“Forgiveness. . . is more than saying sorry.”
If you have ever seen the comedic masterpiece that is 2005’s Just Friends, then you know that introspective lyric is courtesy of singer Samantha James—the deranged pop star portrayed by Anna Faris in the film. If you have never seen the movie, the plot goes like this: high school besties Chris (Ryan Reynolds) and Jamie (Amy Smart) reunite ten years later in their small town during the holidays, and romantic sparks fly. Problem is, Chris is managing—and romantically involved—with Samantha, self-absorbed pop star. Cue the love triangle. Two decades sinde the film still has all the makings of a great Christmas movie: festive decor, funny scenes, and better yet, totally fabulous costumes.
Designed by Alexandra Welker Hoxey, Samantha’s campy, over-the-top costumes truly steal every scene that she is in. Her bold wardrobe couples holiday glitz with sexy Y2K, and slightly Britney Spears-esque flavor. “Anna has a way of being delightfully unhinged while still genuinely connecting with the audience, so she could carry the excess,” recalls Welker Hoxey of outfitting the actor in such outré garb. “She still wore the clothes, rather than the clothes wearing her!”
One of the first times we meet Samantha, she is in the recording studio, working on one of her new ghastly pop songs. (Autotune seriously required.) She sports a swishy-fringed top, sequined mini skirt, and a skinny little metallic scarf (remember those?). It’s very boho-chic. “I had fun with Samantha’s idea of rock and roll attire—I just wanted it to be ridiculously over the top, rather than more dressed-down the way most artists are when they have a long day ahead of them in the studio,” says Welker Hoxey, who often took a more-is-more approach. “Sequins! Ridiculous amounts of jewelry! It was never too much for Samantha.”
One could question if Samantha’s eclectic closet is tasteful—but that’s certainly not the point. Rather, Welker Hoxey and Faris envisioned the character to represent all of the excess, theatricality, and sometimes ridiculousness that goes into being a modern-day pop star. Take the time when her private jet is forced to emergency-land, after a fire starts because Samantha microwaved aluminum foil (“I’m not supposed to worry about stuff like that—I’m the talent!”): the star sports a fur-trimmed blue toggle coat, with matching hat, boots, and even a retro hand muffler. In another bar scene, she sports gigantic fur earmuffs. “Anna is fearless, and was willing to go wherever I wanted to, costume-wise,” says Welker Hoxey. “My usual costume approach is to keep it as real as possible with the clothes, so that the humor will be front and center. But with Samantha, we decided to pull out all the stops and pile it on.”
The designer’s ability to craft such memorable, and tacky-chic outfits is even more impressive given the frigid conditions they were all working in: the project was filmed in Saskatchewan, Canada, dead in the middle of winter. “It was so cold outside that we’d only put the actors on camera in their costumes without protective arctic gear layers for a few moments at a time, because there was such concern about keeping them warm,” she says. (Reynolds, a true Canadian, took it like a champ.) She recalls that it was so cold, that the leather, hand-appliquéd halter top and skintight trousers outfit she created for Samantha’s mall scene actually began to fall apart right before a take. “The cold affected the leather glue, and the appliqués started falling off as we were filming,” says Welker Hoxey. “My set costumer and I had to keep sticking them back on between takes!”
So, if you have yet to take in this 2005 gem; consider watching it this holiday season—even if just for the festive fashions. Which are good to the very last scene, when Samantha shows up in a purple coat with pom-pom lining. “I remember Anna repeatedly twirling in her fittings—very dramatic,” Welker Hoxey says. It’s these types of campy style moments that make Just Friends one of the most fun movies the designer has worked on. “Making Just Friends was one of the best film experiences I’ve ever had,” she remembers. “It was a truly bonding experience—working with insanely smart, creative, collaborative, funny filmmakers. Everyone brought something to the table.”
