The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2- A Fitting Sequel

I’ve read all of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books by Ann Brashares.  I really enjoyed them, and I got to know and love the characters.  Four teen girls spend their entire lives together as best friends, and as they grow they discover more about one another and themselves. 

The first movie, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, was magnificent.  I actually bought the DVD, which is something I rarely do.  After watching the second movie, I’d have to say that although I really enjoyed it and it brought back memories of the book, it wasn’t as good as the first film.  However, I am going to give it a ‘thumbs up’ and say that I’d definitely watch it again!

Tibby (Amber Tamblyn), Lena (Alexis Bledel), Carmen (American Ferrera), and Bridget (Blake Lively) are back together again.  They have finished their first year of college and it’s summer.  They get together to meet in their ‘special place’ and much to Carmen’s dismay, they all have separate plans for the summer.  These girls have grown up together and experienced life as a foursome.  Not too long ago, they found a pair of ‘magic pants’ at a thrift store which fit all four of them, even though they are all built completely different.  They send the magic pants to one another when they are apart, hoping that the pants not only keep their special bond sacred, but continue to work magic in their lives.

Tibby who is involved with boyfriend Brian, is working at a video store in New York City for the summer.  Lena, who finds out that her one true love Costas is now married, is taking some art classes.  Bridget is going to Turkey for an archeology dig, so Carmen decides to go to Vermont with a friend to work as a stage hand for a play.  The lives of the girls move on without one another.

It’s during this summer that each girl grows a little further apart, but stronger as separate, independent women.  Tibby experiences heart ache when she breaks up with her boyfriend because of a pregnancy scare.  Bridget finds letters that her Grandmother (Blythe Danner) had been writing her for years.  Her father had kept them from her.  She leaves the dig early and goes to say with her Grandmother.  She rediscovers her past and learns so much about her mother.  Lena finds that she can date other men, but her heart remains true to only one. And, while everyone is moving on around Carmen (including her mother who gets remarried and has a baby), she finds out that she has a talent and strength which she never knew existed.

The first Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie made me cry, a lot.  This time around there weren’t nearly as many tears.  I felt that the movie did it’s job in showing the girls’ transformation from young adult to womanhood.  I also felt that the characters remained true to the first movie and to the books.  I felt their growth as individuals and together, as a group.  I also think that The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 tied the loose ends that the first movie left behind.  It capitalized on important situations in the lives of the girls and expanded on things like Bridget’s mother’s death and Lena’s relationship with Costa.
 
Like the first movie, there was quite a bit of footage filmed in Greece.  I watched the beautiful blue skies and lovely ocean villas with great envy, as this movie really emphasizes the beauty of such a wonderful country.  All of the girls go to Greece in this second movie because Lena’s little sister lost the magic pants there.  They all get together at the end of the movie to look for the pants, and it’s a fitting denouement to  a special story.

I suppose the acting wasn’t the greatest throughout the film.  Lena’s character is purposely stiff, but I felt that Alexis Bledel went over the call of ‘stiffness’ and made Lena’s character sort of unlikable.  I love Blake Lively (Bridget) from ‘GOSSIP GIRL’ and although she’s not the most multi-faceted actress, she fits the role of Bridget very well.  America Ferrera is an amazing young actress and her performance is heart wrenching.  I absolutely loved her throughout the film, and she was definitely the shining star.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who liked The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books, and anyone who enjoyed the first movie.  I’ll give this 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.  It also qualifies for CaptainD’s Good Movie Write Off 2, and I am sure he’ll be proud of me for getting off my butt to participate in it!