We discuss the ending of the 2023 Netflix film Your Place or Mine which will contain spoilers.
The Netflix romantic comedy Your Place or Mine follows two best friends, Debbie (Reese Witherspoon) and Peter (Ashton Kutcher), who live on opposite coasts. After a brief first date, they decided to be best friends. Peter lives in New York City and is a consultant.
He owns an apartment in the big apple, is wealthy, and never met a woman he didn’t love to show any commitment to. Debbie is divorced and has a thirteen-year-old son, Jack (Wesley Kimmel). They are polar opposites (and, as we know, those can attract). Peter is aggressive. A wealthy and hip brand consultant. He left his dreams decades ago for a rich and ambitious lifestyle. In comparison, Debbie abandoned her dreams as a writer for the safe choice of being an accountant who takes very few risks professionally and personally.
Debbie is supposed to take a class in New York City for a couple of weeks and stay with Peter. However, when the sitter falls through, she will cancel her trip. That’s until Peter steps in and flies out to watch Jack while Debbie flies to New York and stays in Peter’s luxury apartment. What you have here is essentially two different movies working together. Peter’s story is About a Boy, while Debbie’s is about You’ve Got Mail. Peter takes the protective walls Debbie has put all over her son. He allows him to eat out, watch rated-R movies, help him make friends, and even try out for the hockey team. Debbie rekindles a passion for books and writing when she meets a dashing book publisher named Theo (Jesse Williams).
Is Peter in love with Debbie?
Debbie finds a manuscript Peter wrote but never told her about, and hands it to Theo. This represents a crack in Debbie and Peter’s friendship. They thought they had told each other everything, but Peter discovered that Debbie had been dating without telling him about it. While these discoveries happen, each lead character is talking their feelings out. Debbie’s friend (played by Tig Notaro) helps Peter scrimmage through his feelings. Peter’s ex-lover (played by Zoe Chao) pushes Debbie to take more chances in life. For instance, Deb pursues Theo, which she does, and they spend the night together, where Peter accidentally sees them with his home security camera.
Peter helps Jack make friends, makes the hockey team, and realizes he has missed doing something meaningful in his life. Jack feels it and wants Peter to live with them even more so. Back in New York, Deb finds an envelope with mementos Peter has collected that are reminders of their time together. Peter even confesses to Deb’s friend that he wanted to keep dating her, but he saw his best friend on a date with her future husband and knew he didn’t have a chance.
How do Debbie and Peter admit they are in love?
Debbie realizes her feelings for Peter and lets Theo down gently. However, she has to run home when Jack gets hurt during a hockey game. Debbie blames Peter for not being responsible, and they cross paths at the LAX, arguing on opposite moving sidewalks. After saying many mean things to each other, Debbie shows him the poker chip she found in his bedroom.
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How do Debbie and Peter admit they are in love? Peter tells her how madly in love with her he is, and Debbie is about to cry, thinking they will not be friends anymore. “No, we’re not going to be friends anymore, Debbie,” then grabs and kisses her. They leave the airport holding hands. Six months after, they all moved in together in Los Angeles. Peter published his book, Debbie is now an editor, and Jack is now on the hockey team.
Your Place or Mine Ending Explained
The poker chip is from the first night of Peter and Debbie’s first date. Debbie kept it because she thought it would be a keepsake if their relationship were something more or if they got married. Peter running away from New York, and maybe even the rehabs, was running away from his feelings for Debbie. Peter kept a poker chip from that very night, signifying they had deeper feelings for each other than they were willing to admit.
The moral of the story? Tell someone how you feel, and don’t wait for twenty years.
What did you think of the ending of the 2023 Netflix film Your Place or Mine? Comment below.
