Last Night, I saw a special preview of ‘Your Place or Mine’ at The Paris Theatre. The movie stars Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher. Also starring Jesse Williams, Zoe Chao, Tig Notaro, and Steve Zahn. Written & Directed by Aline Brosh McKenna. 

Debbie, played by Reese, is a single mom with a strict and structured life. Like a lot of single moms, she sacrifices her wants and dreams to be able to be a provider for her son. Peter, played by Ashton, is the true bachelor. Rich. Lives in a dream Brooklyn apartment overlooking the city. Debbie needs to finish a course in order to apply for a position with better pay. The course is in NYC for a week. Which is perfect because that’s where Peter lives. Fast forward and their plans had to change and Peter flies out to LA to stay with Debbie’s son so she could take the course. 

Ok, hard stop I won’t give any spoilers. However, I’ll talk about cast performances. Reese and Ashton were everything we always love about them. They are funny and just two well-liked actors that deliver in their performances. BUT Tig, Zoe, and Steve certainly stole the show with their roles. They were hilarious! Tig plays like a third bestie, and their one-liners were frigging hilarious. Plus their coffee obsession is real. I feel this. Zoe is Tinka one of Peter’s exes. She befriends Debbie. Their friendship is spontaneous, and she basically takes Debbie under her NYC wing. Steve plays Debbie’s neighbor that spends all day working on Debbie’s garden. That sounds weird but super funny. 

Before the screening, the writer and director Aline mentioned that this movie is a love letter to single moms. Which I can see. But to me, this movie is a love letter to Romance Book lovers. The movie is about lovers, who turned into friends, who hopefully turn back into lovers at the end. One also could describe it as an over-40 (hell yes to this!) Second Chance Romance with a sprinkle of a love triangle. 

Both Debbie and Peter are major book nerds. As a matter of fact, Jesse Williams plays Theo a literary editor and the perfect book nerd. He and Debbie develop a connection because of their love for books. My favorite scene is when Debbie walks into Pete’s apartment and cringes at the color-coded bookshelf in his living room. “Who could find anything like that?” Yes, it’s pretty to look at, but yup, I wouldn’t be able to find anything. 

The movie is also a hat off to friendships and how they could become over time. After 20+ years of friendship, both Debbie and Peter swear they know everything about each other. But do they? 

One thing though I wish we would have had more scenes with Debbie and Peter in the same place. But that was the whole point of the movie. They were never physically together. 

Oh, did I mention the cast was there? Yes! Reese, Ashton, Jesse, Tig, and Zoe were at the screening. Here are some photos! 

I give this movie five-nerd glasses out of five. It gave me everything I look for in a good Rom-Com. I left the theater smiling and in love with love. Plus also, books. We haven’t had a Rom-Com like this in a while. This is the Rom-Com we’ve been waiting for! Hollywood please give us more!

As we were leaving, they gave us a tote bag with goodies that have a lot of meaning to the movie. Once you watch it they’ll make sense. On one side, the tote reads I heart NY, and then on the other side, it says I heart LA.

Watch ‘Your Place or Mine’ February 10th on Netflix.