t have, thinking each other has it much better. Even if they don’t directly say that they want to switch bodies like in the 1976 Freaky Friday, it’s subliminal that they want what each other has.

In Irish Wish, Maddie wants a life she doesn’t have. She believes everything will be perfect if she marries Paul. In both movies, the characters only learn the lesson that they need after getting what they think they want. Maddie realizes by the end of Irish Wish that she never loved Paul and deserves better than his professional exploitation. Tess and Anna learn in Freaky Friday that each other has it hard, developing more compassion for each other and appreciation for their own lives. In this way, Irish Wish and Freaky Friday are kindred spirits despite existing in different genres.