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"JUST FRIENDS" (2005) (Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Moderate Heavy None None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate Minor Minor None Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Extreme None Minor Moderate Moderate QUICK TAKE: Comedy: Having reinvented himself ten years after being an overweight high school dweeb, a trim music executive returns home where he tries to impress the high school girl who always only viewed him as just a friend. PLOT: In 1995, Chris Brander (RYAN REYNOLDS) was an overweight but sweet dweeb who was in love with the beautiful Jamie Palamino (AMY SMART), his best friend who loved him...like a brother. When Chris' true feelings were revealed and made fun of a party where fellow nerd Dusty (CHRIS KLEIN) also tried to hit on Jamie, Chris raced away, vowing never to return. Ten years later, Chris is a successful record executive in Los Angeles who's now trim and has no problems getting any girl he wants. That includes the untalented but extremely successful pop singer Samantha James (ANNA FARIS). Chris once had a fling with her, but his boss, KC (STEPHEN ROOT), wants him to get her business and so Chris reluctantly accompanies her on a cross-country flight. When it's unexpectedly grounded, they end up not far from Trenton, NJ where Chris' mom, Carol (JULIE HAGERTY), and brother, Mike (CHRISTOPHER MARQUETTE), still live. Chris can't stand being around the demanding and dimwitted Samantha, but enjoys meeting up with some of his former friends, including Jamie who now works as a waitress at a local bar. Despite now being a confident and successful man, he reverts to his old, nerdy ways in her presence. While having to deal with Samantha and all of her accompanying baggage, Chris then goes through various approaches of trying to impress Jamie and finally tell her how he truly feels about her, unaware of the comedic obstacles and complications that will get in his way. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Teenagers seem the most likely audience among kids, while those who are fans of anyone in the cast may also want to see it. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For sexual content including some dialogue. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: RYAN REYNOLDS plays a former overweight dweeb who's now a trim and successful record executive (and ladies man) who still can't get himself to tell Jamie how he really feels about her. While trying to impress her, he alternates between being a jerk and reverting back to his nerdy ways. He uses profanity. AMY SMART plays his best friend from high school who loved him, but only like a brother, although it's implied she had a promiscuous past. She now works as a bar waitress, wants to be a teacher, uses some profanity, and is confused and disappointed in the way Chris is now acting. ANNA FARIS plays an untalented and dimwitted but successful singer who thinks Chris is her boyfriend (they apparently slept together once in the past) and behaves in a demanding and spoiled fashion. CHRIS KLEIN plays a former nerd who's now Chris' rival for Jamie. Although he acts kind around her, it turns out he's just trying to get back at her for not falling for him in the past. CHRISTOPHER MARQUETTE plays Chris' younger brother who's excited to accompany Samantha (to whose picture he admits to pleasuring himself), keeps asking if Chris has slept with Jamie yet, and participates in various brotherly, physical battles with Chris. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this comedy that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of a partial use of the "f" word, along with 6 uses of the "s" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. All sorts of sexually related dialogue is present (about sex, masturbation and more). So is the sight of a poster showing a woman with just whipped cream covering part of her otherwise bare breasts while she suggestively holds a banana to her mouth (she's also seen in other small/revealing attire and is topless in another scene, although we don't see her breasts). A woman starts to undress a man for sex that doesn't occur, but she also turns out to have bisexual tendencies (noted by dialogue and her kissing another girl -- while two men are briefly seen kissing). Another woman wants to have sex with that same man and they end up in bed together, but nothing ultimately happens. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while various characters strike or otherwise hit other characters in various fashions (mostly played for laughs, such as two young adult brothers constantly battling). A man is accidentally hit in the mouth with a hockey puck (resulting in a bloody mess, but played for laughs), while all sorts of potentially imitative behavior is present. Meanwhile, various characters drink and some drunkenness occurs. