The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is based on the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name by Ann Brashares. It’s a story that chronicles the summer that four best friends (Bridget, Lena, Tibby and Carmen) spend apart for the first time. It leaves out some details from the novel – but as far as book-to-film adaptations, it does follow the book pretty well. They leave out some characters, but keep all the important ones in. It’s a great movie to see with your friends if you’re just looking for a feel-good movie to watch. The girls are best friends and they manage to keep it all alive via a pair of jeans and letters that they send one another. They share their stories but they also have their own adventures – even Tibby who’s convinced that being stuck home all summer is the most horrible thing that any of them could have done to her. It’s a fairly likable film and just leaves you with a mushy ‘aww, let’s be friends!’ feeling on the inside. Plus, it also made me wonder where I could find the nearest pair of magical pants. The acting is superb in my opinion. I especially like Carmen in the film (I hated her in the book, her whininess seems more justified in the film). But my favourite character is Lena and I liked Alexis Bledel in the movie, she’s shy but comes into her own through a summer where she gets to explore her own self.

I give the film 4.5/5.

Written August 24, 2008.