The season of love is upon us, and the queen of making blonde girls look smart and sexy at the same time is back to show the newbies how it’s done. Yes, Reese Witherspoon is back after years in the beloved genre, making our little girlie hearts flutter and our cheeks hurt from smiling. But wait, there’s more. She’s joined by none other than Ashton Kutcher, another veteran of the genre, to make this Valentine’s Day more bearable for the singles out there, maybe even those of us who are taken. “Your Place Or Mine” is very self-aware of the genre it is trying to revitalize and is as predictable as a children’s book, but its charm lies in the two leads who bring some spice to this almost nice story. Ah, how we’ve missed the best friends-to-lovers trope. So, without further ado, let’s get into “Your Place Or Mine.”
Spoilers Ahead
What Is The Movie About?
“Your Place Or Mine” follows Debbie, a divorced single mom to a 13-year-old named Jack, who is allergic to practically anything you can be allergic to. Debbie is best friends with Peter, who lives in New York, whereas she lives in Los Angeles. They’re friends who had a sexual encounter 20 years ago that ended with Peter telling Debbie to stay away from him because he’s garbage (oh boohoo, Peter, grow up). The two of them talk on the phone every day for what one may presume are mental health purposes.
Debbie is heading to New York for a week to do a course in something to do with accounting, and her babysitter bails at the last minute. Peter, who has just been dumped by his girlfriend and has himself dumped his clients, decides to head to LA and spend some time with Jack, so Debbie is able to get her work done (awww! That is so sweet!) We soon realize the two are very different from each other and, in fact, don’t tell each other every little detail of their lives. What are the two of them hiding from each other?
‘Your Place Or Mine’ Ending Explained – Does Jack Get What He Wants?
In New York, Debbie has had the best week, meeting Theo Martin, the editor at Duncan Press and professor of charm 101. Debbie is also now friends with the fashionable and eccentric Minka, Peter’s ex. Minka is our makeshift “Emma,” who meets Mindy (yes, Emily’s best friend), who does everything in her power to make Debbie’s life amazing in New York. Peter, on the other hand, spends quality time with Jack, trying to be the father figure he never had but always wished for. Peter lost his father when he was young and then wrote a book about it without telling Debbie. Minka and Debbie find the book, and Debbie proceeds to read the manuscript. She loves it so much that she decides to give it to Theo and see if he’s interested in publishing it, blatantly lying about being the editor of the book (oh, how glorious this would be in real life!). Theo loves it and is ready to publish it, but Peter doesn’t know anything about all of this. On the other hand, Peter will do anything to make Jack’s life better and allows him to try out for the hockey team because he’s so good at it! Debbie doesn’t let Jack play because she’s always worried for his well-being.
Jack tells Peter that he wishes he and Debbie would be together because the three of them make a great team. Jack goes to the tryouts and is fantastic until he crashes into the side of the rink. In the meantime, Debbie and Minka find a packet of souvenirs hidden in Peter’s house. It’s a pack of all the love he has for Debbie, basically trinkets from all their memories, even though he always says he hates mementos. Minka, being the best friend that she is, sees it as clear as glass that Peter is in love with Debbie. Debbie sees it too, but she denies the idea. Theo tells her that he has a proposal for her, and she goes to meet him one last time.
At dinner, he tells her he has an interview for her at a competitive publishing company, Duncan Press, because he thinks she’s brilliant and also wants to take a chance with her romantically. Debbie is flattered but comes to the realization then that she, too, is in love with Peter. That’s when she gets a call from Peter about Jack’s accident. She’s furious and decides to leave immediately, telling Peter to get away from there immediately. Peter tries to call her many times, but she doesn’t pick up.
At home, she finds a new Burberry bag, Minka’s going-away present for her. When she arrives in LA, she meets Peter at the airport (don’t worry, no chasing is involved here). They yell at each other across travelators about how they’ve been dishonest with each other, and that’s not fair. Debbie is furious about Peter’s negligence towards Jack, and Peter is mad about the manuscript. Finally, at the end of the travelator, Debbie finds the memento from their first hook-up, remembering all the good stuff. They meet in between, and Debbie confronts Peter about not telling her how he feels. He stupidly professes his mad and deep love for her, and they kiss in the middle of the airport (oh, how romantic!). Jack’s wish comes true, and they live happily ever after (as happy as they can be in a marriage). The End.
“Your Place or Mine” is a 2023 romantic drama film directed by Aline Brosh McKenna.