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Students might be drinking alcohol at a graduation party. Chris drinks at a party where others also drink. Chris says he's going to start drinking (after being stuck at home with his family and Samantha). Miscellaneous people drink in a bar. We now see Tim, 10 years later, and he's drunk. He then has another drink. Samantha acts loopy from Vicodin she's taken after a bad fall (played for laughs) and has lots of toothpaste in her mouth that's now running out. Miscellaneous people drink at a party. While seated in a bus stop, Chris and Tim drink and appears to be drunk. Later, Chris still appears drunk and grabs another person's shot of liquor and drinks it. People have drinks in a bar. BLOOD/GORE Samantha says they need to leave a bar since there's pee on the bathroom floor (we don't see it). Chris' lips and teeth are very bloody after a hockey puck accidentally hits him there (played for laughs). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE The following terms are used (by Mike and others): "Homo," "Faggot," "The Notebook is so gay," "This is so gay" and "Raise your hand if your brother's a homo." A guy Jamie once dated (Tim) comes in, pushes Chris off the bed and asks her, "Can I do you later?" Tim reads aloud (at a party) what Chris wrote in Jamie's yearbook about how he feels about her. Everyone then laughs at Chris (calling him "fatty" and other names). Chris' boss is demeaning and demanding of his subordinate. Samantha refers to an Asian man as "Hong Kong Phooey." Spotting a stranger in a bar, Samantha says "Check out her ass" and then comments on it being huge. Tim (who's drunk) tells a waitress at a bar, "Here's your money, bitch." Samantha hisses at Jamie upon first meeting her. Samantha is demanding of Chris and demeaning to others. Samantha grabs Chris' clothed crotch to control him (but not in an erotic sexual fashion). A person makes the comment "Like that retard from Subway." A waitress tells Chris "You're not a chubby bunny anymore" and then brings him a high calorie meal. Apparently thinking he needs to act like a jerk (to emulate her past boyfriends), Chris treats Jamie badly on their date. Jamie asks Chris if he's in love with anyone but himself and he says no. Just out of spite, Chris throws a snowball at a friendly neighbor who says hello to him. It turns out that Dusty is just playing Jamie and wants to have revenge sex with her (he acts compassionate and nice only around her). Dusty whacks a young woman on the butt in a bar and then raises his fist like he's going to punch the guy with her (but that doesn't occur). FRIGHTENING SCENES None. GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Holy sh*t," "Tortures the sh*t out of them," "Oh sh*t," "You're the one who used to diddle her," "Stupid d*ck," "You pr*ck," "The biggest p*ssy she's ever seen," "Are you going to boink Jamie or not?" "Show us your t*ts," "D*ckweed," "Like that skank you were banging behind my back," "It's go time" (sex), "Homo," "Shut up," "A little dorky," "Fatty," "Jerks," "Losers," "Chick," "Hell no," "Kick ass," "Hong Kong Phooey" (how Samantha refers to an Asian man), "Here's your money, bitch," "Dumb ass," "Nuts" (crazy), "Like that retard from Subway," "You're not a chubby bunny anymore," "Pathetic little dweeb," "You the man," "What the hell /happened to her/are you doing?" "Pretty damn good," "You're pathetic," "Punk," "You suck," "Jeez," "I'm sorry I'm such a be-atch," "You look like a doofus," "I'm gonna freaking puke," "Faggot," "The Notebook is so gay," "Lame," "Scary bitch," "This is so gay," "Bitch" (guy), "Shut it," "You son of a bitch," "You jackass," "Raise your hand if your brother's a homo," "Sucks," "You're an asshole," "So long, suck-town," "Kiss my ass," "You smack like a cheerleader," "Bad ass" and "Crappy." The following terms are used (by Mike and others): "Homo," "Faggot," "The Notebook is so gay," "This is so gay" and "Raise your hand if your brother's a homo." The brothers repeatedly get into violent encounters with each other (they seem to enjoy doing so). Samantha wears a midriff-revealing top as well as small shorts. Samantha refers to an Asian man as "Hong Kong Phooey." Samantha absentmindedly puts tin foil in a microwave onboard their plane, causing a fire that then forces them to make an unscheduled stop. Samantha hisses at Jamie upon first meeting her. Samantha acts loopy from Vicodin she's taken after a bad fall (played for laughs) and has lots of toothpaste in her mouth that's now running out. A heckler yells out at Samantha (as she performs a song) "Show us your t*ts." A person gives "the finger" to Samantha. Chris suddenly grabs the steering wheel as his friend drives, causing them to swerve and drive through a sign. We hear Chris telling a bus driver to "pull my finger." We then see Chris being thrown out of the bus. Dusty whacks a young woman on the butt in a bar and then raises his fist like he's going to punch the guy with her (but that doesn't occur). JUMP SCENES Samantha is suddenly behind Mike in a mirror reflection when he closes the mirror. Samantha is suddenly behind Chris back in his place. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A tiny bit of suspenseful music (played for comedy) is heard in one scene. