Just Friends Information

Just Friends is a 2005 American romantic comedy and Christmas film directed by Roger Kumble, and starring Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris, Chris Klein and Christopher Maquette. The plot focuses on a successful record executive (Reynolds), formerly an overweight high school nerd, who reconnects with his lifelong crush (Smart) after arriving home in New Jersey with a neurotic pop star (Faris) in his company.

The film revolves around humorous observation of "friend zone" relationships. It was shot in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Plot

In 1995, Chris Brander (Ryan Reynolds) is an obese, curly-haired high school student with a lisp, braces, and a "gentle giant" demeanor. He attends the graduation party of his best friend, Jamie Palamino (Amy Smart), on whom he secretly has a crush. He plans to confess his feelings by writing them in Jamie's yearbook. When Chris tries to return Jamie's yearbook, it is taken by her despicable ex-boyfriend, Tim (Ty Olsson). Tim reads Chris's confession aloud at the party wherein Chris is publicly humiliated. He is further demoralized when Jamie doesn't reciprocate his feelings. Chris receives a kiss on the cheek from Jamie and is told that they are like brother and sister. When the mob of partygoers burst out of the house again, Jamie admonishes them for making fun of Chris. Chris leaves on his bicycle tearfully and vows to leave town and never return in order to achieve greater success than his classmates.

Ten years later, Chris has lost weight, is handsome and is a highly successful Los Angeles record producer. He is also a womanizer. Prior to Christmas, Chris' boss, KC (Stephen Root), orders Chris to accompany an emerging, self-obsessed pop singer called Samantha James, (Anna Faris) to Paris. KC wants Chris to ensure Samantha signs with him. Chris sees difficulties in this but follows orders. During the trip to Paris, Samantha sets her private jet on fire by using aluminum foil in the plane's microwave oven. This necessitates an emergency landing in New Jersey, near Chris's hometown. Chris takes the singer to his mother's house for a place to spend the night and re-engages with his teenage past, including his unresolved feelings for Jamie. At the local bar, Chris encounters some old classmates, including Tim, who is now balding, fat and a heavy drinker. Jamie also appears, working as a bartender to support herself through graduate school. Chris plans to impress and seduce Jamie. However, a number of unexpected problems, including a growing realization that Jamie's friendship is important to him, hamper Chris' plan. Chris bonds with Jamie on several occasions and during a friendly ice skating "day date", Chris is taken away in an ambulance after being injured in a game of hockey. Jamie is reunited with Dusty Dinkleman (Chris Klein), a paramedic and former high school nerd who was also in love with her.

Prior to his date, Chris had left his younger brother, Mike (Christopher Marquette), to spend time with Samantha. Samantha eventually pushes Mike against the bathroom wall to find out Chris' location and, following initial resistance, Samantha, knowing Mike's strong feelings towards her, passionately kisses him, resulting in the brother's disclosure (thinking that Chris and Jamie have had sex already, Mike uses the term "lover"). Samantha consequently becomes jealous towards Jamie, believing that the old classmates are in a relationship, and in an angry rage, Samantha destroys Jamie's family's Christmas decorations. Embarrassed by Samantha's actions, Chris returns home but is visited by Jamie there. Jamie reveals that she is not mad at Chris and plans to spend the night with him; but, due to Chris' continuing lack of assertion, the two end up falling asleep and no romance ensues.

The day after Samantha's vandalism, Jamie speaks with Darla (Amy Matysio), who is now married to Clark (Fred Ewanuick), about the night before and her fear that Chris lack of affection might mean that he doesn't like her. Jamie admits that whilst the two are "just friends", she tried to "put herself out there" to Chris, to show Chris that she is interested in a relationship. Meanwhile, Chris attends Clark's workplace, a dental surgery, to talk to Clark, revealing to him that "the timing wasn't right" and that their shared history hinders his willingness to have sex with her. Chris explains that he feels like he is in high school again.

Later, Chris and Clark catch Dusty singing to a sexy nurse and then kissing her. Dusty then reveals to Chris and Clark that he only plans to have sex with Jamie, as he wants to humiliate her in the same way that he felt she used to humiliate him. Chris tries to warn Jamie about Dusty during a children's Christmas pageant, but instead ends up attacking Dusty and ruining the play. Jamie refuses to listen when Chris tries to tell her about the nurse, leaving Chris angry and disappointed with both Jamie and her family. Chris consequently gets drunk and enters the bar where Jamie works, proceeding to blame her for keeping him in the "friend zone"; he also exclaims that Jamie will never amount to anything meaningful. Jamie punches Chris and he is tossed out of the bar at her request.

Upon returning to LA, Chris realizes that Jamie is his one true love interest and returns to New Jersey hoping to finally be with her. Chris declares his true love for Jamie at her house and the two kiss outside in view of the neighborhood kids.

Cast

• Ryan Reynolds as Chris Brander
• Amy Smart as Jamie Palamino
• Anna Faris as Samantha James
• Chris Klein as Dusty Lee Dinkleman
• Chris Marquette as Mike Brander
• Julie Hagerty as Carol Brander
• Stephen Root as KC
• Fred Ewanuick as Clark
• Amy Matysio as Darla
• Barry Flatman as Mr. Palamino
• Maria Arcé as Athena
• Ty Olsson as Tim
• Todd Lewis as Kyle
• Ashley Scott as Janice

Alanis Morissette, then Reynolds's fiancée, made a cameo appearance as "herself" as a former client of his character. This came about when the casting director said "we need an Alanis Morissette type" and Reynolds said he knew someone who would fit. This scene was deleted, however, and is only available on the DVD.

Production

The film was shot in Los Angeles and parts of Regina and Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

Music

A soundtrack was released November 22, 2005 on New Line Records.

Track listing

1. Ben Lee - "Catch My Disease"
2. Fountains of Wayne - "Hackensack"
3. Rogue Wave - "Eyes"
4. Samantha James - "Forgiveness"
5. Brendan Benson - "Cold Hands (Warm Heart)"
6. Robbers on High Street - "Big Winter"
7. The Sights - "Waiting on a Friend"
8. Reed Foehl - "When It Comes Around"
9. The Lemonheads - "Into Your Arms"
10. 'Just Friends' Holiday Players - "Christmas, Christmas"
11. "Dusty 'Lee' Dinkleman" - "Jamie Smiles"
12. Samantha James - "Love from Afar"
13. Jeff Cardoni - "Just Friends Score Medley"
14. All-4-One - "I Swear"
15. Carly Simon - "Coming Around Again"

Original songs performed in the film

1. "Forgiveness", performed multiple times by Anna Faris.
2. "When Jamie Smiles", performed multiple times by Chris Klein
3. "Love from Afar", performed by Anna Faris and Renee Sandstrom
4. "Just a Guy", performed by Anna Faris (only on the Alternate Ending)

Most songs in the film were written by Adam Schiff, except "When Jamie Smiles", which was written by H. Scott Salinas.

The orchestral score was written by Jeff Cardoni, and orchestrated by Stephen Coleman and Tony Blondal

Box office

At the U.S. box office, the film opened at #6 raking in $9,191,331 USD in its first opening weekend; it managed to crack the top five the following week with an average of $2,236 per theater.