Wally (Jason Bateman) doesn’t have much in his life apart from his career, and his best friend Kassie (Jennifer Aniston). He is pretty hopeless in the romance department, but he doesn’t really get depressed over his life until Kassie drops a bombshell on him: She wants a baby now and she is determined that the father will be someone she won’t have to deal with, despite Wally’s oppositions.
Wally can’t change her mind, and at a drunken moment, he “loses” the cute donor Roland (Patrick Wilson)’s sperm. So he replaces it with his own…And he doesn’t remember this the next day.
He gets another bombshell when Kassie announces that she is pregnant, and she is moving to another state to be with her parents.
*
7 years later, Kassie moves back to New York with her 7 year old son Sebastian (Thomas Robinson), and she can’t wait for Wally and her kid to bond. Wally is at first intimated with extremely strange and neurotic boy, but then he realizes that they have a lot in common and they’ve started to get along together. Unfortunately for him and Wally, Roland is back in the picture and ready to court Kassie, and hang out with who he believes to be his son…
It doesn’t help matters that Wally has remembered what he might have done all those years ago, and that Kassie might be the one. Now how do you give your best friend two earth-shattering news? And not lose her, and your kid, in the process?
**
The Switch is a fun, albeit slow at times, drama/comedy. It is not a romantic comedy in the traditional sense. Sure, the ending is blindingly obvious even from the trailer. But it is not the crazy comedy it was advertised to be, or the romantic comedy with the focus on Jennifer Aniston.
It is more about Wally, and then Wally and Sebastian. It’s Wally’s emotional and hilarious journey as he realizes a lot of things about life, being a parent, being a friend and well…the romantic guy who’d just have to speak up with the worst timing in the world.
Jennifer Aniston haters can relax as Jason Bateman is the focus of the film. I really like Aniston, but this is a Bateman flick. His on-screen relationship with Thomas Robinson is funny, touching, awkward and cute all at the same time. Sure, Bateman makes us laugh and grin, but most of the time he makes us feel emotional. Patrick Wilson, Jeff Goldblum and Juliette Lewis hang around for comedic relief, as Aniston serves as the female romantic lead.
No, it is not that funny, and it is not even very romantic. But it is very sweet, sometimes quirky and enjoyable.
Also on Jennifer Aniston:
Jennifer Aniston Trivia: 22 Facts About The World’s Most Popular Friend Jennifer Aniston
Also on Patrk Wilson
Morning Glory starring Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton & Patrick Wilson
I saw this some time ago and actually loved it. It was different and, you are right, Wally is more the main character. His character is really a neat person. Love the post & good review. Sally
Wally was really adorable. I wish he hadn’t taken so long with his decisions, but hey, he did do the right thing at the end. And the switching scene was hilarious:)