The Switch (2010)

Seven years after the fact, a man comes to the realization that he was the sperm donor for his best friend's boy.

Directors:

Josh Gordon, Will Speck

Writers:

Jeffrey Eugenides (based on the short story "Baster" by), Allan Loeb (screenplay by)

Stars:

Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Patrick Wilson

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Bateman	...	Wally Mars
Victor Pagan	...	Knit Hat Guy
Jennifer Aniston	...	Kassie Larson
Jeff Goldblum	...	Leonard
Juliette Lewis	...	Debbie
Todd Louiso	...	Artie
Scott Elrod	...	Declan
Patrick Wilson	...	Roland
Rebecca Naomi Jones	...	Party Guest
Kelli Barrett	...	Roland's Wife Jessica
Jeremy Mohler	...	Party Guest 2 (as Jeremy J. Mohler)
Will Swenson	...	Actor on Stage
Edward James Hyland	...	Man in Theater
Caroline Dhavernas	...	Pauline
Brian Podnos	...	Waiter

Storyline

Kassie (Jennifer Aniston) and Wally (Jason Bateman) are best friends. Being unlucky in love, Kassie has decided to have a child using artificial insemination. Wally doesn't like this idea, but he isn't capable of admitting to himself, let alone to Kassie, that he's in love with her. At Kassie's artificial insemination party, Wally gets very drunk and spies the sperm donor's sample in the bathroom. Wally was way too drunk to know what he did that night, and Kassie has moved away because she doesn't feel that New York City is a place to raise a child. Now 7 years later, Kassie has moved back with her son Sebastian. While she is looking to get Roland (the sperm donor) more involved in their lives, Wally can't help but notice the many striking similarities that he and Sebastian share.

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Plot Keywords:

sperm donor | mother son relationship | best friend | new york city | father son relationship | 

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Taglines:

The most unexpected comedy ever conceived.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, sexual material including dialogue, some nudity, drug use and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 August 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Baster

Filming Locations:

2nd Ave & E 56th St, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,436,713, 22 August 2010

Gross USA:

$27,779,426

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$49,843,011

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mandate Pictures, Bona Fide Productions, Echo Films

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jason Bateman (Wally Mars) & Thomas Robinson (Sebastian) also worked together on episode 4.5, Arrested Development: A New Start (2013), of Arrested Development (2003) as Michael Blooth & Undercover Cop Kid respectively.

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Goofs

At the beginning of the final barbecue scene, Wally is seen using a gas grill, as evident by the burner knobs. After walking in the house, he speaks of charcoal and lighter fluid, which are completely unnecessary when using a gas grill.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Wally Mars: Look at us. Running around, always rushed, always late. I guess that's why they call it the human race. What we crave most in this world is connection. For some people it happens at first site. It's when you know, you know. It's fate working its magic. And that's great for them. They get to live in a pop song; ride the express train. But that's not the way it really works. For the rest of us it's a bit less romantic. It's complicated and it's messy. It's about horrible timing and ...

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Connections

References Panic Room (2002)

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Soundtracks

Happy Birthday To You
Written by Mildred J. Hill and Patty S. Hill

User Reviews

A romantic comedy with just enough of each to survive the overly clever hook

The Switch (2010)

Okay, it would be easy to dis this movie as a canned, obvious, emotionally thin contrivance. It's a vehicle for two popular stars playing characters in their 30s who are, despite good looks and basic social skills, single and childless. They have to fall in love but life gets in the way in kind of stupid ways. You can't take it seriously, and you can't even quite care enough to hope for the best, whatever that is.

But it's also easy to like this movie despite its obviousness. Jason Bateman is a joy to watch. Maybe his performance is like the movie--glib and facile. But like the movie he is endlessly watchable, and his character is the one with the most depth. His interactions with the boy of six or so are terrific. The boy, too, is adorable and helps the movie get some feeling.

Jennifer Aniston plays the woman who wants a child but has no one willing to be the dad, more or less (though the viewer knows better). And she's a terrific actress, actually, even if her role here (and elsewhere) is often not as demanding as it could be. I suppose Meg Ryan has some kind of edge on her for this kind of stereotype--the lovable lonely urban girl who just can't get love right despite the obvious--but Aniston is an update on that type.

But it is Aniston and Bateman together that really make the movie glide along and make you smile. They have great rapport and good timing, comedic and serious both. I wouldn't say they have chemistry (I guess that's the problem their characters have, so maybe it's great acting) but they make their scenes pop in a way the rest of the movie trundles.

The story writer, Jeffrey Eugenides, is better known for sprawling novels and lots of interrelated characters, but even there there are little hooks that come off a hair obvious. That's the problem here, in the end. There's a big trick, a wonderful and funny hook of an idea, and that almost alone has to handle all the consequences. Some better character development would have been a joy.

Oh, and it's been a long time since a movie with two directors has been able to pull off consistency. I don't know the logistics behind it, but maybe one of the hesitations all along is a lack of singular conviction. Or not. Maybe this is such a formula product any number of directors could have chipped in.

Watch it for the two leads together. And for some fun, warm laughs, if that's your thing. I enjoyed it.