Just Friends illustrates the average feelings of a boy who is secretly pining away for a girl but having to be classified as "her friend," until the magical Romeo and Juliet revelation occurs.

Directed by Roger Kumble and written by Adam Davis, the plot exemplifies the situation where the fat boy meets the beautiful girl in high school, falls in love with her, moves to the other side of the country and subsequently re-emerges as handsome and successful. However, unlike other romantic comedies, the movie epitomizes the life cliché that it's not the destination that counts, but the journey.

With surprising twists, the plot is somewhat original, as Ryan Reynolds, who plays Chris Brander, makes several attempts to try and win the affection of Jamie Palamino, played by Amy Smart.

Reynolds plays his character beautifully. Starting out as the chunky nerd in high school and throughout his metamorphosis into a handsome, successful music representative, Reynolds makes the unoriginal plot line come alive with his goofy facial expressions and continuous mishaps. Smart, who is known for popular teen comedies such as Road Trip (2000) and Starsky & Hutch (2004), does not make the movie memorable.

To make things more intriguing, Anna Faris, known for her roles in the Scary Movie trilogy and The Hot Chick (2002) gives a refreshing take on her character of the hopeful rock 'n' roll superstar who obsesses over her agent. Her annoying antics and desperate ploys for attention will make you laugh over and over. Chris Klein, Dusty, also becomes part of this love square. Klein starts off as the scary, nerdy stalker with acne and long hair and makes a surprising reappearance as a handsome, seemingly normal cop who falsely tries to win Palamino's affection.

-- Reviewed by Suzanne Schulner