This might sound crazy, but I had high hopes for Just Friends when I rented the DVD. Here's a brief synopsis from the official website:"In high school Chris was shy and overweight. The bright spot in his life was his friendship with Jamie Palamino (Amy Smart), the hottest girl in high school. The two best buds were inseparable. But Chris harbored a secret—he was hopelessly in love with Jamie. On the night of their graduation, Chris finally works up his courage and comes clean. A surprised Jamie tells Chris that she loves him too…like a brother. Then comes the dreaded 'Just Friends' speech. Angry and humiliated, Chris storms off."
As somebody who has lived the plot of this movie, I was insulted by the attempt at making Chris' shyness and weight problem into something that was made fun of—not so much by other characters, but by the writers and director of this drivel. This movie could have done so much to portray a character like Chris realistically, rather than just some Twinkie-munching slob. It could have portrayed him seriously—as someone who wants more, but doesn't know how to obtain it. As someone who wants to take a risk but is afraid of losing the woman he loves. As someone who wants to live, but instead opts for the safety found in hiding.
When one character named Dusty beats Chris to the punch early in the movie and tells Jamie that he's in love with her via a song he wrote for her—even that character is a ridiculous caricature of a long-haired, pimply-faced rock-star wannabe. This movie mocks pain and heartache. It mocks sensitivity. And it mocks love.
Love isn't about a guy losing a bunch of weight and then riding back into town in a rented Porsche to win the girl who never considered him more than just a friend. Love isn't about her seeing the light now that he's lighter. Love isn't a joke. But, unfortunately, this movie is.
