Family Switch is a family comedy-drama film based on the 2010 children’s book Bedtime for Mommy by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. It is directed by McG and has a runtime of about 1 hour and 45 minutes. The screenplay has been written by Adam Sztykiel and Victoria Strouse.
The cast of the film includes Jennifer Garner as Jess Walker, Ed Helms as Bill Walker, Emma Myers as CC Walker, Brady Noon as Wyatt Walker, Rita Moreno as Angelica, Matthias Schweighöfer as Rolf, Bashir Salahuddin as Molson, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino as Kara, Fortune Feimster as Coach Kim, Xosha Roquemore as Carrie, Paul Scheer as Steven, King Bach as Glen, Pete Holmes as Peter, Naomi Ekperigin as Naomi, Dan Finnerty as Gus and Cyrus Arnold as Hunter Drew.
The story follows when a rare planetary alignment causes a family to switch bodies, their journey to find their way back home becomes a hilarious adventure that brings them closer together than ever before.
Family Switch Review
The Walkers are like any other family, or that’s what they want us to believe. Mom Jess is an architect but behaves like she’s the coolest boss, who sings with the valet person and has a unique handshake routine with his colleagues. Dad, Bill is a high school music teacher who left his chance to be Maroon 6 and now plays in a band as a hobby. CC is their daughter, who excels in football but Jess gets distressed looking at her hip style, while Wyatt is the genius son, preparing to enrol into Yale despite being just a sophomore in school.
Jess & Bill also have a toddler and a pet dog, who is like their third child. Apparently, it’s Christmas week and as a family tradition, the parents get dressed up to shoot their holiday video. But their teenage kids have outgrown their tradition and would rather spend time on their phones. Everyone’s life is going in the right direction, Jess has a big pitch coming up that would assure her position as a partner in the company.
Bill’s band got a chance to perform on a show, giving him another chance to rock n roll on the stage. CC has an important game where she could get scouted for the national team and Wyatt is all set to ace his Yale interview. However, everyone’s life takes a twisted turn when they visit the astrological observatory to watch the rare planetary alignment. Right when the planets align, they take a picture, wishing that their kids could realise their perspective & vice versa. Mysteriously, their wish gets granted as they find themselves in each other’s bodies the next day.
Also Read: Love Like a K-Drama Episodes 1-4 Review: Experiment to Act and Fall in Love Together
Overnight, nerdy Wyatt starts to act and dress like the popular kids, sporty CC has adopted a more feminine personality, confident Jess seems clueless at work and Bill is now scared of the kids he teaches. There’s another change, even the toddler and the dog swap their bodies, adding an absurdly hilarious element.
Having Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms in a comedy, one would expect to get the kind of Christmas movies which make us laugh but also warms our heart. We have seen in recent times how movies try to make themselves relatable and comedic by being too self-aware of the cliches and tropes. Instead of hitting the jokes, it starts to look like a parody of the classic films we have grown up watching. Family Switch uses the same but in a subtle/toned-down manner.
Also looking at the premise – I really wanted to like it, hoping it would break through against its counterparts but it doesn’t happen. It’s a decent movie to watch with your family and friends however, it doesn’t have the same factor as the popular classics. Often times it doesn’t even make sense or seems childish. Could it be because it’s based on a children’s book (?) One good thing about it would be the cast and their performance that doesn’t feel awkward at all. Overall, it’s one of the safe picks that you can play in the background while having company over.
Rating: 2.5/5
Family Switch is available to watch on Netflix.
Also Read: Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife Review: When a Fraud Doctor Tries to Become God
Leave a Reply