4 amiche e un paio di jeans

Besides the fascinating documentary "Mad Hot Ballroom," another worthy attraction that probably got 'buried' by the Hollywood summer blockbusters is director Ken Kwapis film, "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," based on the novel by Ann Brashares.

It is a cleverly edited, heart-warming travelogue/diary of four good friends during their first summer apart after graduation. America Ferrera (fantastic in "Real Women Have Curves" 2002) as Carmen, Alexis Bledel as Lena, Blake Lively as Bridget, Amber Tamblyn as Tibby, who ran into young Bailey - portrayed by Jenna Boyd (brilliant in director Ron Howard's "The Missing" 2003 opposite Cate Blanchett, Evan Rachel Wood and Tommy Lee Jones). There are life lessons from watching the different experiences each of them goes through - new places, new faces, new emotions that each of them encounters/discovers in their segments. The link between each of their summer adventures/activities is a pair of jeans they 'sworn' to share.

What a novel idea to present the various aspects of growing young women: Lena's Greek adventure spending with distant relatives and meeting Kostos, turned into a mini-version of Romeo and Juliet with family feud (verbal/non-verbal arguments vs. physical conflicts). Blake's energetic sporting camp environment with new companions eventually forces her to break out of her 'façade' of bravado behavior and the truth of parental longing surfaces. Carmen's journey raises emotional havoc as she struggles with the unexpected event of her father re-marrying, having to deal with new family members vs. her wish of spending quality time alone with Dad. Tibby may be doing nothing exotic or literal travels, but staying in hometown, working at the Mart, with the surprised 'intrusion' by Bailey the precocious 12 year old becoming her self-invited video assistant, somehow provided enriched life lessons. Unanticipated, the four friends bonded deeper and helped each other through stumbling hurdles, maturing expansively this one memorable summer.

I enjoyed this film better than the 1995 "Now and Then," a movie also about four girlfriends, with two sets of known actresses: Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, Gaby Hoffmann and Ashleigh Aston Moore as the young Rosie O'Donnell, Melanie Griffith, Demi Moore and Rita Wilson. "Traveling Pants," even though with budding young actresses, provided more in-depth emotional journeys, life wisdom, and picturesque romantic Greece for added value. This may be more of a 'girly' film, but certainly a family entertainment (likened to Disney quality productions like "The Parent Trap").

Also highly recommend a similar theme of five girlfriends (actually three plus a pair of twin sisters) film in Korean, written-directed by Jae-Eun Jeong, "Take Care of My Cat" 2001. It has a more gritty approach, included tough scenarios/facts of life to each girl's family background influences, the trials and tribulations of keeping up friendships fresh out of school. Heart-wrenching at times yet the youthful energy retained, the hopes and dreams, little romances and arguments, along with their (pager/email) cell phones constantly ringing/reaching for 'connections.'

The only magic realism in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is the one, one-size-fits-all pair of jeans worn the four female friends, whose summer adventures bring a dose of realism magical only for the insights into life, the pain and pleasure that come in from age seventeen to the end. As a coming-of-age film, this ranks with the best of them for non-condescending, adult-like perceptions, with nary a "like" in the girls' vocabulary.

Two of these lifelong chums have summer romances that transcend the usual sun and sand trifles; the other two deal with even more substantial challenges, ones that involve connecting with family or friends after years of disconnection. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants offers no easy solutions to questions about openness, sexuality, parental neglect, and death. Rather each girl has an epiphany that grows naturally out of the frustrations accompanying inexperience and immaturity.

Love on a Greek island while riding a scooter like Audrey Hepburn through the streets of Rome demands confronting the intrusions of family reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet; love on a beach in Mexico unleashes longing for a parent that goes beyond a beautiful boy; a new life for a parent means the death of an old one for a child; and teen alienation turns to acceptance and even love through the magic of a new friend.

None of these realistic setups for teen enlightenment can make an engaging film unless the actresses are believable, and in Sisterhood each young woman carries her role with deftness and sincerity sometimes not found in the most seasoned actresses. Special recognition should be given to Jenna Boyd as 12-year old Bailey, who believably transforms one teen from misogynist to humanist. This little actress has the chops to win the Oscar someday.

The ten rules of the sisterhood are dominated by the logistical one that states, "You must pass the pants along to your sisters according to the specifications set down by the Sisterhood." FedEx does the delivery; the girls supply the specific adventures that echo the anguish and resilience of being a teen in a society that sometimes doesn't care. You will care for each girl; I guarantee it as if it were a pair of Levis, sturdy and malleable, sexy and comfortable. Come to think of it—that's Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

This weekend, for my sisters 16th birthday, I ventured out with my father, mother and of course sister to see a movie. When we arrived at the theater I was briefed on which movie we were going to see, without a doubt thinking it would be some new action packed thriller that my dad, always forced my mom and sister to. I had no clue that we were going to see the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

The worst part of the movie was forcing myself into a theater where I was one of about 6 guys. The rest of the seats were packed with girls of all ages, older women, teens, mothers, college grads, you name it. One would have thought Brad Pitt was making announcement before the show began. In case you didn't know all girls are obsessed with him, especially the ones who deny it.

Anyways the movie began and before I knew it my eyes were glued to the screen. Next thing I knew I was crying, my mom was crying, my sister was crying, and even my dad was crying. I looked around the room and noticed that every girl was sobbing, and of course you know when your watching an amazing movie when it causes such emotion. When it changes the way you feel and enlightens you in unbelievable ways.

So the moral of the story: All the women out there grab your girlfriends, or better yet your husbands, boyfriends, or whomever and drag them to this film, they will say they'll hate it, but they will love it!

For starters, i have to admit that i'm 21 and really enjoy the books (all 3 of them). Because of that i was pretty excited to see the film, even though i know it couldn't live up to the book. Sadly, i was correct.

The acting was actually quite good, as was the casting. The only character i didn't like the casting choice, regardless of the fact that she did a fine job, was Tibby. Tibby, in the book, is described as small, meek, and undeveloped. She didn't look/act that way, really.

The stories themselves were decent. Carmen and Bridget's were almost dead on (minus the fact that they left out a vital scene in the end of Bridget's). Tibby's pretty accurate, but they left out a whole lot. Lena's was completely changed, which i didn't understand why they did.

It's a teen chick flick so you expect insane cheesy moments. And the film is full of them. The soundtrack was horrible, in my opinion, making the film even more ridiculous at times. There were laugh out loud parts that probably shouldn't have been that funny.

I think if you're a 12-15 year old girl, this movie is great for you (or if you like teen chick flicks). It covers the crucial topics addressed in the book, but lacks the depth Brashares originally had. I suggest seeing it just to see it, but don't expect too much.

Also, if you're a guy, stay away. There were maximum 10 guys in the theatre when i saw it and each one looked 1/2 dead in the end.

Saw this movie with wife and two grand daughters. I was the only male in the audience--but, hey, there were only four people in the theater. And I think this is too bad. While I suppose this is a teenage chick flick, I thought it transcended most of that genre in that the main characters were intelligent, genuine human beings and not MTV stereotypes. The four actresses were up to the material and were able to convey their characters' strengths and weaknesses effectively. I also appreciated (as a male) that the young men in the film were shown as caring and decent--not just "dreamboats", funny sidekicks, or sex-crazed drunken frat boys--the other male stereotypes in so many films aimed at teens. This is a movie I think most females can relate to and that most mature viewers could enjoy except, maybe, for the guys who are still in arrested development and think that the only good movie is one where people and things get blown up or otherwise destroyed. And, hey, I like those movies too when they have a good script and good direction.