"Your Place or Mine" Netflix Film Recap Review
Anatomy of a hot-off-the Netflix-release-shelf Valentine's Day Rom-Com
In the writing world, there’s a framework for outlining a book called “Beats” and in that spirit, I’ve taken it upon myself to loosely model a “Beats” type approach to this movie to help with reviewing it in a more procedural, but fun fashion. Bear with me here. It’ll be worth it.
The Set Up
Suspend your disbelief - A hot woman (Reese Witherspoon) and a hot, ripped guy (Ashton Kutcher) who are way attracted to each other and spend their entire morning routine (from getting out of bed, bathroom breaks, and getting dressed) talking to one another and are still quasi flirting after 20 years of knowing each other from over 3000 miles away are NOT into each other.
Once you’ve put all this to the side, now let’s dissect the 1:50 runtime of Your Place or Mine (Netflix) from Witherspoon’s production co., Hello Sunshine.
Luckily for us, Peter (Kutcher’s character) is asked the “why aren’t you with her?” early on by his shag pal, played by an underutilized Vella Lovell (Mr. Mayor) to which he responds, “It’s not a girl. It’s Debbie [Reese Witherspoon]. Me and Debbie? Cause…She’s her and I’m me.” And then, rightfully so, she promptly breaks up with him on his birthday.
In our rom-com fantasy world, Peter loves the band The Cars and is a very successful marketing exec judging by his pricey NYC loft which is all windows, all high rise. Twenty years prior he wanted to be a writer.
Debbie is a single mom with a child, who is working towards an accounting degree that will help her get a promotion. Her best friend, played by Tig Notaro (One Mississippi) is the gal pal that we all need, and tells it to her straight: Get a guy, a promotion, redo your kitchen, and get some layers in your hair.
In the first 20 minutes, the stage is set for Debbie to travel to NYC for her degree thing and to see Peter. As she makes arrangements for her son Jack who is “plastic wrapped” by her (per Peter) and allergic to everything under the sun, we meet Rachel Bloom (Reboot, My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and the actress who will play my protagonist when my rom-com book is published), Jack’s babysitter/nanny, Scarlet.
The Catalyst
Scarlet, the babysitter, unexpectedly gets an acting gig that starts ASAP and won’t be able to stay with Jack…
Debbie texts Peter about the situation and says she won’t be coming.
Peter is bummed but he has an idea.
He will come to LA and stay with Jack so Debbie can go to NYC.
Peter: “You need help and I’m coming.”
And naturally, a Cars song (below) ushers us into the next part of our rom com, where Peter goes to Debbie’s world and Debbie goes to Peter’s world - in writing beats world, this is referred to as when a story breaks into 2, introducing an upside down world.
The Upside Down World
In LA: Peter tries to bond with Jack by sharing info about his childhood, that his dad died. He meets the weird neighbor dude, Steve Zahn (Zen) and is confounded by all of Debbie’s kitchen post-it notes and frozen casseroles - also labelled “URGENT.” Peter lets Jack watch Alien.
In New York: Debbie marvels at Peter’s swanky crib and that fact that he color codes the books on his book shelf. None of his modern kitchen drawers have handles and the utensils are still wrapped in plastic from non-use.
Cue Debbie’s new sidekick and NYC comic relief, Minka (Zoe Chao) who is Peter’s sometimes shag pal:
Many of the Peter/ Debbie interactions happen with split screen so we can see them in their respective non-physically together environments connecting in a cutesy way, teasing each other, but secretly admiring the other. This friends-to-lovers, will-they-or-won’t they theme is common and when done well, it’s highly enjoyable ( Brown Sugar, Some Kind of Wonderful, When Harry met Sally, Yesterday, 13 Going on 30, etc) but I suppose this is a lovers-to-friends-to-lovers twist.
Fun & Games
Love Triangle? Minka takes Debbie out for posh drinks and fun where she meets the story’s complication, in the form of Jesse Williams (Grey’s Anatomy) who happens to be a successful editor who knows an English professor from Debbie’s college. Theo Martin (Williams) is impressed by all the books Debbie has read from his press. He asks for her number.
On the other coast, Peter strikes out with his plan to “incentivize” or buy Jack friends by inviting his bullies to boxed seats at a Kings game. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t work. On a positive, he encourages Jack to try out for the hockey team and helps him figure out his story, as in who he wants to be and what he wants to tell others about who he is.
Debbie discovers Peter has written a manuscript which he keeps in the oven, because he’s a single male and never cooks. And she reads it and loves it (it’s about a boy who loses his dad) and gives it to Theo, the hot editor, who also is divorced with a 13-year-old son, just like Debbie. By giving it to Theo, she thinks that perhaps she can get the book published but she’s on the clock or Theo is because now he has to read the book and get the girl by the weekend. Theo doesn’t get the girl but he gets a one night stand with her before Debbie finds an envelope of mementos in Peter’s apartment from all his moments with Debbie.
Debbie realizes she loves Peter, but…
Dark Night of the Soul
Peter calls Debbie to tell her that Jack is in the hospital after getting hurt at the hockey try-outs. She demands to talk to Jack after but Jack tells her he’s fine and had the best week ever living his best life - watching a forbidden movie, riding in a convertible, playing hockey - and not to be upset with Peter.. . Debbie is livid and tells Peter to go home. He runs into her at the airport where they have their hostile meet cute. Debbie says something awful to him but then drops the poker chip (a memento of a poker game they played a long time ago) and rushes back to him where they admit their love for one another and the rest is history.
My overall thoughts are:
Reese keeps the plot trodding along with her cheery optimism
Steve Zahn, Tig Notaro, and Zoe Chao kill it as the side kicks/friends/pals/eccentrics
Not feeling the Ashton/Reese chemistry in that it’s not really translating to screen. If they had stayed friends that would have worked for me too. I saw more potential chemistry between Ashton and the Shiri Appleby character and Reese and Steve Zahn.
Could have done with fewer Cars songs. Every time I hear them, I think about how Ric Ocasek screwed over Paulina Porizkova. It’s just forever imprinted in my brain. And on that note…