The Change-Up

Lore & Background

The film follows Mitch Planko (Reynolds) and Dave Lockwood (Bateman), best friends in Atlanta. Dave is a married lawyer with three children, while Mitch is a single actor in his sexual prime. After getting drunk, they urinate into a fountain and simultaneously wish for each other's lives, causing them to switch bodies. They discover the fountain has been removed for restoration, forcing them to pose as each other. Mitch, in Dave's body, befriends Dave's associate Sabrina but sabotages a merger. Dave, in Mitch's body, learns Mitch's film is a 'lorno' (light pornography). They eventually tell Dave's wife Jamie, who does not believe them, so they reluctantly continue the charade. Mitch later saves the merger by comparing negotiations to porn, and Dave leaves a date with Sabrina after seeing a tattoo of his daughter's favorite butterfly. At a gala, Dave kisses Jamie to prove his identity, and they find the fountain at a mall. After two failed attempts to urinate and wish back, the lights go out and they run. In an epilogue, they return to their original bodies, with Mitch unaware of a tattoo on his back reading 'I ♥ Dave.' A post-credits scene shows Dave and Jamie getting high, while Mitch and Sabrina have sex.

Reader's Guide

The Change-Up is notable as a body-swap comedy that received largely negative reviews, with a 26% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 39 out of 100. Critics noted that the film's crude humor and formulaic plot undermined the performances of Reynolds and Bateman, who played against type. The Telegraph named it one of the ten worst films of 2011. Despite critical reception, the film grossed $75.5 million worldwide against a $52 million budget, opening at #4 in North America. Its legacy lies in its place among other body-swap films like Freaky Friday and Trading Places, though it is remembered more for its raunchy tone and mixed reception than for lasting cultural impact.

Did You Know?

• The film was produced and directed by David Dobkin and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore.
• The body-switch occurs after Mitch and Dave urinate into a fountain while wishing for each other's lives.
• The film grossed $75.5 million worldwide against a $52 million budget.
• The Telegraph named The Change-Up one of the ten worst films of 2011.