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 1 incomplete "f" word, 6 "s" words, 14 slang terms for sex ("boink," "hit," "diddle," "do," "hook up," variations of "bang," "put out," "screw" and "it's go time"), 5 slang terms using female genitals ("p*ssy"), 3 using male ones ("d*ck" and "pr*ck"), 2 for breasts ("t*ts" and "boobs"), 13 asses (8 used with "hole"), 6 hells, 4 S.O.B.s, 2 craps, 2 damns, 22 uses of "Oh my God," 11 of "God," 4 of "Oh God," 3 of "G-damn," 2 of "Jesus" and 1 use each of "Jesus," "Jesus Christ" and "My God." SEX/NUDITY At a graduation party, Jamie has Chris run upstairs with her into her room where they sit on the bed and she (in a short skirt) playfully rolls around (in a nonsexual manner, although he somewhat views it that way). That includes her lying across his lap and blowing a raspberry on him (that gets him excited). A guy Jamie once dated (Tim) then comes in, pushes Chris off the bed and asks her, "Can I do you later?" Jamie reads what she thought is what Chris wrote in her yearbook, but it's what another guy wrote, that includes sexual innuendo (including "getting it on in your love [something] was great"). We see a woman in a fur-trimmed bikini swinging on a swing at a Christmas party. A woman (who shows cleavage) tells Chris that the sex is good with him, but that she needs something more. He can't provide it, so she leaves. Another woman then comes on to Chris, with him joking that she's part accomplice to what just happened, adding that in some cultures "they spank you for that." She then suggestively replies that she loves to travel. Chris' friend says that he's usually home before ten with his pants off in front of his computer. Chris makes some comment about something being nonsexual if you're just considered a friend to a woman. Samantha wears a midriff-revealing top as well as small shorts. Chris' boss tells him (about Samantha) "You're the one who used to diddle her," but Chris says that was just once. We see a poster of Samantha where her otherwise bare breasts are covered by whipped cream with cherries where her nipples should be. She's also holding a partially peeled banana in a suggestive fashion toward her mouth. Samantha jumps up on Chris and wraps her legs around his waist. She then passionately kisses him with lots of visible tongue. She says she's like to lick his skin off and then pushes him down to a sofa where she works on undoing his belt. She then says that they can work and play, adding a "meow" to the end of that. As he sits there with his pants down, she sings a song about a glass of wine and make-up sex until the end of time. Upon meeting Samantha, Mike tells her "You're way hotter in person" and then makes a masturbation comment ("slap the ham"), saying he did that to her poster (above) an hour ago. Samantha kisses another girl. Tim says that considering how Chris now looks, he bets Chris could "hit" (have sex with) Jamie. Samantha grabs Chris' clothed crotch to control him (but not in an erotic sexual fashion). We see Samantha's whipped cream poster again. Mike tells Chris "Since you're trying to hook up with Jamie..." Samantha shows some cleavage. Samantha tells Mike "I haven't had sex like in forever" and then twice adds that she's "horny." She then asks how old he is (he finally gets down to 18) and she then asks "Do you ever, like, uh-uh" (making masturbation sounds) and he says all of the time. She then asks how many times a day and he says 8. She then says "Eight? That's hot." When he offers to give her a massage, she drops her top and says "Oopsie, I'm naked" (she's really topless) and we see her bare back there and then when she lies face down on the bed as Mike puts oil on her back. When Chris interrupts them, however, she sits up and holds something in front of her bare chest (we don't see anything). Mike asks Chris "Are you going to boink Jamie or not?" and Chris says he is. While watching the movie "The Notebook" in a movie theater, a person complains "This is so gay" and we then see two men in the theater kiss. A heckler yells out at Samantha (as she performs a song) "Show us your t*ts." A person asks Chris (about Jamie) "Did you boink her yet?" Samantha exaggeratedly kisses Mike in a passionate fashion to get him to talk. Samantha confronts Chris and says "The little slut you've been banging behind my back." Jamie suggestively tells Chris that she could sleep over (as we see a mirror reflection of her bare upper chest -- nothing explicit). She then walks up to him wearing just one of his dress shirts and then gets into bed with him under the covers (he's in a t-shirt). We then hear his conscience saying that he's finally going to have sex with Jamie Palamino, and to look at that face and that body. She then asks what's on his mind and he says "Bush" and then quickly adds "President Bush." His conscience then comments on ravishing her, but he can't get himself to do that, frustrating her. His conscience then says back to him "You don't deserve a penis" and she later comments to a friend that she put herself out there for him, but