Friends With Benefits (2011) is still a fresh, funny movie.
Viewers still relate to the funny story about two friends who think casual sex won’t complicate their friendship, but feelings (which they both refuse to admit to having) will.
It helps that the two leads, played by Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, have incredible chemistry, and their charms help get them out of their scrapes.
Their memorable lines full of banter and true-to-life observations about relationships, sex, and love help make this film a new classic in the romantic comedy canon. Here are the best Friends With Benefits quotes.
1. “Honestly, I feel emasculated.”
Dylan (Justin Timberlake) says this to Jamie (Mila Kunis) during sex when she says that she likes being on top. Dylan is a goofy guy who still holds on to traditional masculinity, such as not admitting his feelings and wanting to stay in control of a sexual situation.
The quote reveals some of his insecurities around sex. It’s also a funny observation that many couples will find true: sometimes, there are disagreements about what each person likes in bed.
The line also exposes the two characters’ attitudes toward sex. They like having casual sex as friends because they feel more open about their desires.
However, people in a healthy relationship should also communicate openly what they like and dislike, something Jamie and Dylan, who are constantly playing cool, still have to learn.
2. “History, personal experience, romantic comedies.”
Jamie (Mila Kunis) says this to Dylan (Justin Timberlake) after he complains that women only manipulate men to get them to do what they want.
Jamie responds with this short but to-the-point explanation: Many women would prefer to communicate openly, but past experiences with men and societal pressure prevent them from expressing what they want.
The quote is relevant within the context of the whole movie, which hinges on Dylan and Jamie’s inability to communicate openly.
While watching them mess up their relationship frustrates viewers, we understand why they both feel pressured to play it cool instead of expressing their feelings.
3. “Shut up, Katherine Heigl, you big liar!”
Jamie (Mila Kunis) says this line after passing a bus ad for a new romantic comedy during a challenging romantic moment. Katherine Heigl is an actress who rose to fame thanks to her role in romantic comedies (particularly the cheesy ones) such as 27 Dresses.
Jamie is frustrated because she feels she missed out on her romantic comedy moment and her life is nothing like what the movies promised. The whole movie pokes fun at common tropes of romantic comedies, so having the main character in the rom-com complain about how life isn’t like what the rom-com promised is another wry nod to the audience.
4. “Everybody, this is Dylan. He’s from L.A. [Everyone Boos]”
Friends With Benefits has many funny moments, even when the scenes don’t focus on our main couple.
In this scene, Jamie introduces Dylan to her friends, who all boo when hearing that he’s from L.A. but quickly change their tune when they find out the bonus from hiring him is why Jamie can afford to throw a party.
New York City and L.A. residents have a running feud that is mostly joking, and the movie often jokes about California-based Dylan’s fish-out-of-water experience in New York.
5. “And if I had a choice, I would be with women to my dying day. But me likes cock, so I’m strictly-dickly.”
Tommy (Woody Harrelson), the sports editor at GQ and Dylan’s gay best friend, says this line when explaining how he understands women despite being gay (and how they keep hitting on him).
Thanks to his hilarious lines and lack of a filter, Tommy is one of the movie’s most memorable side characters. He also delivers some of the movie’s best advice about love.
His intimate understanding of women and men helps him navigate sticky romantic situations and advise his friends.
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6. “You wanna be happy? Find someone you like and never let them go.”
Tommy (Woody Harrelson) says this line to Dylan (Justin Timberlake) after discovering that Dylan took his office door off its hinges thanks to advice from some self-help book.
Tommy gives Dylan some advice, including this line about finding happiness. Little does the older man know that Dylan just let someone he loves go and deeply regrets his actions.
The line gets deep at Tommy’s character. He is a goofy guy who is unintentionally profound. It also delivers the movie’s main lesson: to be honest with the people you love. Otherwise, they might leave.
7. “Hey, I want my best friend back. Because I’m in love with her.”
Dylan (Justin Timberlake) says this line when he goes to win back Jamie (Mila Kunis) with a grand gesture. Finally, the emotionally unavailable man can admit his true feelings.
The big moment is Dylan finally admitting that he’s in love with Jamie, but the other half of the quote is also important.
Dylan and Jamie are more than lovers. They’re best friends. Their relationship works so well because they were friends and built that foundation of love and trust.
Dylan’s realization reminds the audience that you should be friends with your partner and lovers.
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8. “No emotions, just sex.”
Jamie (Mila Kunis) says the line that starts it all—the pact to have sex but stay just friends.
Dylan and Jamie can’t keep the chemistry at bay after spending plenty of time together and talking openly about sex and love, but neither is ready to admit their true feelings.
This quote finally leads us to the movie’s central premise and introduces the conflict. Jamie and Dylan can promise to stay emotionless as often as they want, but true love always wins!
9. “If you think…there’s even a chance that she could be…you fix it.”
Dylan’s father, Mr. Harper (Richard Jenkins) says this to his son in a moment of lucidity after mistaking a stranger at the airport for his long-lost love.
Even through the fog of early-onset Alzheimer’s, Mr. Harper remembers clearly his regret at letting go of his first love and encourages Dylan not to make the same mistake.
This line spurs Dylan into action, leading to the great reconciliation in the movie’s final moments. It also shows us the power of romantic regrets if such painful memories can stay with someone forever.
10. “Do you have a hot boyfriend?”
The parents steal the show in Friends With Benefits. Lorna (Patricia Clarkson) tells Jamie this during one of their conversations.
The line shows Lorna’s lack of boundaries, a character trait that the hippie mother often wields to comedic effect. However, it also shows that Lorna is a romantic and wants to see her daughter happy in a relationship. Eventually, she helps Dylan win Jamie back.
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11. “The sad thing is, I actually thought you were different.”
After their big friends break up on the rooftop, Jamie says this line to Dylan. Jamie overhears Dylan talking to his sister and listing her problems as reasons he can’t date her.
During the confrontation, Dylan keeps dodging his responsibility and claiming Jamie is the only one who wants their arrangement, reminding her of all the emotionally immature men she’s dated.
Jamie is not a character who likes to get vulnerable or admit her feelings, so this line is poignant because she is so hurt that she admits she expected more from Dylan. It’s now up to him to realize what he did wrong and to fix it.
12. “I love this movie! If a prostitute and a ruthless businessman can fall in love, then anyone can.”
Despite her cool-girl exterior, Jamie is a true romantic at heart who loves the romantic comedies she makes fun of with Dylan, such as Pretty Woman (the movie this line refers to).
Jamie believes anyone can fall in love, even mismatched couples from the movies she adores. The line alludes to her hopes for falling in love instead of going through emotionally unavailable escapades.
13. “It’s not who you want to spend Friday night with. It’s who you want to spend all day Saturday with.”
Tommy (Woody Harrelson) once again delivers poignant observations about love.
Anyone can be the one on a drunken weekend night, but the true love of your life is the person you can do mundane things with while having the time of your life and never getting tired of their company.
Friends With Benefits has many funny quotes and observations about love. Which is your favorite line?
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