SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS is more poignant and insightful than a simple piece of teen chick lit. Even though it wears its sentimentality a little too openly, this film is a tale of personal travels that everyone can find kinship with.
Based on the book by Ann Brashares, SISTERHOOD tells us about the life changing experiences of Lena, Tibby, Carmen and Bridget. These four girls were born within mere days of each other. It's not the only reason for their sisterhood. Over the years, these sisters have been there for each other through thick and thin. Now a summer has come where they will be away from each other for the first time in their relationship.
Along comes a pair of jeans. In an act of magical fate, these jeans fit each of the four girls perfectly, regardless of size and shape. It is decided that these jeans are what will keep them together during their summer apart. Each friend will wear the pants for a week before mailing them on like a chain letter to the next one.
Of this inspired device, Ann Brashares said, "I've always liked the idea that clothing can hold emotions and memories or connections to other people, so it wasn't a stretch to imagine a pair of jeans could be a physical repository for a living friendship." In SISTERHOOD, the pants promise more than connection, though. The pants promise to change these girls' lives.
In less skilled hands, the device of magical pants could have lead to fairy tale vignettes (and in one case that's exactly where we do go). Director Ken Kwapis (of TVs MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE and FREAKS & GEEKS), along with screenwriters Delia Ephron and Elizabeth Chandler, wisely decided to inter cut the four stories so the connection of these friends is never divided. This saves SISTERHOOD from becoming a thinly connected anthology film (even if, for the sake of this review, I will discuss the film in four sections).
It all begins with Lena (Alexis Bledel). Lena is the shy, reserved one facing her first voyage abroad. In Greece, she is to spend time with her grandparents. Instead she meets a Greek Romeo to her Juliet (while wearing the pants, of course). Kostas (Michael Rady) is from a family that Lena's grandparents are feuding with. The heart knows only what it wants, however, and Lena must cross boundaries within and without. Lena's story is the more abject fairy tale of the four. Even the cinematography depicts Greece as an azure blue & sun kissed never-land. Bledel (of TVs GILMORE GIRLS) handles the "meet cute" moments with adept charisma. Compared to the real life tones of SISTERHOOD's other tales, however, Lena's story rarely rises above teen girl fantasy, even with the ultimate opening of Lena's confidence and sensuality.
Meanwhile, Carmen (America Ferrera) is off to spend the summer with her mostly absent father (Bradley Whitford). Upon arrival, he drops a bombshell on Carmen by announcing his plans to remarry. Since her parents' divorce, Carmen has always felt her father is ashamed of her. The cowardly way of his announcement and the pernickety attitude of Carmen's soon to be step-mom (played by Nancy Travis) do little to reassure her. Some of Carmen's insecurities stem from the same territory as Ferrera's acting debut in REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES. Thanks to the immediate empathy Ferrera generates, these insecurities can be seen as universal ones more than a retread of other movies. Divorced kids in the audience will identify with Carmen's troubles, all while knowing it may take more than denim to truly save her.The pants don't seem to bring Tibby (Amber Tamblyn) muck luck, either. Stuck at home with a summer job from hell, Tibby rebels against "human existence at its lamest" by making a documentary about it. Around the same time the pants finally make it to Tibby, she encounters a deeply precocious 12 year old named Bailey (Jenna Boyd). This little version of Tibby becomes an assistant on Tibby's video essay. Bailey sees things in a much deeper way than Tibby's cynicism allows. There is a reason for this, one that plays on Tibby's heart strings as well as our own. Here SISTERHOOD displays its sentimentality in one big lump. Tamblyn's grounded portrayal keeps these scenes from sinking the film into too much sap.
The fourth member of the sisterhood is Bridget (newcomer Blake Lively). Bridget is a take charge kind of girl. Others would say she is simple minded to the point of recklessness. Since her mother died, Bridget has been groping for acceptance from her father and any boy that crosses her eye. Away at soccer camp in Mexico, Bridget goes after the forbidden fruit of Eric (Mike Vogel), a slightly older counsellor. The pants arrive in time to get Bridget what she wants, but is it what she needed? On the surface, Lively seems like another tanned, sports bra wearing Barbie. Beware of first impressions. Lively may play Bridget as a fun loving gal, but she also lets us see the time bomb of desperation ticking beneath Bridget's showy behavior.
By the time SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS, reaches its inevitable heart warming conclusion, things may be getting a little too precious for its own good. You don't mind so much, though. What we have really been privy to throughout this film is the emergence of four strong actresses. Like their characters, these women come into their own before our very eyes. And isn't the joy of traveling the people you discover along the way?
You can access media from the movie in our database and view photos from the premiere in this page.
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