Top 25 Reasons to Watch ‘Friday’ on the 25th Anniversary of its Theatrical Release
Friday turns 25 this April, so it’s time to revisit Craig and friends. “And you know this,” as Smokey would quip. When Friday hit theaters, it dished out plenty of laughs along with food for thought, and it garnered critical and commercial success. Starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker, among other heavy hitters, Friday has both style and substance, standing head and shoulders above other stoner flicks. With that in mind, here are a few reasons to watch it again from your sofa to celebrate the anniversary of Friday‘s theatrical release.
The ‘Friday’ Backstory
Coming off successful big-screen roles in Boyz in the Hood, Trespass, and Higher Learning, NWA rapper-turned-actor Ice Cube co-wrote Friday. The multi-talented entertainer starred in the film alongside Tucker, John Witherspoon, Regina King, Anna Maria Horsford and Nia Long.
The story is centered around Cube’s character, Craig, an unassuming guy living at home with his parents and his younger sister. Craig gets fired on Friday, which is, funnily enough, his day off. He spends the day hanging with his stoner friend, Smokey, played by Tucker, and admiring Long’s character Debbie, who he is crushing on big time.
The movie follows a day in the life of the newly unemployed Craig and small-time dope dealer Smokey, along with their families, friends, neighbors, and rivals. Friday even manages to throw in a lesson or two via Pops, played by Witherspoon. From the sidesplitting humor to the iconic phraseology, here are the top 25 reasons to watch Friday in celebration of its 25th anniversary.
- Ice Cube plus Chris Tucker
- The witty script
- “Bye Felisha”
- Deebo
- Pops’ wisdom
- Impeccable joke timing
- “Hi, Mrs. Parker.”
- The bumping soundtrack
- The comedic cast
- Ezal
- Smokey’s potty break
- “You ain’t got to lie, Craig. You ain’t got to lie.”
- Red’s bike
- Smokey’s Ford Pinto
- Smokey’s mama
- Big Worm
- 90s flavor
- “And you know this…man!”
- So-called black-owned business (run by non-black owner)
- Bernie Mac’s breakout role
- Lil’ Chris and the garbage cans
- Smokey’s chicken coop story
- “You playin’ with my emotions.”
- Pops and Craig’s bathroom chat
- Debbie’s friend
How to watch ‘Friday’ this April
We just dropped 25 reasons to re-watch Friday, but there are so many more. Fans can rediscover this comedy gem on various platforms. Friday was released on April 26, 1995 and is scheduled to air on TV almost 25 years to the day that it originally hit theaters.
In a genius move, Paramount Network will air Friday on April 20, which is 420 Day, the annual weed holiday. It will air twice on the network, once at 3:45 p.m. and again at 10 p.m.
Related story: 7 Classic Stoner Flicks to Watch on April 20 (aka 4/20, The Weed Holiday)
MTV will broadcast the title on April 25 at 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. Cinemax subscribers are in luck because they can currently watch Friday on Cinemax On Demand.
Viewers who prefer streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video, YouTube Movies, iTunes, and Google Play, among others, can rent or purchase Friday anytime. And with that, we will simply say, “Bye, Felisha.”
