JUST FRIENDS (2005) Warner Archive Blu-Ray
- filmsinreview
- May 4
- 3 min read
Review by John Larkin
This release was originally scheduled for January but mysteriously disappeared from the Warner Archive Collection slate without explanation. Thankfully, it resurfaced unexpectedly in early April and is now officially part of the Warner Archive Collection lineup.
For years, I scoffed at the DVD cover of JUST FRIENDS—a title I frequently made eye contact with during my time working at the now-defunct Borders Books. The film came out in 2005, right around the time I was entering college and diving headfirst into what I probably considered more complex and “mature” cinema. Back then, I didn’t feel inspired to seek it out. Part of the reason was the original DVD artwork: Ryan Reynolds, one of the most fit and conventionally attractive men in Hollywood, clad in an exaggerated fat suit, contorted into a goofy expression. It felt like the kind of broad comedy I was actively avoiding at the time.
But years later, after some good-natured pestering from a close friend—someone who swears by the film and considers it one of his all-time favorite comedies—I finally sat down and watched JUST FRIENDS. To my complete surprise, it has since become one of my all-time favorites as well.
What really got me about the film wasn’t just the humor, but the emotional undercurrent running beneath it: the idea of returning to your hometown and being confronted by the places, people, and dynamics that shaped who you were. That nostalgia is incredibly relatable. There’s a local bar in the film that reminds me of a nearly identical spot in my own hometown—a place frozen in time, filled with faces from your past and echoes of teenage longing.
JUST FRIENDS centers on Chris Brander (Ryan Reynolds), a formerly overweight, painfully awkward high schooler who harbored unrequited love for his best friend, Jamie Palamino (played with warmth and subtle strength by Amy Smart). After a humiliating rejection, Chris leaves town, reinvents himself as a slick, fit, and successful music executive in Los Angeles. But when a work mishap forces him to return to his small New Jersey hometown over the holidays—dragging along an unhinged pop star client, Samantha James (Anna Faris)—he’s thrust back into the same emotional chaos he thought he’d long since outgrown.
The Original DVD cover that I thought made it look like a bad movie.
The film is a sharply funny and surprisingly sweet holiday rom-com, driven by strong performances and smart direction. Roger Kumble, a Westchester, NY native known for CRUEL INTENTIONS and THE SWEETEST THING, directs with a deft comedic touch, balancing slapstick absurdity with moments of genuine heart. Reynolds brings both charisma and vulnerability to Chris, showing early signs of the fast-talking charm that would later define much of his career. Amy Smart is quietly excellent, grounding the film in emotional sincerity. But it's Anna Faris who nearly steals the whole thing as Samantha—a narcissistic, fame-obsessed pop star with no filter and zero boundaries. Her performance is a whirlwind of chaos and comic timing, and it may very well be the funniest of her career.
Pleasingly, this disc is chocked with all the special features you would want from this kind of studio comedy release. They include:
Blooper Reel
Deleted Scenes
Alternate Ending
9 Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes
"Jamie Smiles" Music Video
Feature-length commentary with filmmakers
Original theatrical trailer
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
I’m so glad I gave JUST FRIENDS a chance so many years after its release. It’s a hilarious, heartfelt story about insecurity, self-image, and second chances with an all-time comedic performance from Anna Faris. JUST FRIENDS is now an essential holiday watching classic in my household, before I delve into the more traditional Christmas affair like SCROOGE (1970) and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946).
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