The Switch 2010 American romantic comedy film

The Switch is a 2010 American romantic comedy film, directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck. Based on a screenplay written by Allan Loeb, the film, formerly titled The Baster, was inspired by the short story Baster by Jeffrey Eugenides, originally published in The New Yorker in 1996.The film starsJennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, and child actor Thomas Robinson. Patrick Wilson, Juliette Lewis, and Jeff Goldblum appear in key supporting roles.

Filming began in March 2009, and ended in May 2009. Re-shoots took place in October 2009. The plot, involving artificial insemination by donor, has similarities to The Back-up Plan, which was filmed at approximately the same time, and followed in the wake of Baby Mama, which involved surrogacy.Upon release, the comedy garnered generally mixed reviews by critics, who commended its premise and the performances of its cast but felt that the plot was formulaic. The Switch was the last Miramax film to be distributed byDisney before the former was sold to Filmyard Holdings on December 3, 2010.

Thirty-something Kassie Larson (Aniston) is single, hasn't found love yet, and decides she wants to have a baby. Despite the objections of her neuroticlong-time best friend Wally Mars (Bateman), she chooses to do so alone because she can't wait any longer. She also wants a face-to-face sperm donor, disdaining using a sperm bank. Wally suggests he be the donor, but Kassie sees him as a bit too neurotic, pessimistic, and self-absorbed, and besides, as best friends, "that would be weird." Wally has always had feelings for Kassie, and they dated six years ago, but his friend Leonard (Goldblum) points out he missed his chance when she put him in the "friend zone".

Kassie selects as sperm donor a handsome and charming (and married) assistant professor, Roland (Wilson). Kassie organizes an "inseminationparty", where Wally meets Roland and takes an instant dislike to him. Roland is then called upon and produces his sperm in the bathroom, leaving it in a sample cup. Wally uses the bathroom and sees the sample. Drunk and doped up after taking a pill provided him at the party by Kassie's friend, Debbie (Lewis), and not liking the idea of Kassie being inseminated with this sperm, Wally plays with the cup and accidentally spills it into the sink. Panicking, he replaces the sperm with his own. The next day at work, still hungover, he remembers nothing. The insemination is successful. Wally is then upset when Kassie tells him she is returning to her family home in Minnesota, as she thinks that would be a better environment to raise a child in, instead of New York City. She leaves, and Wally maintains a non-fulfilling, dreary existence.

Seven years later, Kassie returns to New York along with precocious-but-neurotic son Sebastian (Robinson). She wants to reconnect with Wally, and is eager to introduce her son to him. After an awkward first meeting, Wally eventually forms a bond with this loveable and seemingly mini-version of himself, and Sebastian starts to become close to Wally, but the bad news is that Roland is in the picture too: Kassie has started dating him because he is now divorced and, as she thinks he is Sebastian's father, and a nice guy, maybe it would work.

After Wally notices the similarities between himself and Sebastian, and after talking to his friend Leonard, Wally realizes what happened seven years earlier. Just before Roland proposes to Kassie, Wally reveals to Kassie that Sebastian is his son, along with his true feelings for her. She is shocked and angry and does not want to see him again. Some time passes, and one day, as he is leaving work, Wally finds Kassie waiting for him on the street outside his office building. She tells him Sebastian really misses him and needs him. Wally admits he misses and needs Sebastian too. Kassie then discloses she isn't with Roland any longer, and that she loves him, even with all of his idiosyncrasies. Wally proposes to her, Kassie accepts, and they kiss. The final scene shows a happily married Wally and Kassie throwing Sebastian's eighth birthday party.

CastJennifer Aniston as Kassie Larson
Jason Bateman as Wally Mars
Thomas Robinson as Sebastian Larson
Patrick Wilson as Roland
Juliette Lewis as Debbie Epstein
Jeff Goldblum as Leonard
Caroline Dhavernas as Pauline
Scott Elrod as Declan
Bryce Robinson as older Sebastian Larson
Diane Sawyer as herself (cameo)
ProductionAniston revealed in the DVD 'extras' that she had known Bateman since she was age 25, and the producers and directors noted their good chemistry in working together.