The quartet reunites for “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” (2008), and looked at through the lens of time, it’s a treasure to have four of the brightest early millennial talents on screen together again.
Together (and separated) again
They were at different points in their TV careers: Alexis Bledel was wrapping up “Gilmore Girls” and Amber Tamblyn had left “Joan of Arcadia” behind. America Ferrera was amid “Ugly Betty” and Blake Lively was starting on “Gossip Girl.”
As with the 2005 original, they go their separate ways – after their first year of college – but are bonded by the miracle jeans. Elizabeth Chandler again adapts an Ann Brashares novel (“Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood”), skimming over years two and three in a prolog. Sanaa Hamri ably takes over from Ken Kwapis in the director’s chair.
To celebrate the 40th birthday of “Gilmore Girls’ ” Alexis Bledel, this month Reviews from My Couch is looking back at five of her movies that we haven’t previously reviewed.
“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” (2008)
Director: Sanaa Hamri
Writer: Elizabeth Chandler (screenplay), Ann Brashares (novel)
Stars: America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, Amber Tamblyn, Blake Lively
“Pants 2” is a slight step down overall, although it maintains a good handle on the characterizations. It’s more clichéd and contrived, and the storylines peter out or end in expected fashion. Indeed, the fate of the pants is the most surprising. There’s slightly more humor, but the overall vibe is that of a light, coming-of-age travelogue.
Moving between strengths
Deciding which of the four girls I like the best resembles a pinball going through my head. As with the first film, this one bounces among equal strengths.
But I’ll go with Tamblyn’s Tibby, who is like a slightly sunnier version of “Ghost World’s” Enid. She works at a video store (ah, 2008 nostalgia!), wears a black wig over her dyed hair (purple streaks, and later red). She makes a show of hating the world but can’t quite commit to this position.
I love Tibby’s facial expressions when walking along the streets of Bethesda, noticing only the pregnant women and the squealing children. After her boyfriend Brian’s (Leonardo Nam) condom breaks, she fears she might be pregnant.
Chandler takes a simplistic approach to these threads that fits with the freshly scrubbed “Pants” world — although the jeans themselves don’t get washed, as Bledel’s Lena finds out when receiving a cloud of sand in the package.
Lively’s Bridget starts the summer on a Turkish archaeological dig. (If this were the real world, no one should hire her. When she uncovers a bone, she picks it up and snaps a grinning picture with it. I’ve read enough novels about archaeology to understand in situ photography.)
A morning-after pill is never mentioned as an option for Tibby, nor are pharmaceuticals in the arc of Bridget, who deals with repressed feelings about her mother’s suicide. As in the first film, Lively doesn’t do the subtle acting needed for us to think her troubles mirror her mom’s. She’s the biggest star now, but the least developed of the actresses in ’08 (although not exactly hard to watch).
A beautiful travelogue
While the story doesn’t look much beyond “friendship solves all” for solutions, the film looks farther for settings. Greece returns, and again it’s so evocative that I think of these films as being based there, rather than the girls’ hometown in Maryland.
In fact, Lena – and her suddenly introduced kid sister Effie (Lucy Hale, later of “Privileged” and many other shows and films) – travel to their grandparents’ place in Greece as easily as if it’s the next state over.
While I champion Tibby, the meatiest storyline is that of Ferrera’s confidence-challenged Carmen, who has a cute relationship at summer theater in Vermont with Tom Wisdom’s Ian.
The non-Greece stuff is filmed in Connecticut, which must’ve been interesting for Bledel, whose “Gilmore Girls” was set in Connecticut but filmed on a Hollywood backlot.
As for Bledel’s arc, Lena breaks up with Kostas (Michael Rady) for contrived reasons then they reunite for contrived reasons. It’s not ideal that Lena’s story is entirely based around romance, which isn’t Bledel’s strong suit. But it’s to her credit as a screen presence that she’s still totally watchable.
“Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” has visual scope and outstanding actresses, but their arcs remain on the thin side, sort of like a soapy prime-time drama. That’s not ideal since all four leads come from TV dramas that outpace “Pants’ ” storytelling.
However, this franchise is where we can see all four at the same time, interacting in person. As Carmen would point out, that’s better than email.