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BY TOM MEEK
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96 MINUTES | FLAGSHIP + PROVIDENCE PLACE 16 + SHOWCASE Ryan Reynolds, the actor with a mannequin face and Chevy Chase’s sardonic, under-his-breath delivery, stars in this sophomoric romantic comedy that feels pilfered from the Farrelly Brothers. Chris (Reynolds) is a fat kid with a crush on Jamie (Amy Smart), the hot-nice girl in high school. Ten years later, Chris is a lean, mean, Hollywood music-producing machine with celebs and babes hanging from his heels. An unexpected detour back to New Jersey reunites him with Jamie, but the new Chris can’t make any more headway than the fat Chris did. There are laughs as Reynolds fills his role and Anna Faris delivers a hilarious send-up of the needy pop diva — a nightmarish mix of Madonna, Courtney Love, and Gwen Stefani. Chris Marquette as Chris’s obnoxious wank of a brother also provides a nice comic touch, but the boilerplate arc and Roger Kumble’s slack direction let Friends down.
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