Ah, the Best Friend. He’s a shoulder to cry on, a guy to marry if you’re both still single in twenty years, and an all around good guy. You can depend on him. The problem is, he’s that nice guy that tends to finish last. He ends up picking up the pieces for the woman he loves after the Bad Boy has broken her heart. And yet, he’s always there, because he values friendship. If only he’d take charge, he might get the girl.

Some of the Best Friend’s good qualities include:

- his supportive nature. He’s knows just what to say in a time of crisis.

- He’s endlessly understanding. He likes everyone and everyone likes him.

- He’s a rock. Super dependable and always where he needs to be.

The Best Friend has a few flaws, too. They are:

- He protects his feelings by avoiding risk. He doesn’t want to get hurt, therefore he doesn’t go outside of his comfort zone.

- The Best Friend puts himself last. He doesn’t like attention focused on him and he doesn’t like conflict. Assertiveness is not part of how he operates.

- He goes with the flow and is okay with the status quo. Ambition is not part of his everyday vocabulary.

Every girl needs a Best Friend. Here a few memorable ones:

Tom Hanks, as Joe Fox in You’ve Got Mail, is the perfect Best Friend. So likeable that you ache for him.

Adam Sandler’s endearing and lovable as Robbie Hart in The Wedding Singer. He puts himself last, a true sign of a Best Friend.

Jeremy Northam plays a splendid Mr. Knightley opposite Gweneth Paltrow’s Emma. He’s Emma’s rock, and though it takes her a while to realize it, she finds true love with this Best Friend.

Harry (played by Billy Crystal) in When Harry Met Sally. Although Harry is a wise-cracking, angst-driven, pessimistic soul, Sally gets past his defensive layers to find the warm-natured and loyal friend underneath. Twelve years later, the friendship matures and grows into a true romance between friends.

♥♥Joe (the hero in Marley Morgan’s “Just Joe”) is a gorgeous quarterback who is determined to be close to the heroine (who was molested as a child) even if it means only being her friend. Through his patience and tenderness, she is able to realize that loving and touching don’t always equal pain.