Back in high school, Chris (Reynolds) was an overweight nerd and in love with his best friend Jamie (Smart), but she only thought of him like a brother. Ten years later, Chris is now a hot L.A. music exec and finds himself himself back in his hometown and in love with Jamie all over again. But can they really be more than Just Friends?
DVD Features: Alternate endings Audio Commentary Deleted Scenes Featurette Gag Reel Music Video Theatrical Trailer
Manic energy and an agreeable level of comic insanity turn Just Friends into the kind of brainless comedy you can enjoy as a modest guilty pleasure. If you liked director Roger Kumble's previous comedy The Sweetest Thing (and let's face it, that movie had some really funny moments), chances are you'll get at least a few solid belly-laughs from this not-so-high-concept premise, in which a formerly fat high-schooler named Chris (Ryan Reynolds) is transformed, ten years later, into a womanizing music executive with a high-profile client (Anna Faris) in the Britney Spears/Christina Aguilera mold. As it zips along with some broad-stroked slapstick and snappy one-liners, the screenplay by Adam Tex Davis contrives to reunite Chris with Jamie (Amy Smart), the former cheerleader who was the great, unrequited love of Chris' miserable high-school life. By his narcissistic logic, he'll seduce her by treating her badly (i.e. she'll want what she thinks she can't have), but he gets unexpected competition in the form of a "Mr. Sensitive" type (Chris Klein, from American Pie), and it's pretty much Hollywood formula from there on, as Just Friends loses momentum without losing its basic appeal. And while Reynolds invests his character with an unexpected degree of emotional nuance, Faris (Scary Movie 3) pulls out all the stops, going deliriously over-the-top to maintain her reputation as a rising comedy starlet with a (hopefully) promising future. We're not talking rocket science here, folks... just sit back, take off your thinking cap, and have some fun. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
Funny; stands up to repeated viewings:
This is one of the funnier movies that I've seen in a long time; it's a mixture of "silly" and "clever" humor. When I buy a DVD, the test is "will I enjoy it more than once?". I bought this DVD, after paying to rent it, twice. Great on-screen chemistry between all the actors. Solid laughs.
Ryan's great, but even his talent can't save this ridiculous movie:
Ryan Reynolds has wonderful comic timing and I usually laugh when he merely changes his facial expression. The problem with this movie is that the writing is sub-par and the plot goes nowhere. Amy Smart is adorable as usual, and she and Ryan do have decent chemistry, but those are the only redeeming factors. One of the most annoying things about the movie is the normally cute and goofy Anna Faris, whose character is as nice to listen to as nails being run down a chalkboard. Do not waste the time watching... more info
Great!!:
This movie cracks me up everytime I watch it. The mother is funny and Ryan Reynolds is cute and funny.
Just Laughs...And More Laughs:
A romantic comedy with a modest budget, the box office for "Just Friends" surpassed expectations when it grossed a surprising $32.5 million domestically and that is no doubt due to its star talent. With Ryan Reynolds, Anna Faris and Chris Klein headlining the cast, people going into "Just Friends" will get laughs aplenty with room to spare for a few genuinely touching moments. Chris Brander (Reynolds) is a lovable teenaged dweeb - shy, overweight and head-over-heels in love with his best friend Jamie... more info
