''Family Switch'' is a 2023 American

fantasy comedy Fantasy comedy or comic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is primarily humorous in intent and tone. Typically set in imaginary worlds, fantasy comedy often involves puns on, and parodies of, other works of fantasy. Literature The subgenre ro ...

film directed by

McG The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as the 'G, is a sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere, the el ...

, written by

Adam Sztykiel Adam John Sztykiel is an American television and film producer and screenwriter known for such television series and films as '' Undateable'', which he also created based on the book, ''Undateable: 311 Things Guys do That Guarantee They Won't be D ...

and Victoria Strouse, and starring

Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Company ...

and

Ed Helms Edward Parker Helms (born January 24, 1974) is an American actor, musician and comedian. From 2002 to 2006, he was a correspondent on Comedy Central's '' The Daily Show with Jon Stewart''. He played paper salesman Andy Bernard in the NBC sit ...

. The film is based on the 2010 children's book '' Bedtime for Mommy'' by

Amy Krouse Rosenthal Amy Krouse Rosenthal (born Amy Renee Krouse; April 29, 1965 – March 13, 2017) was an American author of both adult and children's books, a short film maker, and radio show host. She is best known for her memoir ''Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Li ...

. It was released by

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

on November 30, 2023, and received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, the Walker family: the working couple Jess and Bill, along with their three kids CC, Wyatt and Miles, are a divided family: the parents and the children routinely find themselves at odds, primarily due to their respective outlooks towards life. With Christmas approaching, the convivial parents vainly attempt to draw the emotionally-distant children to spend more time together than individually. During an excursion to the

Griffith Observatory Griffith Observatory is an observatory in Los Angeles, California, on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. It commands a view of the Los Angeles Basin including Downtown Los Angeles to the southeast, Hollywood to the sou ...

to witness a rare planetary alignment, the fissures between the family erupt - with Jess and CC, Bill and Wyatt simultaneously wishing each other to try being them for a more intimate understanding. While asking an astrologer, Angelica, to take a family picture, a blinding flash rocks the observatory; in the melee, the family accidentally damage the telescope. The next morning, the family awaken to find themselves spiritually split from each other: Jess and CC find themselves in each other's bodies, as do Bill and Wyatt, much to their collective horror. Moving to resolve the quagmire, the family employ their unknowing neighbor Rolf to babysit toddler Miles and family dog Pickles, who were also switched. At the observatory, the family manage to bribe the staff to accelerate the telescope's repairs with the aim of reverting into their original bodies by the end of the planetary alignment. Attempts by the family to pursue their regular lives in each other's bodies culminates in disaster: "Jess" (CC), attempts to deliver a presentation to an important client on her mother's behalf, which is ruined when she hastily devours ice cream, kicking in her mother's lactose intolerance, causing her to fart profusely during the meeting, while "CC" (Jess), intentionally compromises her daughter's crucial soccer match to help an injured opponent, which is witnessed by a national recruiter in attendance; "Wyatt" (Bill) bungles his son's interview for a

Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...

scholarship with his nonchalant attitude, and "Bill" (Wyatt), despite his strange demeanor that day, is invited to a party hosted by his son's crush, Ariana. Exasperated, the family proceed to discover that the telescope is missing a specially-made lens that is crucial to its functioning. Realizing that next alignment would not be until 2162, "Bill" calls in a favor to procure the lens early. Privately, "Bill" divulges the party invitation to "Wyatt", who reluctantly attends with "CC"; he ends up fumbling a would-be intimate moment with Ariana, but he also stands up to his son's bully. Meanwhile, "Jess" and "Bill", who are pressured into kissing by their unknowing neighbors, sneak into the party, where the four manage to enjoy a moment of togetherness, which is sunk when "Bill" learns of "Wyatt"'s rejection of Ariana. The next day, however, the family learn the hardships each other has to face; "Jess" discovers her mother's sacrifices at work for her daughter's soccer talent, while "CC" discovers her daughter's academic sincerity outside of soccer; "Bill" discovers that his father had sacrificed a potential music career to be a parent. Accepting that their individual life pursuits may have been lost owing to the switching, the family resolve to stay together irrespectively. They team up to sing at Bill's music concert, which is attended by Jess's clients. The show is a success, and "Jess" is awarded a promotion. "Bill" finally receives the crucial telescopic lens, and the family race to the observatory with assistance from Angelica. They make it in time, but "Bill" accidentally slips over, destroying the lens in the process. However, they discover "Miles" had pocketed the original lens before the switch; they use it, but nothing occurs. The next morning, the family discovers they have reverted to their original bodies. Wyatt patches up his relationship with Ariana, sharing a first kiss with her, and CC is given a second chance for national soccer tryouts by the recruiter, who admired her sportsmanship at the game. Angelica watches the reunited family, wishing them a Merry Christmas before driving away.

Cast

Production

In February 2021, it was reported that

would star in the film, then titled ''Family Leave''. By November 2022,

was reported to star in the film, with

serving as director. In December 2022, Emma Myers and Brady Noon were cast as the children of Garner and Helms' characters.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

took place in

in February 2023, with Marc Spicer serving as the cinematographer. The film features a number of songs, including multiple renditions of "

Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" is a Christmas music, Christmas song written by John Frederick Coots, J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, and first recorded by Harry Reser and His Orchestra. When it was covered by Eddie Cantor on his radio show ...

", in one of which

Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Brian Bell (guitar, keyboards, backing ...

joined the lead cast. Other songs include "

Seven Nation Army "Seven Nation Army" is a song by American rock duo the White Stripes. It is the opening track on their fourth studio album, ''Elephant (album), Elephant'' (2003). V2 Records released the song to American alternative radio on February 17, 2003, a ...

" and " Bust a Move".

Release

''Family Switch'' was released on

on November 30, 2023.

Reception

Owen Gleiberman Owen Gleiberman (born February 24, 1959) is an American film critic who has been chief film critic for '' Variety'' magazine since May 2016, a title he shares with . Previously, Gleiberman wrote for ''Entertainment Weekly'' from 1990 until 2014. ...

of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote, "''Family Switch'' has bits and pieces of amusement, but mostly you want to swap it for a better movie". Angie Han of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' said: "The body-swap comedy isn't good so much as it is completely and totally innocuous. Its characters are drawn in the broadest of strokes and the plot points unfold along creakily predictable beats, but it's too blandly sweet to be irritating or offensive. If you're just looking to fill a movie-shaped hole in your holiday plans, that might make it passable enough."

References

External links

* * {{McG 2023 films 2023 comedy films 2023 fantasy films 2020s American films 2020s Christmas comedy films 2020s fantasy comedy films 2020s English-language films American Christmas comedy films American fantasy comedy films English-language Christmas comedy films English-language fantasy comedy films Netflix original films Films about body swapping Films about dysfunctional families Films about wish fulfillment Films based on children's books Films directed by McG Films produced by McG Films scored by Pinar Toprak Films set in Los Angeles Films shot in Los Angeles Films with screenplays by Adam Sztykiel Films with screenplays by Victoria Strouse Wonderland Sound and Vision films