This is the inaugural post of a series I am proud to
announce called ‘J'adore le Genre’. Posts in this series will focus on a specific genre
within the film industry that I absolutely* love.
Now, most people can name 5-10 film genres fairly easily
(romantic comedy, horror, sci-fi, action, drama, etc.) and those popular and
arguably over-used genres will not be mentioned here. I will instead, focus on
lesser known genres that are near and dear to my movie-loving heart.
And I’ve will begin with a genre that is one of my
all-time favorites: The Switcheroo. A.K.A the body swap, Switcheroo films involve
employing a
storytelling device in which two characters switch brains and begin
experiencing life in the other characters body. There is usually a common theme
of some magical force that propels these characters into this situation and,
there is also a theme of the characters needing to go through some sort of
character arc or epiphany in order for the “spell” to be broken. Ahh morals…
When analyzing this genre from a psychological
perspective, it is not difficult to imagine why it is so popular. The human
condition allows for us to never be able to fully understand someone else’s
point of view because we cannot figuratively “walk in their shoes” or literally
switch places (human-to-human head/brain transplants still remain unsuccessful
in the scientific community at large).
And even though couples therapy or unconditional love of
another can bring us close together, they can never pull off entirely
understanding where the other person is coming from. Thus, we, as empathic and
social creatures, seek out entertainment which allows this human drive to be (temporarily)
attained through the magic whimsy of film.
The list of films within this genre is long and therefore
it is a difficult task to name a favorite. But I think I must declare that my
all-time favorite Switcheroo film is Vice
Versa.
Starring Judge Reinhold and Fred Savage, this 1988 film involves a
father and son who switch places after they both touch a mysterious oriental
skull. Hilarity ensues and lessons are learned that ultimately bring the father
and son closer together. There are elements of other Switcheroo films in it
such as Like Father Like Son and Freaky
Friday in which the characters must spend a day(s) dealing with the
struggles of their loved one’s lives. Vice
Versa takes the cake over all the other Switcheroo films simply because it
is not only a perfect example of this story telling device, but it also
involves moments of hysterical laughing on my part (hint: Judge Reinhold screams out something about a unit ;))
And so, The Switcheroo will go down in history as one of the greatest genres that brings me joy and the first genre featured in my new series ‘J'adore le Genre’.
What if you could trade places with…your mother? Your brother? Your spouse? Britney Spears?
Would you? And who would it be? And what would you hope each
participant would gain from the experience?
What’s your favorite Switcheroo film?
**Absolutely love <definition> a genre that I
consider so great that I will watch every film within the genre regardless of
plot line, cast, etc. (example: Prelude
to a Kiss)
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