Romcom stars of the past take a bow

By George Gust

Love is in the air at Netflix with an eye on Valentine’s Day. And here comes “Your Place or Mine,” another attempt to revive the movie star led studio romcom with Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher, the last vestiges of the stars from the last romcom heyday at the beginning of the century. But would this entry prove to be a return to form or another half-hearted effort from Netflix that only vaguely resembles your favorite films in the genre?

“Your Place or Mine” follows two long-distance friends (Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher) who change each other’s lives when she decides to pursue a lifelong dream and he volunteers to keep an eye on her teenage son.

“Your Place or Mine” is a totally inoffensive romcom in the vein of the Nancy Meyers’ filmography (“The Intern” “It’s Complicated”) but fails to reach its full potential given the classical movie star charm of the two lead actors. From a script structure perspective “Your Place or Mine” ties one hand behind its back by having the two lead characters spend 90% of the movie apart from each other in physical space.

This strategy can work (see “Sleepless in Seattle”), but in this movie this lack of personal chemistry puts more distance in the investment between the audience and the story.

At its best “Your Place or Mine” is a likable and breezy romantic film that features some likeable and breezy performances by charismatic actors. Witherspoon and Kutcher are dependable to deliver the kind of self-exploratory where am I in my life now and where do I want to be that is a hallmark of these kinds of romcoms, but where this movie excels past the ro-

Answer on Page 19

Higher pay for election workers?

The Senate Judiciary Committee met on last week and unanimously passed Senate Bill 290, which would increase pay for election day poll workers.

“This is a much needed and much deserved pay raise for our dedicated poll workers who often work over 13 hours on election day,” Hamilton said, “I am so appreciative of those who take their time and carry out this important patriotic and civic duty. I hope increasing their compensation will help retain the poll workers we have and encourage more Oklahomans to participate.” mantic TV movie of the week is the supporting cast. The ‘best friend’ archetype can feel played out, but in this movie Zoe Chao and Tig Notaro elevate their roles with humor and a fun energy that pops off the screen and could easily have been overlooked by other productions of this kind of film.

SB 290 would increase election inspector pay from $110 to $225 and pay for judges and clerks who volunteer at polling locations would be increased from $100 to $200.

“We have seen shortages of poll workers across the state, resulting in long lines at polling places. Once again, the hope with this pay increase is that it will encourage more people to become poll workers. These individuals are so important to our election process, ensuring safe and secure state elections,” Hamilton said.

Overall, “Your Place or Mine” is a completely serviceable entry into the romcom genre. Its place in the Netflix canon of this style of romcom rests just above another surprising Netflix hit romcom “Set it Up” and well above the more slapdash holiday romcoms that aim directly for the cheesiest schmaltz. If you have an affinity for the Witherspoon romcoms of the past (“Sweet Home Alabama” “Home Again”) then you won’t be disappointed in “Your Place or Mine” but you won’t likely feel the need to return to it again and again.

“Your Place or Mine” is rated PG-13 for suggestive material and brief strong language. Now available to stream on Netflix.

2.8 out of 5 stars

To reach George Gust for a comment on this review, please e-mail gust.george@gmail.com

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