Product Details

• Actors: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Patrick Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Victor Pagan
• Directors: Josh Gordon, Will Speck
• Writers: Allan Loeb, Jeffrey Eugenides
• Producers: Jennifer Aniston, Albert Berger, Allan Loeb, Brian Bell
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Lions Gate
• DVD Release Date: March 15, 2011
• Run Time: 101 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B004IK30PA
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,007 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Switch" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Jennifer Aniston continues her breezy success as queen of the contemporary romantic comedy in the offbeat The Switch, which brings together elements of When Harry Met Sally… and even episodes of Friends. Aniston is charming and capable as Kassie, an accomplished New York career gal who decides it's time to have a baby--husband or no husband. But in The Switch it's the men around Kassie who become truly memorable, and for which The Switch becomes a must-see. Kassie's best friend is Wally (the wryly and neurotically hilarious Jason Bateman), who may have deeper feelings for his good friend than he's willing to admit. Kassie's recruited sperm donor is Roland, the handsome Nordic hunk with a sweet heart, played with finesse by Broadway star Patrick Wilson. And the fruit of the insemination is Kassie's son, Sebastian, acted with gravitas and thoughtfulness by the young Thomas Robinson, who's so talented he should grow up to be a huge star. Special mention goes to Jeff Goldblum, who takes his own befuddled persona stereotype to new heights as Wally's concerned friend Leonard. All Aniston really has to do is not overdo the "cute" as she dances among these talented actors, and she accomplishes far more than that. "The switch" of the title involves a snafu during the process of Kassie's insemination--and the results of that plot twist shape the rest of the movie. Though audiences can see much more quickly whom Kassie belongs with, before Kassie or her guys do, the ride is thoroughly believable, human, and gently entertaining. The humor in The Switch can be bawdy but it underscores the timeless quest for love and family. Kassie--and all the "men" in her life--deserve it, and watching them on that journey makes for a delightful experience. --A.T. Hurley

Product Description

Jennifer Aniston stars alongside Jason Bateman in this offbeat comedy as Kassie, a smart, fun-loving single woman who, despite her neurotic best friend Wally’s (Bateman) objections, decides it’s time to have a baby – even if it means doing it herself…with a little help from a charming sperm donor (Patrick Wilson). But, unbeknownst to her, Kassie’s plans go awry because of a last-minute switch that isn’t discovered until seven years later…when Wally gets acquainted with Kassie’s cute – though slightly neurotic – son. From the people behind Little Miss Sunshine and Juno comes The Switch.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars So Much Better Than I Ever Expected, February 18, 2011

By 

D. Barbour (MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Switch (DVD)

Every so often there comes along a movie that most mainstream critics just don't like and I do. The Switch is one of those movies. Far nicer and sweeter than I expected, you may not LOVE this movie, but if it doesn't make you smile, there is something wrong with you.

Jennifer Aniston plays Kassie, a woman who is tired of waiting on a seemingly non-existent Mr. Right to start a family. She decides to find a donor who is tall and has a good sense of humor (traits not possessed by her best friend, the neurotic Wally (Jason Bateman)) and hold a very special gathering for friends and family. At this "insemination party", a very drunk Wally decides to 'switch' her donor's ingredient for his own, thus secretly hijacking her pregnancy. Fast-forward seven years and we meet Sebastian, Kassie's child, who is becoming more and more like his real father Wally by the day.

There is an underlying sad tension building all throughout the movie as we wait for the moment when Wally will put two and two together and remember what he did that fateful night, and then when he must reveal this dirty secret to Kassie. My guess is this is why some critics didn't like it. If you go into it with a better perspective though, it is more about how Wally decides he is ready to commit to this young child as a father, and how he is a better person for it, regardless of how everything ends up. A couple of scenes are downright touching, and the ending, while somewhat rushed and flawed, didn't ruin the story. I was not expecting much and in return got a whole lot.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Warm surprise, March 19, 2011

By 

R. Decalo "reader" (USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Switch (DVD)

I'm a rom-com junkie who's mighty frustrated with the genre--how can most of these films be sub-par? doesn't that go against the rules of statistics?--and yet I must say I was pleasantly surprised by The Switch. It's a cut above the norm, mostly because of the relationship between father and son, which is warmly, sweetly, comedically and endearingly acted.

