18 Again!
A grandfather and grandson switch souls after an accident.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
**18 Again!** is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy directed by Paul Flaherty, featuring George Burns and Charlie Schlatter. The story follows a college student who accidentally swaps souls with his grandfather. The movie takes its inspiration from the song "I Wish I Was Eighteen Again," which Sonny Throckmorton wrote and Burns recorded in 1979.
**Plot** Jack Watson, an 81-year-old millionaire and businessman, regrets his age just as his grandson David turns 18. After a mishap switches their souls, Jack experiences life as a teenager—navigating school, sports, and romance. David, meanwhile, ends up stuck in Jack’s elderly body and falls into a coma. Only Charlie, a longtime friend, believes Jack’s story after hearing private memories.
In David’s body, Jack sees his family anew. He realizes he has been a distant father to his son Arnie, ignoring Arnie’s business ideas. The fraternity Jack pushed David to join bullies him and forces him to write their exams. Jack also discovers his girlfriend Madeline is unfaithful when she tries to seduce him, thinking he is David. Determined to fix things, Jack uses his poker skills to beat the frat boys, bets $1,000 he can outrun their leader Russ in a track meet, and charms a girl named Robin with his old-fashioned style and stories of meeting President Harry S. Truman.
Jack later learns he has willed half his estate to Madeline. She convinces Arnie and his wife to pull life support from Jack’s body, which would kill David. Jack and Charlie rush to the hospital, wheeling Jack’s body away. A crash in the chapel returns both minds to their rightful bodies, and Jack wakes up. David must now face the track race Jack promised. Jack gives David a pep talk, and David wins. Jack encourages David to pursue Robin, tells Arnie he was wrong to push his own dreams onto them, and promises to support David’s interest in art. He then confronts Madeline, reveals he knows about her pass at David and her gold-digging, rewrites his will to include family and butler Horton, and has her thrown out. Robin and David begin a relationship, and the film ends with Jack telling David about Truman.
**Cast** Charlie Schlatter as David Watson/Jack Watson, George Burns as Jack Watson/David Watson, Tony Roberts as Arnold 'Arnie' Watson, Miriam Flynn as Betty Watson, Red Buttons as Charlie, Anita Morris as Madeline, Pauly Shore as Barrett, Jennifer Runyon a
- Release year
- 1988
- Country
- United States
- Genre
- Fantasy-comedy
- Director
- Paul Flaherty
- Starring
- George Burns, Charlie Schlatter
- Based on
- Song "I Wish I Was Eighteen Again" by Sonny Throckmorton
Lore & Background
The film follows Jack Watson, a millionaire playboy about to turn 81, who laments his old age and wishes to be a teenager again. When an accident switches souls with his 18-year-old grandson David, Jack gets to live David's life, while David is trapped in Jack's 81-year-old body and falls into a coma. Only Jack's longtime friend Charlie knows the truth. Jack discovers that he has been a distant parent to his son Arnie, that the fraternity he forced David to join is bullying him, and that his girlfriend Madeline is unfaithful. Jack uses his poker skills to beat the frat boys and impresses a girl named Robin with his old-fashioned style and stories of meeting President Harry S. Truman. Madeline convinces Arnie to disconnect Jack's body from life support, but Jack and Charlie rush to the hospital to prevent it. A crash in the hospital chapel returns the souls to their rightful bodies. Jack then helps David win a track race, encourages David to pursue Robin, and confronts Madeline, rewriting his will to include his family and butler Horton.
Reader's Guide
18 Again! is a late-1980s body-swap comedy that draws on the popularity of similar films like Like Father Like Son and Vice Versa. The film is notable for starring George Burns, then in his 90s, and for being inspired by his own recording of the song "I Wish I Was Eighteen Again." Critical reception was largely negative: Roger Ebert gave it 1.5 out of 4 stars, comparing it unfavorably to Vice Versa, and Janet Maslin criticized the film for leaving Burns in a coma for much of the story. The film holds a 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 7 reviews and a Metacritic score of 32/100 based on 10 reviews. Despite its poor reviews, the film represents a minor entry in the body-swap genre and a late-career appearance for Burns.
Did You Know?
- The film is based on the song 'I Wish I Was Eighteen Again' written by Sonny Throckmorton and recorded by George Burns in 1979.
- The film was announced under the working title 'Eighteen Again'.
- Roger Ebert gave the film a score of 1.5 out of 4, comparing it to 'Like Father Like Son' and 'Vice Versa'.
- The film holds a 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 7 reviews.
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