Friends (film)

Friends is an American drama family film directed by Ben Stiller. It is produced and distributed by Universal Studios and is unrelated to the series with the same name. It stars Dylan Bond, Lennon Richardson, Jason Drucker, Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Samara Weaving, and Jackson Bond. It is also the first PG-13 rated film to star Richardson, Bond, and Drucker.

The film was released theatrically in the United States on May 17, 2019. It was also a box office success, grossing over $600 million against a $300 million budget, and received positive reviews for its plot, casting, performances, humor, and heart. A sequel is scheduled to be released on May 12, 2021.

Plot
New student Eddie Barber (Dylan Bond) enters School worried about being bullied. As he enters just fine, he introduces himself in class and he is worried about a punk-looking student named Henry Jackson (Jason Drucker).

Months Later, Eddie is bullied for being skinny and scared. He eventually meets a new student named Stanley Brown (Lennon Richardson), who is bullied for being small. Eddie befriends Stan and the two try to avoid Henry on the way out of school as they bond as friends.

At home, Eddie goes to dinner with his father (Chris Pratt), his mother (Samara Weaving), and his brother (Jackson Bond). Eddie tries to tell his family about how he became friends with Stan, but they ignore him and tell about their terrible days. Eddie then goes to bed without dessert. Eddie and his brother get into a fight.

The Next Day, Eddie and Stanley discover that their parents are planning to go Camping for the weekend, giving the two a chance to bond more. As the two arrive at school, Henry prepares to bully them before class. Their teacher, Mr. Ryder (Rob Riggle), sends the three to the Principal’s Office. The Principal (Chris Evans) punishes Henry, but realizes that Eddie and Stan were the victims and lets them go to class. The two go to class and decide to crack jokes, nearly getting caught in the process.

Stanley falls in love with a student named Jane Henderson (Brooklyn Prince) and enlists Eddie’s help to get her to notice him. Eddie and Stan arrive late to class due to Stan’s antics. As they have a Math Test, Stan fails due to being distracted by Jane and Eddie passes, sending Stan to trouble at home.

At Home, Eddie introduces Stan to his parents for his birthday party. His parents disapprove, but let them hang out anyways. The parents invite Eddie and Stan to a water park for Eddie’s birthday, but Stan declines due to being grounded by his parents. Stan goes home to study, but Eddie discovers that he is secretly trying to find ways to get Jane to notice him. Eddie then comes up with a plan to help him.

The Next Day, Eddie tells Stan his plan, which is to lure Jane into the backstage curtain of Theatre class and get her to talk to Stan, having the both of them bond. As the two try out the plan, Jane tells Stan that she isn’t ready for dating yet. She then leaves Stan alone behind the curtains in the Theatre class. Stan leaves upset and Eddie tries to cheer him up, but he sits on a bench outside by himself for a while.

Eddie and Stan have a talk and Eddie makes Stan feel better. Eddie then kisses Stan, but Stan decides he is not ready for being in a relationship, making Eddie feel bad for it. Eddie then runs home and Stan takes the bus. Eddie is bullied on the way home by Henry and Stan arrives and stops the bullying. Eddie arrives home and begins to cry in his pillow.

The Next Day, Stan tells Eddie that he needs time to process what happened the previous day, unexpectedly starting a fight between the two (non-physical fight). The two then stop being friends and part ways. Eddie’s grades are slipping, Stan is beginning to focus more, but gets more upset easily. On the Way Home, Henry continues to bully Eddie but is caught by his parents.

During the Camping Trip, Eddie and his Dad have a talk about the fight. Eddie’s Dad gives him an important piece of advice as he goes fishing. Henry is revealed to have come camping too and plots to punch Eddie until he bleeds. Eddie goes inside and goes to sleep as Henry begins to plot against him. He then sees Stan and bullies him, threatening to beat him up if he ever sees him with Eddie again.

The Next Day, Eddie and Stan have a talk and work out their issues as Henry begins to bully Eddie. Stan pushes him off and the two are pushed into the water next to the sea snake area. Eddie and Stan have a battle with Henry, who nearly drowns Eddie. The two team up and defeat Henry, who is caught by his parents and grounded. They then move away.

Eddie and Stan become friends again as they return home. The Next Day, there are no bullies in sight and the future is bright for Eddie and Stan. However, Eddie reveals to Stan that he is moving due to the events at the camp and his parents getting worried. Stan begins to worry about their long distance friendship, but Eddie promises that the two will always be friends as he moves away.

Cast
Additionally, Rob Riggle, Brooklyn Prince, and Ben Schwartz portray the Teacher, Jane Henderson (Stan’s love interest), and the Camp Owner.
 * Dylan Bond as Eddie Barber
 * Lennon Richardson as Stanley Brown
 * Jason Drucker as Henry Jackson
 * Chris Evans as Principal Henderson
 * Chris Pratt as Danny Barber
 * Samara Weaving as Natalie Barber
 * Jackson Bond as Billy Barber

Production
The film was announced in December 2017, with Bond and Richardson attached to the project. Drucker, Evans, Pratt, and Weaving joined the cast in January 2018, with Jackson Bond joining the cast in late January. Filming took place between February 2018 and October 2018, in Carl Junction, Missouri. A trailer was released in December 2018, revealing the plot and title of the film.

Reception
The film received generally positive reviews for its plot, casting, performances, humor, and heart. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an 86% score, with an average rating of 8.77/10. The website’s critical consensus reads, “Friends gifts the audience with a funny drama film that everyone will enjoy without ever losing touch of its heart.” On an A+ to F Scale, the film received a ”B+”.

Release
The film was released theatrically in the United States on May 18, 2018. It was also released digitally on July 27, 2018, and on Blu-Ray and DVD on August 14, 2018.

Sequel
A sequel, titled Friends Part Two, is scheduled to be released theatrically on May 12, 2021. The sequel was announced to be focusing on older versions of the characters. Bond, Richardson, Drucker, Evans, Pratt, Weaving, Bond (2), and Prince are all reprising their roles while being joined by Gabriel Combs, Colbi Shofler, and Alayna Johnson.