Friendship is one of the most common relationships portrayed in movies, with a few select on-screen duos being heartwarming examples of connection and support. From timeless animated pals like those in the Scooby-Doo franchise to newer on-screen friends seen in Wicked, friendship is presented in various ways. Several film characters are placed in friendships due to adventurous circumstances, but these duos come to be through more natural means of connection.
Part of why friendship is so often explored throughout films is because of the instant connection made with audiences. The most heartwarming movie friendships explore the highs and lows of platonic relationships that reflect those experienced by audiences in real life. This includes being there for one another through challenging life changes and feeling insecure about the security of one’s friendship, as seen in films like Toy Story and Bridesmaids, respectively.
Related 15 Best Movies About Friendship From coming-of-age dramas like Stand By Me to wedding comedies like Bridemaids, filmmakers have made all kinds of great movies about friendship.
10 Bill & Ted
Bill & Ted franchise (1989-Present)
After Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure was released in 1989, the titular duo became two of the most iconic ’90s movie characters with the sequel film and spin-off TV series. In the first film, Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are introduced as two high school students whose music will one day create a utopian society — if they can pass their history class and graduate high school.
Throughout the Bill & Ted film series, the duo is thrown into wild adventures using a phone-booth time machine to travel to the past and future. The performances by Winter and Reeves make their characters all the more likable and endearing. More heartwarming than the on-screen bond is seeing the two reunite in the 2020 film Bill & Ted Face the Music, which sees the famous friendship still going strong in adulthood.
9 Annie & Lillian
Bridesmaids (2011)
Universal Pictures
Highlighting adult friendships among women is the 2011 comedy film Bridesmaids. The film follows a large group of women acting as Lillian’s (Maya Rudolph) bridesmaids, but the heartwarming duo at the center of the film is that of Lillian and Annie (Kristen Wiig). The two have been friends for years, but the foundation of their relationship begins to crack when Annie gets the idea that she’s being replaced by another bridesmaid.
Bridesmaids handles insecurity in friendships and reluctance to change with a lot of humor and heart, with Lillian and Annie proving to be an unbreakable duo. After vulgar comedies had been centered around men for quite some time, a film like Bridesmaids was refreshing. The comedy film performed better than anyone had expected both critically and commercially and kickstarted a trend of successful women-led comedies that would release in the following years.
8 Elphaba & Glinda
Wicked (2024)
Image via Universal Pictures
Jon M. Chu’s Wicked makes a few changes to Gregory Maguire’s book, but what remains is the essence of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda’s (Ariana Grande-Butera) friendship. The two meet at Shiz University and their relationship begins with them at odds due to their differing magical abilities and the contrasting ways in which they’re viewed by others. However, a pivotal moment in the Ozdust Ballroom changes the trajectory of their relationship.
Elphaba and Glinda put themselves in vulnerable situations, allowing them to finally see one another as friends. With their adversarial relationship behind them, Elphaba and Glinda choose to support one another, with the latter offering up her beauty and social skills to give Elphaba a makeover. The two travel to the Emerald City together, arm in arm, before Wicked’s emotional cliffhanger ending. Several questions surround the fate of Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship for audiences unfamiliar with previous adaptations of L. Frank Baum’s original novel.
7 Jesse & Leslie
Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
Regarded as one of the most depressing kids’ movies, Bridge to Terabithia is a moving fantasy film that handles its subject of grief incredibly well. The film revolves around the new friendship between the young Jesse (Hutcherson) and Leslie (Robb). The two instantly connect, capture audiences’ hearts, and cope with their real-life troubles by escaping into the titular fantasy world. When in Terabithia, Jesse and Leslie’s problems melt away, and it’s endearing seeing the two have one another through tough times.
As heartfelt as their friendship is, it is unfortunately cut short by Bridge to Terabithia’s tragic death. What comes as a result of Leslie’s unexpected death is an affecting exploration and the grief and guilt felt by Jesse. Hutcherson handles the emotional intensity extremely well, and Jesse’s coping with his best friend’s death signifies the strength and importance of their connection.
6 Romy & Michele
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997)
High school reunions can be a daunting event, and the leading best friends in Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion handle it in a way that is relatable and heartfelt. In the comedy, Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow) are introduced as two women in their late 20s who feel insecure about where life has taken them in the years after graduating from high school. Before coming face-to-face with their former classmates and bullies, the women are determined to adopt fake lives that are sure to impress.
