Chris (Reynolds) is an overweight teenager in love with his best friend Jamie (played nicely by Amy Smart).  We’ve all been guilty of putting someone in the “friend zone” and a lot of people can probably relate to getting stuck there, so the movie will strike a familiar chord with most.  As Reynolds puts it, “Its like the penalty box of dating, only you can never get out.  You’ve become a complete non-sexual entity in her eyes, like her brother…or a lamp."

So Chris leaves his hometown in New Jersey heartbroken and goes to L.A. where he loses weight and becomes wealthy as a famous music producer.  He returns to New Jersey 10 years later (not by choice) with his insane starlet girlfriend/client Samantha (Faris).  He runs into Jamie and makes it his goal to sleep with her…which is where this movie derails for me.  They were supposed to be best friends at one time, so why does he suddenly have zero respect for her?  Unfortunately even the script writers couldn’t figure this one out and there is so much confusion about what these characters want that it’s really hard to care when it all ends.

While I enjoyed all the performances some of the plot devices were too cliché and overused.  One scene with Reynolds produced a fair share of laughs but left me wondering if he was intentionally imitating Jim Carrey’s style.  I won’t ruin it, but it’s hard to miss.  And if physical humor starts to wear on you, then this movie will truly beat you down.  The fat suit is becoming increasingly unoriginal, but Reynolds does a particularly entertaining version of “I Swear” by All-4-One that you can’t help but find nostalgically amusing. 

 Despite its flaws, there was still plenty to laugh at and enjoy.  Chris Marquette did a great job playing the little brother and their sporadic fighting seems really genuine and realistic.  And Reynolds has a dry delivery that makes even the most normal line really funny.

 SO HOW DOES IT END?

 Seriously, there is no mystery to this movie.  Eventually Chris and Jamie get together and see each other as “more than just friends.”  This is after Chris wants to sleep with her, blows it, gets a chance to, then can’t, tries to get her to fall in love with him, gets drunk, humiliates her in public, flies home, then flies back, and FINALLY kisses her for the first time.  At which point the audience is exhausted and we all knew their union was inevitable anyway.

  

This movie is just funny enough, thanks to Farris and Reynolds, to barely sneak by with 3 out of 5.