Your Place Or Mine: Love On Opposite Sides of the Country

Your Place Or Mine follows a split-screen format, simultaneously following the lives of Debbie, who has her life together, and Peter, who is willing to let life take him where it goes. But, when Debbie’s son, Jack, needs a babysitter, Peter and Debbie switch houses and responsibilities for a few days so Debbie can get a degree.

While Peter must take on the responsibilities of watching Jack and being aware of his allergies, Debbie is free to explore New York City when she is not in class, which even involves becoming fast friends with Peter’s ex-girlfriend, Minka.

However, the most significant plot of the movie is the love story between Debbie and Peter, as they live on opposite sides of the country.

Debbie has lived in California for years, while Peter has been in New York. Your Place Or Mine makes it clear that the duo never lost contact, remaining best friends through phone and video calls for twenty years.

But, if you’re excited to see Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher share the screen in the same room, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Other than the opening scene of the movie and the film’s closing minutes, their characters remain firmly separated, only connecting through calls.

Each is experiencing their own journey, and part of the fun of the movie is having them discover the way the other one lives, which, given how they react to the other one’s house, suggests they have not seen each other in person in a long time.

Your Place Or Mine features fun and relatable moments, such as Peter and Jack agreeing not to eat the casserole that Debbie had left for them or the joy and unexpected connection Debbie shares with Minka.

However, the movie’s emotional third act comes slightly too late to process. Given the film’s nature, it is not a surprise that Debbie discovers that not only is Peter in love with her, but she is in love with him too. But, when Debbie grows angry at Peter quickly after her discovery, there is not much time left in the movie for Debbie to confront her anger before Your Place Or Mine needs to deliver Peter and Debbie a happy ending.

The film’s dialogue is reminiscent of screenwriter and director Aline Brosh McKenna’s involvement in The Devil Wears Prada and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend series regulars Rachel Bloom and Vella Lovell even make cameos in the movie.

Your Place Or Mine, however, does feature a stand-out performance from Zoë Chao. Minka is a brilliant best friend character whose humorous lines and energy beautifully balance out Debbie’s more serious personality.

Overall, Your Place Or Mine is filled with upbeat performances by Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher, who star in a film that helps bring back the fun and light-hearted enjoyment of romantic comedies.