A womanizer returns to his hometown and reunites with his best friend,
​the woman who rejected him in high school, and tries to win her heart.

COMEDY

Just Friends (2005)

Directed by Roger Kumble

Written by Adam Davis

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris, Chris Klein,
​Chris Marquette, Julie Hagerty, Fred Ewanuick, Stephen Root

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Connor Eyzaguirre

April 22, 2020

8/10

Ryan Reynolds has this uncanny ability to turn the most subpar story and script into comedy gold, a feat he accomplishes once again with Just Friends. The film doesn't have a bad story, but it is a bit predictable. Still, for a lot of people including myself, it's gonna be embarrassingly relatable, but Reynolds keeps it from getting too serious or too dull. In short, his charm is the best thing about the movie, even though the rest of the cast does a decent job.

Reynolds plays Chris Brander, who was chubby in high school and in love with his best friend Jamie (Smart). When she lets him down easy, it spurns Chris to drop the weight, move to L.A., and become a ferocious womanizer. While on a trip with pop superstar and obsessive psychopath Samantha James (Faris), their plane is forced to land in Chris's hometown, where he meets Jamie ten years later. He falls right back into what he calls the "friend zone" and tries to woo her one last time. It's a funny romcom that hits the right notes, though I think it would have been funnier with an R-rating. Still, with Chris Klein as the two-faced bad guy and Faris's insane antics, there's a lot to keep you laughing with this one. Also, you care about the characters thanks to the actors' likability.

I enjoyed Just Friends mostly because I can relate to it. A lot of us have been in unfortunate scenarios where we had a girl who was a friend and we had feelings for her. It's a difficult road to navigate, especially if you want to preserve the friendship. Just Friends directly addresses this situation that never gets talked about, mostly because it's awkward for all involved. But the movie shows you to just be yourself and good things will come, which is good advice.