in 2007), then he would've found that it's one of the sweetest, smartest comedies about parenthood in years. And if there's one thing the film emphasizes more than anything else, it's the unbreakable bond between a father and son, even when neither knows the other exists.Do yourself a favor and ignore the awful marketing for this one which make it look like how I imagine The Back-Up Plan 2: The Revenge would be in my worst nightmares. Smartly, the often dead-on script by Allan Loeb only briefly goes down the path of crude body fluid humor. They also chose to change the film's title away from The Baster, a crass reference to a turkey baster which has only a moment on screen then thankfully disappears. Keeping that title would've led people to believe this was the sort of sophomoric comedy that it absolutely isn't. By changing the name they're giving the film the respect it deserves.
One thing this movie isn't is a showcase for Jennifer Aniston. To be honest, it's not her show, but a little bit of her goes a long way. She plays Kassie, a woman who hears her biological clock ticking. Unlike some other flicks, she doesn't go ape dump insane over it. She makes a calm, rational decision and decides that insemination is the way to go if she's ever going to have a kid. That rubs the neurotic Wally the wrong way. Wally's been stuck in the "Friend Zone" with Kassie for years, with no escape in sight. The two have become best friends in that time, and Wally sees this as possibly the end of his ever being more than just a good buddy to her.
Not so fast, kemosabe. She chooses a hunky, self absorbed adonis named Roland(Patrick Wilson) to pony up the man juice. But at her insemination party(I'm serious. They're real. I looked them up.), Wally gets a little too wasted and makes a literal life altering decision to switch Roland's stuff for his own. Kassie gets preggers, moves away to Minnesota to raise her kid, and nobody's ever the wiser. Not even Wally. Seven years later she returns and it's like nothing ever changed. They continue to be best friends, although distance may have made the heart grow a little fonder. And then there's the issue of her son, Sebastian(Thomas Robinson), whose neuroses and glum demeanor remind Wally a little too much of himself.
Jason Bateman has blossomed so much since his return to prominence in Arrested Development, but for the most part his big screen roles have not been a much for his talent. He gets a chance to really show just how great of a leading man he can be here, as this is really his film and not Aniston's. Characters like Wally are a tough sell because they have to be so walled off emotionally that they appear dismissive of others. Their rough edges make them who they are, but for moviegoers it can come off as arrogant. He injects so much heart and honesty into the role, though, that you just can't help but root him on even when he makes some truly bone-headed errors.
As good as Bateman is, he would be nothing without Thomas Robinson to play off of. I don't know if this kid has ever been in anything before, but he practically steals the entire film away from two of Hollywood's biggest stars. The first time we see him, with his huge droopy eyes and pale skin, he looks like a cross between the kid from The Omen and a member of the Little Rascals. Yet as he opens up to Wally, and the two begin to bond, a new cheerful dimension opens up. It's that transition from cautious observer to emotional dependence that Robinson pulls off effortlessly. There are a couple of misty eyed moments that I doubt many people will be prepared for. There are also a couple of laugh out loud moments courtesy of co-stars Juliette Lewis and the always brilliant Jeff Goldblum.
Whether or not you think that insemination is the deathknell to fathers the world over really doesn't matter. You'll get no heavy handed messaging in The Switch. What you will get is an intelligent, honest comedy that treats it's characters and the audience with respect. Films like this usually fall by the wayside during the summer months, but The Switch is one comedy that shouldn't be ignored.
