Family Switch (2023) – Movie Review/Summary

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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Film Summary

You’ve seen it before. A family where there is a disconnect between the parents and kids find themselves swapping places. Jess, an architect, swaps places with her daughter, CC, a soccer star in the making. The boy genius Wyatt, with social and performance anxiety, swaps places with his father, Bill, who could have been a rockstar.

At first, they struggle to emulate each other, but as what originally were potentially life-ruining mistakes lead to second chances, the family comes together, and all is well.

Other Noteworthy Information

1. Rita Moreno is barely in the movie if she was the hook for you.
2. There is a third sibling, but they are a baby, so they aren’t noted due to not being more than proof that Jess and Bill are still intimate.

Character Descriptions

Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member.

Jess

Jess is a supermom who does her best to balance the demands of her job as an architect with keeping up with family activities, like her daughter’s soccer games. It may have led to her career progress being slowed down, but she wouldn’t trade any promotion in the world for quality time with her family and witnessing their milestones.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Yes Day (2021).”

CC

A soccer star potentially bound for the national team, CC has a huge weight on her shoulders that her mom sort of understands since Jess was bound for the junior Olympics. But, with a career-ending injury, she worries about CC putting all of her eggs into one basket.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Wednesday: Season 1.”

Wyatt

Wyatt is a genius who, even as a high school freshman, could get early access to Yale University. However, while academically gifted, he is socially inept to the point of going to extremes to avoid certain people at school and being absolutely dumbfounded when it comes to his childhood crush.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.”

Bill

Bill is a man who could have been a rockstar, but, like Jess, he made sacrifices to create a close-knit family. So, while he may not be rocking out on stage, he does push the high school band to get creative.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Tag.”

Review

Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)

Highlights

It Will Get Your Emotional

Specifically, CC and Wyatt, post-body swap, will get you emotional when they learn what their parents sacrificed to have more time or money for them. For when it comes to Jess and Bill, even though they squander opportunities their kids worked for, there is no lightbulb or emotional moment. They apologize, and then everyone moves on.

However, with Jess having this big presentation setup which could allow her to catch up to where her career could have been three years ago? CC struggling to get her mom over the finish line and hearing from her mom’s staff how she is the cool mom of the office, a badass, and also someone who puts family first? It’s a bit overwhelming since you know a lot of mothers do this, and while they may make it look easy, it is a challenge.

As for Wyatt? Being that he is a smart kid also means he is a bit of a brat and looks down on his father for not having an equal intellect. Yet, like Jess, Bill made sacrifices and created an environment where Wyatt could thrive. And with the push that behind every genius isn’t necessarily a parent as smart or smarter, but someone loving and supportive, again, it is easier to get the audience into their emotions and maybe get a tear or two.

It Knows It Isn’t Doing Anything New

They literally name a handful of body-swap or age morph movies in the film as soon as the family realizes what happened. From “Big” to “17 Again,” hinting towards “Freaky Friday” and, of course, the iconic “13 Going on 30. So, it’s clear that no one involved thought they would make something new here, and that’s appreciated.

A lot of films in any subgenre like to pretend they are new and doing something different, but the majority are not. They follow the same formula, with the same beginning and end result. But, as noted above, “Family Switch” has a decent middle that allows it to stand out.

On The Fence

Because It’s So Familiar, A Hour And A Half (Though Billed At 1 Hour 45 Minutes) Feels Like A Long Time

Yes, the film can get you emotional, is comical, and has good writing. But it is still formulaic. You may not know how you may get to each milestone, but you know it is coming. Be it the parents messing up their kids’ big chance, the kids struggling to be adults, and yet everything ending up okay in the end.

With this being an hour and a half of predictable moments, as good as this is, and despite there not being a huge amount of body swap family comedies, it doesn’t lessen a certain level of boredom watching this, especially if you’ve seen most of the movies that are named in this feature.

Who Is This For?

Those who like family body swap comedies that give parents and kids different perspectives.

General Information

Director(s)	McG
Screenplay By	Victoria Strouse, Adam Sztykiel
Based On Work By	Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Date Released	November 30, 2023
How To Watch	Netflix
Genre(s)	Comedy Fantasy Holiday
Film Length	1 Hour 45 Minutes
Content Rating	Rated PG
Noted Characters and Cast
Jess	Jennifer Garner
Bill	Ed Helms
CC	Emma Myers
Wyatt	Brady Noon

Content Rating Explanation

• Dialog: Nothing Notable
• Violence: Wyatt does have a bully who has physical confrontations with him
• Sexual Content: None
• Miscellaneous: Adults drinking and depiction of underage drinking

Recommendations

Check out our movies page for our latest movie reviews and recommendations.

Discussion Items

Let us know your thoughts in the comments:

1. Wouldn’t it have been interesting if Jess and Bill swapped with the opposite-gendered kid instead? Is it just me, or do most family body swap movies stick to the same gender?

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