Drop Dead Fred is a 1991 black comedy fantasy film directed by Ate de Jong, produced by PolyGram and Working Title Films and released and distributed by New Line Cinema, starring Phoebe Cates as a young woman named Elizabeth Cronin and Rik Mayall as her imaginary friend Drop Dead Fred, with Carrie Fisher, Ron Eldard, Tim Matheson, and Bridget Fonda in supporting roles. The film follows Elizabeth as she is haunted by Fred in adulthood. Plot Unassertive and repressed Minneapolis court reporter Elizabeth Cronin visits her husband Charles, from whom she is separated, on her lunch break, 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 a public phone, first a man breaks into her car to steal her purse, and another steals the car itself. Forced to run back to work at the courthouse, she arrives late and gets fired. As she leaves the courthouse, she runs into childhood friend Mickey Bunce, who brings up memories they shared, including those of Elizabeth's imaginary friend, Drop Dead Fred. Mickey reminds her how everybody else thought she was crazy. A series of flashbacks show that though he caused havoc, he also gave her happiness and a release from her oppressive and emotionally abusive mother, Polly. After a pep talk from her friend Janie, Elizabeth moves back in with her mother, who is unsympathetic and blames her for her divorce. Her mother gives her a makeover in an attempt to win Charles back, styling Elizabeth exactly like her. She finds a taped-shut jack-in-the-box, and removes the tape, releasing Fred. He is confused that Elizabeth is now grown up, but proceeds to wreak havoc just as he did when she was a child. Eventually, Fred reveals that he can't leave until Elizabeth is happy again, so he agrees to help her win back her husband. However, his childish antics do more harm than good. He sinks Janie's houseboat, causes havoc at a restaurant, tricks her into assaulting a violinist in a shopping mall, rips the uniform off a waiter at a wine tasting event, and in general embarrasses Elizabeth and makes her look insane. Worried by Elizabeth's recent odd behavior, Polly takes her to a (children's) psychologist. In the waiting room, Fred is reunited with his friends: the imaginary friends of other patients,