Quatro Amigas e um Jeans Viajante

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.

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.

Tibby (Amber Tamblyn), Lena (Alexis Bledel), Carmen (America Ferrera), and Bridget (Blake Lively) are lifelong friends from birth. They find a second-hand pair of jeans that magically fit them all. They are separating for the summer but vows to stay connected by sharing the magic pants. Lena has a Greek holiday with her Greek relatives. Bridget misses her dead mom and is away at soccer camp. Carmen is meeting up with her dad (Bradley Whitford) but he surprises her with a wedding to girlfriend (Nancy Travis). Tibby is stuck working the summer and finds Bailey (Jenna Boyd) passed out in the aisle.

The biggest fundamental problem for this movie is that the girls spend most of the movie apart. The point of these types of movies is for the group to develop chemistry together. This one assumes the chemistry and split the girls up. There is a reason why the best story is Tibby and Bailey. They are actually allowed to build up a relationship. Lena's story probably the weakest. It's way too light like a frivolous Greek holiday movie. The biggest asset in the movie are the four girls plus Jenna Boyd. They are all charming. They are all compelling actresses. Each one has something to contribute to the movie. The best scenes occur when the girls have a heart felt one on one. All in all, this is a sweet melodrama.

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!

My 10 year old daughter and I went to see this yesterday. I haven't read the books, but she has. We had mixed reviews...I enjoyed the movie but Elizabeth was terribly disappointed. She kept whispering "Mom, that's not in the book"..."that didn't happen that way"...and apparently some pretty major discrepancies exist.

Because I didn't have any plot expectations. I thought the movie was well done. The characters were believable, the acting was great, the topics were handled in a manner that was suitable for my pre-teen to watch. The comments I overheard from the other audience members (99% teenage girls at this Friday matinée!) were positive.

My rating is a combination of my score (8 or 9) and her score (4 or 5). So just a word of caution...if you expect the move to follow the book, you may be disappointed.