The lies appear to be too much for the lifelong friends to handle at times. However, Romy and Michele learn what’s most important is not their glamorous outfits and extravagant jobs, but their authentic selves and their continued friendship. Sorvino and Kudrow are comedically in sync throughout the film, making their adventures all the more enjoyable for audiences.
5 Cher & Dionne
Clueless (1995)
Easily one of the most beloved coming-of-age films from the ’90s is Clueless. The Alicia Silverstone-led film is a loose adaptation of Jane Austen’s popular novel Emma and follows Cher Horowitz (Silverstone), a popular high-schooler playing matchmaker, who decides to take a new student under her wing and give her a makeover. Clueless is most remembered for its iconic catchphrases, eye-catching outfits, and a career-highlight performance by Silverstone.
However, Clueless also has a heartwarming portrayal of friendship, particularly that between Cher and Dionne Davenport (Stacey Dash). Throughout the film, the two remain close. Cher and Dionne find a connection in their similar wealthy upbringing and appear to always be in sync on-screen, containing just enough differences in style and in their dating lives to be the perfect match. However, the new student, Tai Frasier (Brittany Murphy), quickly turns the friendship into a trio.
4 Maverick & Goose
Top Gun (1986)
Full of heart-pounding action scenes in the air, Top Gun details the training at the United States Navy’s Fighter Weapons School. However, amidst all the action and memorable use of music, the heart of Top Gun is the friendship between Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Goose (Anthony Edwards). The friendship between the two men goes beyond their professional and training duties, as multiple times throughout the film they’re seen leaning on one another for support.
Maverick and Goose have a few key differences in their lifestyles that help balance one another out and better the other half of the friendship. The heartbreaking end to their friendship is Top Gun’s saddest moment, and it has a lasting effect on Maverick. The poignancy of Goose’s death continues in Top Gun: Maverick, which sees Cruise’s character reminded of his late friend when he trains Goose’s son.
3 Shaggy & Scooby
Scooby-Doo franchise (1969-Present)
Bonding over their shared appetite for Scooby Snacks and a similar intense fear of monsters, Shaggy Rogers and Scooby-Doo are an iconic and heartwarming pair of best friends. The massive Scooby-Doo franchise includes over 30 movies and over a dozen TV series. Regardless of who they’re depicted by or whether they’re seen as live-action or animated characters, Shaggy and Scooby are the heart of the overall mystery story presented to audiences.
Despite being fearful of the monsters they’re tasked with tracking down, Shaggy and Scooby often find a roundabout way of helping to solve a mystery. Compared to the rest of the Mystery Incorporated gang, Shaggy and Scooby aren’t the most skilled detectives, but they are consistent in providing laughs for audiences. While other components of the Scooby-Doo characters have been updated with every new adaptation, the loyalty and bond between Shaggy and Scooby remains just the same.
2 Thelma & Louise
Thelma & Louise (1991)
Considered to be one of Ridley Scott’s best movies, the themes and friendship seen in Thelma & Louise continue to resonate with audiences. To escape the routine of their everyday lives, the titular best friends (played by Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon) set out on a road trip for a weekend. However, their initial plans are scrapped when they find themselves on the run from the police after killing a man who attacks Thelma.
The threat of both being doubted by authorities and of legal punishment lingers throughout the film, but it’s nothing the strong on-screen duo can’t handle. Throughout all the uncertainty that lies ahead of them, Thelma and Louise reassure one another that they’re in it together until the very end. Thelma & Louise is considered to have one of the more perfect movie endings, which sees the friends go to extreme lengths to ensure they’re in control of their fates.
1 Woody & Buzz
Toy Story franchise (1995-Present)
The Toy Story franchise introduces new toys to the group of friends with every movie, but one of the best duos is that of Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen). The toys are two of the most iconic characters associated with Disney and Pixar’s portrayal of friendship. Throughout the Toy Story franchise, the relationship between the cowboy and the space ranger has changed, and it has become a key part of the film’s emotional aspects.
In the first film, Woody is jealous of Buzz’s ability to impress his owner, Andy, and the other toys. Woody feels as though he’s being replaced, but throughout Toy Story, the two work through their differences and become an unbreakable duo as they remain by Andy’s side throughout his life. The ending of Toy Story 4 sees a tearful goodbye between Woody and Buzz and leaves the future of their friendship up in the air.