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Just Friends

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Just Friends

PG-13

Released Nov 23, 2005

1h 34m

Romance

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

43%

Tomatometer

110 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

High school student Chris Brander (Ryan Reynolds) loves his best friend, Jamie Palamino (Amy Smart). He finally confesses his feelings, but she tells him that she just wants to be friends, and he leaves town in shame. Ten years later, Chris is a successful record executive and involved with self-absorbed pop star Samantha James (Anna Faris). He still pines for Jamie, though, and when his plans to go to Paris for the holidays fall through, he returns to his hometown to try and win her heart.

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Critics Consensus

There are moments of mirth in this overly broad comedy, but mostly, Just Friends is just not that funny.

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Nathan Rabin

AV Club

This movie had some good ideas, but never gelled.

Nov 6, 2019

Full Review

Tim Grierson

Screen International

Despite a rich premise, Just Friends ultimately fails to live up to its early potential, settling into broad comedy that shortchanges the romantic possibilities.

Jul 23, 2008

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Helen O'Hara

Empire Magazine

Funnier than it has any right to be, thanks to Reynolds’ charisma and Faris's bubbleheaded blonde.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 1, 2006

Full Review

Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

A still-enjoyable cross between “Savage” Steve Holland films of the 1980s with mid-2000s bro comedy (for better or worse) and the sort of acceptably corny Christmas movie that swamps streamers every season.

Rated: 3.5/5

May 24, 2025

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

There were so many high-gross-out, low-IQ comedies made during the 2000s that it often felt like they rolled off a conveyor belt. Just Friends is exactly that sort of dumdum fare, yet it fares a bit better than most.

Rated: 2.5/4

May 10, 2025

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

The appealing (albeit familiar) premise is employed to distressingly (and predominantly) lackluster effect by Kumble...

Rated: 1.5/4

Nov 18, 2020

Full Review

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alan g

Old plot attempting to be revived but falls flat.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

05/07/25

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Steve B

I'd rather watch "A Serbian Film" it would be less painful. This movie is the cinematic equivalent to sex with flacid member, zero satisfaction and a ton of embarrassment for what you just went through. Nobody learns anything, the main romantic leads have as much chemistry as a bar of soap, the "twist" villain gets no comeuppance and the final gag at the end is a wet fart that makes you think "OH GOD NO, Its happening again!". The only reason I rated it half a star is because I cant go lower with my rating. If you wanna watch Ryan Reynolds get tortured for 90+ minutes, watch "Buried" you'll get exactly what you paid for and you won't have to waste your time on a romantic comedy that is neither romantic nor comedic. 0/10 Never again

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/25/25

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Madam D

Most rom coms are either one or the other, but this manages to be both. The acting was good & some of the scenes made me laugh out loud.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/20/25

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Audience Member

Cute film, it would have been a perfect family movie but the characters said Gods name in vain way too much. I Don’t need to hear OMG through the whole movie

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/19/25

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Alain E

Personally, I found painful to watch the guy. Looking at the cast pictures, which as commonly on this site are not contemporary to the movie, Reynolds lost a lot of weight down the road. Watching a movie where I suspect a cause of mirth is that the fat guy goes for the attractive girl is not my cup of tea.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/15/25

Full Review

Martin Q

This is a lost gem of a comedy that has so many great lines and scenes. Ryan Reynolds is at his wise cracking best. Anna Farris plays the most annoying Britney Spears type pop star and it’s wonderful to see Airplane’s Julie Hagerty play the enabling mother. Her song “be yourself” is 😂

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/11/25

Full Review

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Roger Kumble

Director

Ryan Reynolds

Chris Brander

Amy Smart

Jamie Palamino

Anna Faris

Samantha James

Chris Klein

Dusty Dinkleman

Chris Marquette

Mike Brander

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Synopsis

High school student Chris Brander (Ryan Reynolds) loves his best friend, Jamie Palamino (Amy Smart). He finally confesses his feelings, but she tells him that she just wants to be friends, and he leaves town in shame. Ten years later, Chris is a successful record executive and involved with self-absorbed pop star Samantha James (Anna Faris). He still pines for Jamie, though, and when his plans to go to Paris for the holidays fall through, he returns to his hometown to try and win her heart.

Director: Roger Kumble
Producer: Chris Bender, Bill Johnson, Michael Ohoven, J.C. Spink, William Vince
Screenwriter: Adam "Tex" Davis
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: Just Friends Productions Inc., Cinerenta, Inferno Distribution, Benderspink
Rating: PG-13 (Sexual Content/Dialogue)
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 23, 2005, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 11, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $32.6M
Runtime: 1h 34m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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