he didn't do anything (prompting her friend to say that maybe he's gay). When Chris' friend asks (the next day), "Did you sleep with her?" Chris says no and the friend asks, "Are you two on the same menstrual cycle?" We see Dusty passionately kissing a comely nurse at the hospital with the sound of heaving breathing as well as that of him apparently smacking her butt as she walks away (not seen). Chris later tells Jamie about seeing this and comments on the nurse's "boobs." Mike asks Chris about Jamie "Did you boink her?" A comment is made about what kind of girl Jamie would be if she didn't "put out" for the guy who wrote her a song. Jamie is mad at Chris and says, "Just because I didn't screw you in high school..." Samantha tells Chris "Like that skank you were banging behind my back." Samantha tells Chris that they could be like Jessica Simpson and her manager/father, adding "Only we get to..." (and makes a sound meaning sex), adding that the Simpsons can't do that since it's illegal. When Chris says he likes Jamie, Samantha says that's cool, that he can have other girls and then adds that she likes girls (a bisexual comment). Samantha fires her taser to Chris' clothed crotch, causing him to be shocked. He then grabs her while still charged, shocking her and then gets on top of her. She excitedly says "It's go time" (meaning sex) with him replying that it's not go time. Chris and Jamie passionately kiss. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Chris' mom mentions that it's his first time back home in 10 years. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Friendship with vs. love of another person. The way Samantha treats others. How high school students treat others. Jamie asks Chris if he's in love with anyone but himself and he says no. VIOLENCE Most of the following is played for laughs. A guy Jamie once dated (Tim) comes in, pushes Chris off the bed and asks her, "Can I do you later?" A person smacks into another person on the ice rink. Samantha grabs Chris' clothed crotch to control him (but not in an erotic sexual fashion). The brothers smack at each other, with Chris eventually sitting on Mike's face to control him. Playing with Samantha's taser, Mike accidentally fires it off, hitting her on the clothed butt in a shopping mall. She then falls off the balcony to the floor below (we don't see the impact, but it's played for laughs). Mike smacks Chris who then trips Mike. He then appears to pull out his underwear and then pins him to the floor and spits on him. Chris goes to kiss Jamie while both are ice-skating, but they end up accidentally banging their heads, sending her down to the ice. While playing hockey, a young girl whacks Chris on the leg with her stick and then hits on him in general. To prove he can hold his own, Chris then trips one kid, body-checks another and punches a third on the head before making his shot. But the puck ricochets off the goal and hits Chris hard in the mouth, knocking him down and bloodying his mouth (played for laughs). Strapped to a rigid, plastic ambulance board after an accident, Chris ends up sliding away and then landing on his face. While in an ambulance, a gas canister falls off a shelf and lands on Chris' crotch. Just out of spite, Chris throws a snowball at a friendly neighbor who says hello to him. Catching Mike fooling around with Samantha, Chris jumps on him and pushes his face down. The two then smack at each other, with Chris tripping his brother and then stomping down hard on Mike's butt that's up in the air. To get him to do what he wants, Chris pinches Mike's ear, prompting Mike to poke Chris in the eye. A heckler throws something at Samantha as she performs a song. In response, she dives off the stage onto him and bangs his head repeatedly. Chris wipes out on a bicycle in the snow (but is okay). Samantha and Jamie end up pushing each other. Samantha drives through a fence and then into various Christmas decorations. As she drives away, a string of lights gets stuck on her car, causing a Santa and reindeer figures to catch on fire. The string of lights clotheslines one person to the ground, while a burning reindeer falls down and lands on a person (seemingly hitting their crotch). Chris suddenly grabs the steering wheel as his friend drives, causing them to swerve and drive through a sign. Chris tackles Dusty and they crash through a table before hitting the floor. Chris is then pulled away and ends up hitting his head. We hear Chris telling a bus driver to "pull my finger." We then see Chris being thrown out of the bus. Jamie smacks Chris for being a jerk and then punches him hard after he tells her that she smacks like a cheerleader. We then see a bouncer throwing him out of the bar and into some snow. Samantha fires her taser to Chris' clothed crotch, causing him to be shocked. He then grabs her while still charged, shocking her and then gets on top of her. She excitedly says "It's go time" (meaning sex) with him replying that it's not go time. Reviewed November 16, 2005 / Posted November 23, 2005

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