Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris, Chris Klein, Chris Marquette Directed By: Roger Kumble Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Binding: DVD Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC Label: New Line Home Video Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: March 07, 2006 Running Time: 94 minutes Theatrical Release Date: November 23, 2005
Product Description: 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?Running Time: 94 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY UPC: 794043101762 Manufacturer No: N10176
Amazon.com: 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
Just plain fun; nothing wrong with that... My best friend asked me the other day if I had ever seen this movie, to which I replied "no, it looked retarded." He then proceeded to try and convince me that it was hilarious and that I needed to see it as soon as possible. So I did, that night, rent this movie and I have to admit that my preconceived notion of what I was going to experience was very wrong. Thanks in large part to the revelation that is Anna Faris, `Just Friends' is actually extremely funny. Sadly, when Faris is not on the screen the film lags a little, but just a little.
The film opens with a hilarious scene where the obese Chris Brander sings All 4 One's `I Swear' while preparing to make the moves on his best friend Jamie Palamino. She's the hot girl and he's her fat best friend. The evening turns into a major debacle and Chris winds up leaving in tears. Cut to ten years later and Chris is not so big anymore; in fact he's one great looking physical specimen. With his new body came a new attitude (not a very good one) and a new career. An unexpected snag in plans leaves Chris in his hometown after swearing never to return and this leaves him in an awkward situation. Jamie is still around and feelings are obviously still there, but can someone ever really escape the `friend zone'?
Ryan Reynolds is not the greatest actor. I actually loved his performance in `The Amityville Horror' and had high hopes for him, but aside from that one performance he's a little stale. Here he manages a few laughs (especially when in the fat suit) but comes off a bit mechanical. I didn't really get his character (is he really that much of a jerk or just playing a part?) but he was forgivable. Amy Smart is her same sweet sexy self and delivers yet another decent performance. Again, she's not the greatest actress in the world but she works. Chris Klein (an actor I'm not too fond of) actually makes his soft spoken delivery work for him here and stands out as a great addition to the film. Chris Marquette is funny as Chris's younger brother Mike and Julie Hagerty is hilarious as Chris's mother Carol.
But I must stress yet again that this movie belongs to Anna Faris, who plays rising pop star Samantha James with such ferocious comedic timing you just wish the whole movie were about her. I would venture to say that this is the best thing Faris has ever done and cannot wait for her to top this. Why doesn't she have a bigger career yet?
`Just Friends' works at getting to our funny bone and that's really all we can ask for with a comedy of this nature. It's not your `mature' comedy like `Lost in Translation' or `Sideways' but it proves to be an above average generic comedy that makes it's weaknesses work for itself and creates a memorable experience the viewer can fully enjoy and one that you'll soon want to revisit.
Forgiveness is more than saying Sorry If you are looking for comedy, maybe a little bit of revenge, or just something to reflect back on when you think you were the only odd one out, you definitely need to pick up this movie.
Chris Brander (Ryan Reynolds) was fat when he left his hometown in New Jersey 10 years before after being teased badly at a graduation party when he confessed his love for Jamie Pallamino (Amy Smart) in her year book, only to have it mixed up with her ex-boyfriends yearbook and read to the whole graduating class. Jamie apologizes to him to only tell him she loves him like a brother. So he leaves and only returns 10 years later because Samantha James (Anna Faris), a pop star that Chris is supposed to get signed, burns down the plane they are traveling in to Paris. After this fiasco, everything starts unraveling.
Personally, I felt bad to Chris because he went through alot in high school to only come 10 years later looking hot and making alot of money, also being very famous, only to have the same people who played him to want to be his friend now. Jamie wanted for Chris to be himself not realizing that he suffers from low self esteem and that the reason why he acts like a jerk is because that was the impression she gave of the only guys she dated. Samantha James is just hilarious in this movie and also explains much of his confusion most of the time.
I think the movie could have been a little better because I think there could have been more talking through the movie between Jamie and Chris, so that she could see his true feelings as to why he was not returning the same signals she was (at least not to her.) However it was a very well put together movie and it will definitely make you laugh a more than a few time. Just dont overanalyze the movie like some of these other low star movie reviewers. The movie is best seen when it is watched the way it was made. The movie, in the end, lets you know he did the right things. Hope this helps.
A Really Good Movie!! What can I say? The movie is really funny, even though Ryan Reynolds seems to get possessed by the spirit of Jim Carrey at times in the film. Anna Faris is the reason to watch the film, she is always as show in itself since she is always great at playing the dumb blonde like in the Scary Movie series. I have to admit, this film just has a lot of laughs, which is a surprise to me. This isn't a Christmas movie, so don't be fooled into thinking so by the cover of the DVD. The story just happens to take place during the Christmas season, but very little (like 2%) of the film even mentions anything Christmas or holiday related. Overall a surprisingly funny movie that makes me laugh a lot. This is a film I'd recommend, I give it four stars since it does have a few slow spots, but it is overall a real fun movie
Forgiveness... does not mean compro-MY-ZEEENNGG Whew, I even bought the soundtrack to this insane mess. It definitely wears on you with multiple, multiple viewings. Anna Farris is crazy, Amy Smart is photogenic, and Ryan is just manic.
Funny all the way through! This is a great movie. The casting is right on. Anna Farris is perfect as the spoiled, shallow pop diva. Ryan Reynolds is always funny. Chris Klein was an unexpected pleasant surprise. Julie Hagerty is always a treat.
We have shown this to a variety of our friends and all of them have loved it.
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