Great Film: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
You will care for each girl.
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.
Cast
- Paul Rodman played by Kyle Schmid
- Al played by Bradley Whitford
- Carmen's Mother played by Rachel Ticotin
- Lena played by Alexis Bledel
- Eric played by Mike Vogel
- Bailey played by Jenna Boyd
- Brian McBrian played by Leonardo Nam
