Newport Beach Film Festival: My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend

Last night was the world premiere of the romantic comedy My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend, starring Alyssa Milano and Chris Gorham (Ugly Betty). Written and directed by Daryn Tufts, the rom com follows Milano’s character as she falls for a guy that’s right for her, then meets “Mr. Right.” Check out my full review and the Q&A with cast and crew after the break.

Ethan (Gorham) is a struggling writer who meets divorced waitress Jesse (Milano) that inspires him. The two instantly connect. Unfortunately, right after Ethan leaves, Jesse meets Troy (Michael Landes), an ad executive who is the typical “Mr. Right”. Jesse lets both relationships develop until ultimately both men ask her to make a big leap in their respective relationships. What’s a girl to do?

Before I can really break down the film, you need to know something that makes a huge impact on the viewing experience. There’s a twist ending. Of course, I won’t give it away, but it’s important to know, because the film is so frustrating until that point. Characters don’t always make decisions that make sense, you don’t know who the protagonist really is, and you fall in and out of love with Milano constantly. However, the ending makes it all worth it.


The whole cast was really great in this, from Jesse’s brother David (Tom Lenk) to her uncle Logan (Beau Bridges). The script was really witty, and had a smart, sarcastic, and dry humor that reminds me a lot of Shane Black’s writing. The second act of the film drags a bit, but I can never get enough Milano’s charm, so it didn’t bother me that much. Also, there’s this small subplot about how David made a commercial for Spry gum (a real company, and a sponsor for the film), and all those scenes are hilarious. The commercial and outtakes shown in the film should really be put online when the film is ready for distribution, which is not set yet, but expected to be a limited theater release before coming out on DVD.


Below is the Q&A with Tufts and a large portion of the cast, as well as the film’s trailer. Tufts mentions in the Q&A that he was looking for a way to do an Usual Suspects kind of ending on a love story, since that’s pretty rare to see. Also, that frustration is intensional, as it all gets released at the end. He definitely succeeded on both those fronts.