MovieChat Forums > Just Friends (2005) Discussion > The ending ruined an almost perfectly re...

The ending ruined an almost perfectly realistic story

posted 15 years ago by Man-In-Black08
37 replies | jump to latest

Honestly, even though I enjoy this film from time to time (especially Reynolds and Marquette's exchanges), I can't help but feel that the ending was what prevented a typical cliche romcom from being a very well written realistic relationship tale.

They got so many things right and accurate:

the friend zone; once you 're in there it's almost impossible to get out. The film was brilliant in turning the tables in the dynamic of the relationship by having the once desirable Jamie be nothing more than a dime-a-dozen pretty girl and have Chris as the ex-loser who's now attractive, highly successful, wealthy and in the lime-light.

Ask any relationship expert and they will tell you that in the overwhelming majority of cases, women are far more attracted to a man with social status and power than a good looking “no-body”. Chris being attractive was what gave him an extra edge over so many other guys in his circle.

This is how Chris was now in a position to get out of the friend zone, but only his own insecurities could blow it, which they do in many occasions; yet another great point made by the film. Psychology shows us how when we go back to settings in which we were/are different to other (also familiar) settings, we end up picking up where we left off as if nothing had transpired in the meantime. I see it with myself all the time; whenever I go back to my home town and see all of my old class-mates (and the girls especially), I tend to resemble the guy I was back in high-school more than the guy I am now (for better or for worse).

Chris displays the same exact behaviour because he has history with Jamie, his friends, the town and everything linked to it. It’s a lot harder to change people’s perception of you once they have known you as someone. I know all too well.

If you set aside the slapstick and comedic elements of the film, this could have been a very serious story, had it not been for the end that is.

Whether we like to admit it or not, most relationships function on a balanced dynamic between the two; one being the domineering and the other the subservient (both genders taking up either role). It is human nature to be this way and there’s nothing wrong in admitting it.

Given Jamie’s social status compared to Chris’, Chris would have been the domineering one, just like with all of his previous conquests. However, his “old” self ruined his chances and Jamie saw him as she saw him before. There really was no future after that point. The relationship had reverted back to what it was, and being human nature to disregard and de-value what we take for granted, Jamie (understandably) rejected him. Again, a very accurate portrayal or how real relationships function.

Even further, the argument scene where Chris makes a total mockery of Jamie’s existence and past glory is perfect. I can’t count the times I and my best friends have to completely demolish a girl we once had feelings for in order to take her off the pedestal and realise that she is not the best thing in the world. I have helped many female friends of mine do the same exact thing with their ex’s or hopefuls that rejected them.

The film should have ended there, where the two just had it out and Chris could finally move on in his emotional life and start being less of a vindictive and emotionally shallow womanizer out of regressed fear and hatred of being the Chris of the past (thanks to Jamie, although it could have been anyone).

I know most people will ask does Jamie deserve this, and I would have to say, no, but it is a necessary evil in order for Chris to move on. She has had her day in the relationship lime-light and made her decision and choices of her own accord, now its’ Chris’ turn to be finally rid of her effect on him.

People don’t seem to realise that while staying friends with an ex is possible, it’s extremely rare and very difficult to be truly honest, as resentment and jealousy looms everywhere. I can speak form personal experience that of the most important relationships I’ve had and tried to keep a friendship after it ended just didn’t work, sometimes because of my feelings and insecurities, and other times because of the girl’s. Coincidently, the times I got dumped I was the one who couldn’t be her friend, and the times I dumped the girl, she was the one who couldn’t be my friend, further illustrating my point about casting out demons. I don’t resent those girls for the mean and maybe even unfair things they said about me because I’ve been there as well, and in order to get over a person, do anything it takes because that’s definitely a time in your life you NEED to be selfish and inconsiderate of others because otherwise you will be torn up inside and stuck in the past. Like I said; it’s a necessary evil.

Had the film ended with Chris leaving after he called her out for her behaviour in high-school it would have been and honest, genuine and BALLSY ending.

