Just Friends is a charming little comedy starring Ryan Reynolds before he ascended into super stardom.

As Chris Brander, Reynolds plays a heavy-set high schooler whose love for his best friend Jamie Palamino (Amy Smart) is unrequited.

Flash forward 10 years and Brander is now fit and successful. He begrudgingly returns to his hometown in New Jersey and takes one last shot with his longtime crush.

Hijinks and hilarity ensue. Not well reviewed at the time of its release and with a middling box office, Just Friends has become a cult classic.

That is thanks in large part to a bonkers performance from Anna Faris as loony pop star Samantha James; and an incredible villainous turn from Chris Klein as Dusty Dinkleman—a fellow high school nerd who also loved Jamie.

If you slept on it in 2005, we don't blame you. But forgiveness is more than saying sorry. It's time to watch Just Friends now! It is a Christmas movie, after all.

Now, sit back, reminisce about old times with a Holly Days IPA from MadTree Brewing, and good luck in those rented skates! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Capt. Cash, and Bling Blake are skiing in jeans as New Jersey's finest should!

This Week’s Segments:

• Introduction/Plot Breakdown – He loves her. She loves him not! (00:00)


• Lingering Questions – Who of us was "Friend Zoned" in high school? (21:04)


• The "Simply Dusty" Trivia Challenge – I challenge the field to trivia about the movie. (34:29)


• Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We have the great Christmas movie debate — Die Hard vs Lethal Weapon! (44:11)

And, as always, hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids—the Reynolds/Smart reunion and more—from this week’s episode!

You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, Acast, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Vurbl, Amazon Music, and more!