This film is Hollywood; despite a strange lull after the "switch" which suggests the pacing might go indie, it returns to Hollywood momentum. Which is fine, but the editing is slightly off there. That said, the charm and comedy of the father and son really do make this movie. I'm not into the standard manipulation of cute faces and piping voices for ratings, but these two are really sweet magic together.

Bateman's acting is touchingly understated when he's with the kid; the child (Thomas Robinson) is earnest and adorable and is so natural in his connection with his father. Aniston picks up credibility in a few of the intimate moments she has with Bateman--you feel her looking at him and being moved and wanting/wondering--but overall this really is a Bateman/Robinson movie.

I don't dislike Aniston in general, but I absolutely didn't "feel" her the way I did the other two. The movie has the usual Hollywood stock characters for best friends; Jeff Goldblum is amusing in a slightly quieter way than usual. But it's Bateman and Robinson, as a duo and separately, that make the movie a four star in its genre--and that make you long for the Bateman/Aniston characters to live happily ever after.

I rented it thinking it would be bad fluff. I watched it half-over again later that night, just to laugh and love a bit more with the father/son duo, and now I'm going to buy it for real. This isn't going to be the best romantic comedy you'll have ever watched (I hope), but it's not at all a bad way to spend a couple hours. :)

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Admiration of Comedic Timing in a Fine Cast, March 19, 2011

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Switch (DVD)

THE SWITCH is another story about artificial insemination and the impact it has on the participants. Yes, it has been done many times with varying results, but what makes this version of the story different and worthy of merit and attention is the sparkling screenplay by Allan Loeb adapted from the short story 'Baster' by gifted author Jeffrey Eugenides ('Middlesex', 'The Virgin Suicides', 'My Mistress's Sparrow is Dead', and short stories 'The Speed of Sperm', 'Air Mail', 'Ancient Myths', etc). It is a film that gives us the opportunity to remember the fine comic time of Jeff Goldblum, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, and Juliet Lewis, courtesy of the fine direction by Josh Gordon and Will Speck..

Wally Mars (Jason Bateman) is an oddly neurotic character who has a very difficult time connecting to people, especially in the dating department. His best friend is Kassie Larson (Jennifer Aniston) a successful woman who abruptly decides her biologic clock is ticking down and decides to have a baby by paying a sperm donor. Wally is shocked, but Kassie's other best friend Debbie (Juliette Lewis, bubbling brilliantly) supports her conviction to take charge of her life and plans a party to celebrate Kassie's incipient 'donation'. Kassie selects a potential donor in Roland (Patrick Wilson) who is a square and married teacher but 'needs the money'. At the party when the 'donation' is to be deposited, Wally gets drunk and accidentally spills Roland's 'contribution', and in drunken desperation replaces it with his own - a secret he doesn't even share with Leonard (Jeff Goldblum) with whom he works and has a strong friendship. The inseminated Kassie moves back home, returning seven years later with her six-year old son Sebastian (Thomas Robinson, a very fine child actor). Kassie courts the now divorced Roland, a blow to Wally who in his 'babysitting' chores grows close to Sebastian who is very much like Wally. How the story ends is predictable but heartwarmingly humorous, especially watching the relationship between Wally and Sebastian develop.

In addition to the strong cast of leading actors there are cameos by Kelli Barrett and especially the significantly impressive Scott Elrod (watch this young actor's career blossom!). Largely due to the smart dialogue delivered by specialists in comedy, this film works well. Grady Harp, March 11