The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Review
by Jerry Saravia (faustus_08520 AT yahoo DOT com)December 24th, 2005
THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS (2005)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
RATING: Three stars
Now there are two phrases in the title of this film that I abhor:
sisterhood (if only because of a certain film that begins with the title
"divine") and "traveling pants." Is this a Disney comedy about magic
pants that run amok while Dakota Fanning and Kurt Russell look on
in awestruck mode? Or is this a sequel to that certain movie with the
word "divine" in it? No, not quite. Surprisingly, "Sisterhood of the Traveling
Pants" is a touching yet very uneven film that has a heartbeat and some
degree of humanity. Most movies nowadays have neither.
The movie doesn't exactly begin promisingly. Four teenage girls are at a
clothing store. They each try on a pair of jeans and, amazingly, it fits
them all perfectly. How can this be? Since a summer vacation is
beginning before their senior year starts, they make an oath that the
jeans are to be worn by each girl for a week. Afterwards, the jeans are
to be mailed by Fed-Ex to the next girl. Why? Because the jeans bring
good luck but, according to the girls' set of rules, try not to pick your
nose when wearing them. Are the filmmakers serious? Yes, but this is
not a silly Nickelodeon special.
The girls are a distinctive bunch, some more interesting than others.
America Ferrera is Carmen, a Puerto-Rican girl who lives with her
single mother (Rachel Ticotin). Carmen is off to spend the summer
with her father (Bradley Whitford), who to her dismay and confusion
is getting married and will have a purely "white" family. Staying home
for the summer is the sarcastic, mopey Tibby (Amber Tamblyn), who
works at a Walmart-type store and is trying to complete her
"Suckumentary" video. There's also Lena (Alexis Bledel), who is
off to see her grandparents in Greece, and Bridget (Blake Lively),
who is in Mexico for soccer camp and has her eyes set on a
handsome counselor.
Of all these vignettes that eventually come together (though not
cohesively), the most engaging and entertaining character is Tibby
(yes, I am an Amber Tamblyn fan and loved her cameo in "The Ring"
and her cancelled show "Joan of Arcadia"). I suppose I am susceptibly
enthused by rebellious young women who defy authority and hate the
world ("Ghost World" immediately comes to mind). Anyhow, Tibby
uses her digital camera to record employees that she works with
and edits her footage in her trusty iMac computer. Her assistant
is Bailey (Jenna Boyd), a 12-year-old girl with a deep secret. Will
Tibby come to terms with her cynicism thanks to Bailey? Of course,
she will. But Tamblyn has such tremendous sincerity about her that
you can't help but feel that her character will eventually come around
and see the light - Tamblyn is that good.
I also enjoyed the Greece segments with the angelic Alexis Bledel,
though some of the scenes are a little sugarcoated with a plainly silly
romance that is right out of a neorealist Italian film minus the realism.
Still, it is cute enough and not drowning in sentiment. Bledel is a natural
actress and in every scene, she glows with such purity that you'd
swear an angel was directing a spotlight on her head. Luminescence
is what makes this actress shine - she is someone to keep an eye
on in the future.
For realism and heartbreak, I'd go with Carmen's story that strikes some
hard truths about divorced families in this day and age. Her father and
new family do not seem to take notice of her, and when she disappears
and finds that nobody gives a damn, it is enough to make you want to
reach out to her. America Ferrara is unquestionably well-cast and a
formidable actress in contrast to her peers - there is not a false note in her performance.
But the weakest section involves Bridget (Blake Lively) and her
romantic fling. These scenes have little or no momentum and seem
like outtakes from "Fraternity Vacation" or any 80's horny teenager
movie that was set on a beach. Lively is such a bland Barbie doll
that she seems extraneous in contrast to the other vignettes - her
story is nothing more than a piffle with no twinkle.
"Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" is based on a novel by Ann
Brashares that has become a hit with teenage girls, I am sure.
The movie has a loose structure that tidies itself around four
different girls who come to terms with their innocence thanks to
those adjustable jeans. It is such a well-meaning movie, both
disarming and innocent, which makes it hard to resist. But it is
Amber Tamblyn and America Ferrara that aim higher with their
realistic, three-dimensional characters. They are the kind of
characters that would find the world of hormonal teenage movies
a major turn-off.
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