FAMILY SWITCH
US, 2023, 106 minutes, Colour.
Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, Emma Myers, Brady Noon, Lincoln Sykes, Theodore Sykes, Rita Moreno, Matthias Schweighoferr, Vanessa Carrasco, Cyrus Arnold.
Directed by McG.
For many, this scenario can be referred to as the Freaky Friday syndrome, a relationship between adults and children, parents and sons and daughters, in a situation where roles are reversed, an exchange of bodies. Here, it is a family switch – father becoming son and vice versa, mother becoming daughter and vice versa and… The baby into changing with the family dog and vice versa!
This is an entertaining variation, more or less what we expect – only more so because of the triple switch.
The first half hour spends time, as expected, establishing each of the central characters. Dad is played by Ed Helms, rather easy-going in his manner, part of a band, keen on music, a bit non-descript. By contrast, Jennifer Garner is the efficient mother, a business executive promoting an architectural plan, a forceful personality. Emma Myers is CC, final year at school, top soccer player, friends at school, feeling that her mother is trying to control her life and not acknowledge how important soccer is to her. Brady Noon is Wyatt, mid teens, love of science and knowledge of science, something of a nerd, about to be interviewed for entry to Yale.
On their way to the Griffin Observatory Los Angeles, they encounter Rita Moreno in a van, offering to tell their fortune and future. They decline, rush to observe a special alignment of the planets, break one of the lenses, squabble, and the inevitable wishing that each were in the other shoes. And that what happens, baby and dog and all.
In many ways predictable, but that is what we can expect from this type of situation. Sports daughter has to explain the project to the executives – but realises that her mother should having encouraged team spirit for a successful presentation. Mother then makes a complete hash of playing soccer even when the national talent scout is present. Dad’s interview with Yale is a disaster. Son gets the opportunity to explain himself to a girlfriend, humanise himself a little. And, baby and dog are left with trainer, Rolf, dog walking on hind legs only, baby slurping in the dogfood basin!
The audience is teased a bit when they finally get back to the Observatory, have a substitute lens, it breaks as well, the fortuneteller observing them – and her explaining that what was broken had to be fixed and that is their family life! Explanations, admissions, and love all round.
- The Freaky Friday, vice versa scenario? Parents and teenagers, baby and the dog?
- The Christmas setting, and the alignment of the planets? Context for goodwill?
- The American family, the parents, the teenagers, the baby, the dog? The first 30 minutes establishing each character and anticipation of the reversals?
- Travelling to the Observatory, the encounter with Angelica, her offer to tell the future, encouragement?
- The squabbles, the telescope, the breaking of the lens? Each wishing to be the other, the transformation? The immediate effect?
- The reversal for Jess, her daughter’s body, the look, style, clothes? The soccer match, the talent scout coming, her going on the field, awkward, touching the ball, and not accepting the final goal but helping the injured player? And CC with the parents, calling out, giving advice, the reaction of the coach? The consequences of not getting chosen?
- The reversal for CC, in her mother’s body, eating all the ice cream and being sick, the nature of the promotion pitch, the scenes of Jess going to the office, her rival, her associate? The nervousness of the presentation, her being sick? The entrepreneur walking out, staying? Failure? The writing of the cards and the spilling of the coffee…? The next day, CC going as her mother, talking to the staff, their working as a team, the emergency phone call, leaving, the team and its success?
- Bill, becoming his son, the interview for Yale, his botching it with his music ideas, they comment on his middle to low intelligence, the encounter with Ariana, putting in good words for his son?
- Wyatt, becoming his father, serious minded, the discussions, watching the interview about Yale? The subject of bullying in the school? Being the leader of the band?
- The family, together, trying to cope, the issue of the band, persuading build to come back, the taunts from the crowd, Ariana’s support, the singing of the song, the verve, response?
- The comedy with the baby and the dog, the reversal, the baby acting like the dog, the dog on hind legs, going to see Rolf, his having to deal with the situation, the comedy with his coping?
- The persuading of the scientist to make the lens, Wyatt giving up his scientific treasure? The lens, the issue of driving, taking the new car, the terrible drive, the collapse of the car, Angelica giving them a lift, the breaking of the lens, finding the actual lens, the alignment, no change?
- Angelica, her advice to fix what was broken? The family broken? Coming together?
- Each hearing good comments from friends about their opposites? The talent scout coming and CC getting the second chance? Wyatt staying home and bonding with Ariana? Jess becoming Partner? Bill and his being a good father?
- The morals of these reversal stories, empathy and understanding?
