Your Place or Mine – Movie Review
Director: Aline Brosh McKenna
Writer: Aline Brosh McKenna (Screenplay)
Cast
- Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde)
- Ashton Kutcher (Dude, Where’s My Car)
- Wesley Kimmel (The Book of Boba Fett)
- Steve Zahn (Sahara)
- Rachel Bloom (The School for Good and Evil)
Plot: Two long-distance best friends change each other’s lives when she decides to pursue a lifelong dream and he volunteers to keep an eye on her teenage son.
Runtime: 1 Hour 49 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Your Place or Mine starts as we meet the two best friends, Debbie (Witherspoon) in LA and Peter (Kutcher) in New York. They chat everyday day and have known each other for 20 years. The two have lived different lives, Peter as a playboy who is rich, and Debbie as a single mother trying to further her career.
When Debbie is meant to be heading to New York for a course that would help her future. The pair look forward to catching up, however, her son Jack’s (Kimmel) father bails last minute. Peter refuses to let Debbie give up on her dream, so he offers to head to LA to look after Jack, while Debbie stays at his place.
Verdict on Your Place or Mine
Characters
Debbie lives in LA with her teenage son, she is a control freak needing everything in a certain order. She has been best friends with Peter for 20 years now, chatting every day. Debbie has an opportunity to take some classes to help her future in New York, where she is looking forward to spending time with Peter. However, she has to put that dream aside when her ex-husband lets her down. Only for Peter to refuse to let her, offering to step in. Debbie gets to spend a week in New York, where she gets to meet new people.
Peter lives in New York, he is a playboy who has made a lot of money. He has spent most of his life keeping himself single, keeping his life empty. Peter offers to help Debbie by looking after Jack for the week as he tries to bond with the teenager. He does bring embarrassing energy but is determined to help him unlock more of his potential.
The two have a unique friendship that comes through years of friendship. They stay connected to support each other, while there seems to be a distant spark from their first meeting. On their journeys Debbie looks to help Peter’s secret, mixing with a famous author. While Peter gets to learn about what is like to have had a family.
Performances
Reese Witherspoon has always been brilliant in romantic comedies, she is great as always in the awkward moments and sweet moments. Ashton Kutcher is great in the awkward playboy figure. He shows the smooth side of his character, as well as the nervous figure he has been through. The supporting cast gets plenty of laughs, Tig Notaro steals every scene she is in.
Story
The story follows two best friends that live different lives across the country. They chat every day and support each other through their biggest issues. When one is about to lose out on their big trip for a course, the other offers to watch their child for them. The two get a week in the other one’s shoes where they get a chance to see a new life they could have had.
This is a fun romantic comedy that mixes Trading Places in a more romantic formula. It lets two people see how life could have been different, as their friendship could have been a lot more. This also gets to show how they have both faced their fears in life and seen a much better side to life. There is a bigger message that life happens when you least expect it.
Where to Watch: Your Place or Mine is available on Netflix now.
Final Thoughts – Your Place or Mine is the Valentine’s Day Ticket for 2023.
