Plot Just Friends

in 1995, chris brander (ryan reynolds) overweight high school student lisp, braces, , gentle giant demeanor secretly has huge romantic crush on classmate , best friend jamie palamino (amy smart). after confessing feelings writing them in jamie s yearbook, attends jamie s graduation party. returns yearbook her, secretly swapped despicable ex-boyfriend, tim (ty olsson), reads declaration aloud , humiliates chris. jamie doesn t reciprocate romantic feelings; after share brief kiss on cheek, tim , class burst in , humiliate chris again. while jamie admonishes them, chris tearfully leaves party, announcing never return , vows more successful everyone.

ten years later, chris has lost weight, handsome, , lives in los angeles; womanizer has dated supermodels, starlets, , socialites, works highly successful record producer , holds position of senior vice president of same record corporation works for. prior christmas, chris s employer, company ceo kc (stephen root), asks chris accompany emerging self-obsessed pop singer named samantha james (anna faris) paris ensure signs label, order chris reluctantly complies. during trip paris, samantha accidentally sets private jet on fire resulting in emergency landing in new jersey, near chris s hometown.

chris takes samantha mother s house spend night , re-engages teenage past, including unresolved feelings jamie. samantha meets chris s mother , 18-year-old brother mike (christopher marquette) has enormous crush on samantha. @ local bar, chris encounters old classmates, including best friend clark (fred ewanuick) , clark s wife darla (amy matysio); encounters tim, balding, fat, , heavy drinker. jamie appears, working bartender support herself through graduate school.

chris plans impress , seduce jamie. gets mike keep samantha busy during date jamie, realization jamie s platonic friendship important him hampers chris s plan. during friendly ice skating day date , chris taken away in ambulance after injuring himself. @ scene, jamie reunited dusty dinkleman (chris klein), paramedic , former high school nerd romantically in love her.

that night, in attempt rectify situation, chris again leaves samantha in mike s hands , takes jamie movie showing of notebook. jamie, however, brings dusty along, , chris s mother ends joining them, ruining chris s plan. meanwhile, samantha plays gig @ heavy metal club chris sent to, gets booed off stage , assaults member of audience.

the next night, chris goes jamie s christmas party, planning reveal feelings her, finds dusty there winning guests on charm , musical talents. @ chris s place, samantha ambushes mike , pushes him against bathroom wall demanding find out chris s location; aware of feelings, passionately tongue kisses him until tells chris has gone. in rage, drives jamie s house , crashes through fence, destroying family s christmas decorations. chris returns home in embarrassment, , jamie follows him; tells him not mad , end spending night catching , looking @ photos, due chris s continuing lack of assertion, 2 end falling asleep , no romance ensues.

the next day, jamie speaks darla night before , fear chris s lack of affection means doesn t her. jamie admits while 2 friends , tried put herself out there chris, show chris interested in relationship. meanwhile, chris goes clark s medical office advice, saying timing wasn t right , jamie , chris s history hinders willingness have sex her. outside office, happen catch dusty singing sexy nurse , kissing her. dusty reveals chris , clark plans have sex jamie, wants humiliate in same way felt used humiliate him when nerd , object of crush.

chris tries warn jamie, instead ends attacking dusty in front of her; jamie refuses listen when chris tries explain. chris consequently gets drunk , goes bar jamie works, finding there dusty. jamie refuses listen , dusty tries convince have sex him. when jamie gently turns him down, dusty storms out of bar. chris , jamie fight, him blaming keeping him in friend zone , saying peaked in high school , never amount anything. jamie punches chris , tossed out of bar.

upon returning la , having frightening reunion samantha (who sneaks chris s house surprise him ), chris realizes jamie 1 , official , true love. returns new jersey hoping her. chris declares genuinely intense romantic love jamie @ house , 2 share kiss outside, in view of neighborhood kids.