McG is the director.
Authors: Amy Krouse, Adam Sztykiel, Victoria Strouse, and Rosenthal
Starring: Jennifer Garner Brady Noon, Emma Myers, and Ed Helm
One hour and forty-one minutes
Currently available on Netflix
In most contemporary families, there comes a point at which the youngest member of the family becomes old enough to justify the start of “movie night.” During the middle of the pandemic, our daughter’s preferences shifted from Australian mermaid dramas to more approachable flicks like Gilmore Girls and The Baby-Sitters Club. To celebrate, my spouse and I showed our children Cary Grant and Alfred Hitchcock pictures, which they enjoyed just as much as we did! But then the world parted once more, and individual tastes broke apart. These days, our kid enjoys watching football dramas and games. I can tolerate the former, but it’s difficult to envision exposing his younger sister to the tequila shots and threesomes of Friday Night Lights. In addition, she would much rather withdraw to her room and binge-watch a cake-themed Netflix series.
Just in time for the holidays, the same streamer released Family Switch, an unabashed arrow that strikes right to the core of the multi-generation viewing conundrum. The yuletide drama, which was directed by McG and starred Jennifer Garner, who is also producing and looking as plucky and puckered as ever, offers a plethora of relatable stock characters for couch-bound viewers to enjoy. The Walker family, for example, has something for everyone: they are sporty, techy, wistful, and work-obsessed. And just like so many other families that aren’t under lockdown anymore, the formerly close-knit household is falling apart as each member goes in separate ways. Could a little bit of traditional life in other people’s shoes serve as a doorway to a bygone era?
