The film was released on August 20, 2010, in the United States by
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Critical reception The review aggregator website
Rotten Tomatoes reported that 53% of critics gave the film a positive rating, based on 156 reviews, with an average score of 5.20/10. Its consensus states "
The Switch has an interesting premise and a charming cast; unfortunately, it also has a trite script that hews too close to tired rom-com formulas." On
Metacritic, which uses a normalized rating system, the film holds a 52/100 rating, based on 30 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Aniston was nominated for a
Razzie Award for
Worst Actress for her performance in the film. was praised by critics for his performance.
Los Angeles Times author Betsy Sharkey noted that the film "is what you might call a Bate-and-switch affair. More his journey than hers, more satire than slapstick, the film is that rare example of rom-com about men, which turns out to be a nice switch indeed." She also compared it to
About a Boy and
Lisa Cholodenko's 2010 film
The Kids Are All Right, adding: "Though the film never quite rises to the level of either, the filmmakers show enough restraint to keep things interesting, Aniston and Bateman keep things both light and dark when they should, and Robinson's Sebastian steals everyone's heart."
Michael Phillips of the
Chicago Tribune remarked that while "Jennifer Aniston gets top billing, the character played by Jason Bateman sets the tone." He found that "around the halfway point it starts getting interesting and the people who put it together are at least working in a realm of reasonable intelligence and wit and respect for the audience. I wish it were great, but 'pretty good' puts it ahead of plenty of recent romantic comedies." Similarly, Andrew O'Hehir from
Salon.com wrote, "here comes the surprise: It's peculiar and pretty good! Taken on its own terms, it's a light, sweet, curiously enjoyable misfit romance, whose real star is not Aniston but her magnificently awkward
Lothario, Jason Bateman."
Owen Gleiberman from
Entertainment Weekly gave the film a
B rating and called it "a pleasant surprise. It's a by-the-numbers movie, but the dots that get connected feel new." Less enthusiastic with the film,
Detroit Newss Tom Long wrote that "it's not a bad film, really, just sort of average. But Bateman is so good in it – natural, funny, yet full of real emotion – that you immediately want to see him again in a better film." Barely impressed, Joe Neumaier of
New York Daily News called the film a "
Judd Apatow lite,
Farrelly brothers special blend. Just call it
When Harry Met Sally... and Her Ovum. Andrew Barker from
Variety felt that
The Switch was "an unfunny, manipulative romance about two unlikable people and their prop of a son [...] The pic mangles the premise of its source material."
Commercial success Even though it gained mixed reviews from critics,
The Switch proved to be a moderate financial success. Budgeted at $19 million, it grossed $49.8 million worldwide, 55.7% of which came from its domestic run. 91 days in US theatres, it opened in 2,012 theaters and was ranked seventh after its opening weekend, averaging $4,193 per venue.
Accolades == Remake ==