Video: Don't Miss The Switch!

By: Holley Sinn

Verdict: Approved

Some films are guaranteed blockbusters. Some are marketed as indie fare, and as such, instantly gain a little street cred. But some films sneak in under the radar. They carry a cast, but we know very little about them, so there's no real telling whether or not they'll be worth cash at the box office. Much like his little gem of a film "Extract" that came out about this time in 2009, Jason Bateman once again delivers with an incredibly resonant and charming film about the importance of taking risks and finding love where you least expect it in "The Switch".

The story begins with a pair of best friends. Having attempted dating once Jason Bateman's "Wally" and Jennifer Aniston's "Cassie" have resigned themselves to lifetime friendship which is why Wally is the first one consulted when Cassie makes the life-changing decision to have a baby on her own.

After trying to convince her not to go through with her plan, Wally has no choice but to be supportive or lose what is quite clearly the love of his life. Upon meeting the super-hot, cheerfully shiny donor father Roland, played by Patrick Wilson, Wally gets incredibly drunk and accidentally washes his rival's "offering" down the sink. His only option is to find a replacement, and with the help of Diane Sawyer, he does just that.

The problem for Wally and Cassie is that Wally has no memory of his actions, and after a seven year separation, Wally is surprised to meet himself in a smaller though no less introspective and perhaps pessimistic version. Little Sebastian may as well be his carbon copy, and when, with the help of his best pal Leonard, played by Jeff Goldblum, Wally finally recalls his actions in helping to create that little life, he realizes he has no choice but to tell the woman of his dreams that he is the father of her child.

"The Switch" is perfectly pitched, somehow totally believable, and couldn't have been better cast. Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston have a palpable but innocent chemistry, Jeff Goldblum is quite pleasing playing himself, and little Thomas Robinson who plays Sebastian simply begs to be hugged, especially when he discovers for the first time that he is a hypochondriac.

"The Switch" is fully Holley-approved, rated PG-13 for some mild language and mature content, and it is now playing in theaters all over the bay area.

*Sidebar: For those who have heard that this film degrades the roll of the father in parenting relationships, I highly recommend viewing before judgement. The real themes have nothing to do with a woman raising a child on her own - quite the opposite, in fact. Instead, the film stresses the importance of fathers...and sites the many occurrences when a male figure is necessary in his son's life. However, the idea of female empowerment to create life outside of a married relationship is present, it is not the central focus.