[–] blondiebear_17 9 years ago

Since this movie seems to be regaining popularity on Netflix after Ryan Reynolds recent success as Deadpool I felt the need to take another look at it I saw it back when I was a kid when it first came out and after rewatching It kind of reminds me a little bit of that movie You Again with Kristen Bell. Upon rewatching it I did enjoy it I think Ryan Reynolds and Anna Faris are really funny in it but I also agree the ending isn't very fulfilling. I mean He realizes how toxic his dynamic is with Jaimie when he sees a glimpse of himself in Samantha's obsession with him and that Jamie was bringing out the worst in him and yet he still pursues her. It just seemed really unhealthy to me that he held a torch for her for like 10 years and that dictated the horrible way he treated women that entire time. I mean I don't think they needed to play up the fact that Jamie hadn't quite gotten to where she wanted to be yet as if that is what makes her not worthy of his attention but I felt like that if she couldn't see him as a sexual and romantic prospect back then why would she be worth his time now? I would have liked to see Chris move on with a new outlook on relationships and life in general.

[–] doodwithbooks 9 years ago

Love this movie. Never saw it until they showed in on TV, but loved the plot and ended up watching the whole thing. The filmmakers handled a topic that hits home for so many of us in such a light-hearted way. The definitive romantic comedy in my book. I loved reading every single post on this thread - some resonate very deeply.

It's so interesting to think about those things - was the torch you carried for someone that real, that genuine that it survived that much time and could sustain a relationship?

Was it just infatuation built in your head?

Do you just tell yourself that so you can move on? The dynamic of seeing someone who once did not think the world of us, again, when we are 'suitable' is a compelling one.

My personal experience does not stem from high school - I once dated a girl, not for long.

We were pretty affectionate and open pretty quick over the few months we talked. Then she cancelled our last date, and to top it all off, told me I was too unattractive for her, though she had tried to like me. When a girl rejects you right off the bat, that's something you can brush off, even if its mean, but if a girl does it after months of telling you everyday how handsome you are and making out with you sober in public, it completely destroys your confidence because you have been nucler - rejected after presenting what you think is your true self. A few months later, I lost my job, and some other bad things happened in my life. I felt really low, and lost.

And then I just suddenly became angry. I started interviewing, interviewing, beat out 7 other people in an interview in the same field. I worked really, really hard for a year, paying my dues and eventually, I got recruited by a much more prestigious company in the same field, and after some crazy negotiating, I came onboard the new company at double my income.

In the back of my mind, I could never forget this girl, and how she tore my heart out, and how badly I wanted to prove her wrong, that I just wasn't a loser. I hated myself and still liked her so much, blaming myself for not being, just better, or good enough for her to consider romantically. I channeled most of my energy into work.

Years later, I reached out to the girl. I was really fit, confident about where I was in life, and we began chatting again, she no longer lived in my state. Surprisingly (to me), she wasn't married yet, had dated some guys, openly told me she had made some really bad choices with respect to relationships. We talked about our jobs, where we lived, the usual stuff. It was at this point when I brought up how things ended, she told me that she had always felt guilt about hurting me, and that we really stopped talking for reasons that had nothing to do with me. I had my suspicions that she was the girl who chose *beep* guys over and over, but never got to know her that well.

And I did try to get another date with her, I wanted so badly to believe we could go out again and be the same, because I had liked her so much, there had to be something to it. I wanted to believe it anyway.

She didn't say yes, which hurt, but also said I was an awesome person, that she couldn't do as good as me. I was really hurt, after trying so hard to change, I realized, I needed to forget her, I didn't want to be crazy about someone who wasn't crazy about me, and I also had to find a new motivation to keep moving forward, now that she had reappeared and was gone again. I'm still struggling with it, but its the right thing to do now. I do genuinely wonder if I built her up to be so much in my head that the reality would never match up - but I'm an idealistic, I like to think I can make anything work if I want it to.

Life isn't a romp-com.

I'm not going to lie, I'm not entirely sure I would have gotten far as I did had I not ran into her then gotten kicked to the curb for the brief time. And it's so ironic because I was probably barely registered at all in her mind, if ever!

So, the idealist in me is really pleased with the ending of Just Friends, the guy gets to go on the date with the girl he had a major crush on!

[–] broomulack 8 years ago

This is a GREAT post and an even better observation. I have always thought that the ending ruined the movie, took what could have been an all-time classic and just made it a very good film.

If they wanted the two of them to get together, they should have extended the movie another half hour and made it not seem so rushed and completely unrealistic. It was complete bull, they wanted a happy ending and that's where so many romantic comedies go wrong: they feel the public can't handle realism and instead always force the "happily ever after" concept.

Great post.