The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (film)

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a 2005 American comedy drama film released by Warner Bros. Pictures, based on the 2001 novel of the same name by Ann Brashares. It was directed by Ken Kwapis and written by Delia Ephron and Elizabeth Chandler.

The film's production budget was $25 million. At the box office, it brought in a total domestic gross of $39,053,061. The DVD was released in the United States on October 11, 2005, and features on-camera commentary by Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel, and America Ferrera and deleted scenes (discussed by Kwapis). The film was partially shot in the Kamloops and Ashcroft area in British Columbia, Canada.

It is the first installment of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants film series, which include a sequel The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008), while a third film is in development. A musical adaptation based on the film is also in development.

Plot
Carmen, Tibby, Bridget, and Lena are teenage best friends from Bethesda, Maryland, about to spend their first summer apart. Lena is visiting her grandparents in Santorini, Greece; Tibby is staying home; Bridget is going to soccer camp in Mexico; and Carmen is visiting her father in South Carolina. Shopping together, the girls find a pair of jeans that inexplicably fits them all perfectly. The girls decide to share the jeans – dubbing them the Traveling Pants – equally over the summer, before parting the next day.

Lena Kaligaris
Through the Pants’ intervention, Lena meets local Greek boy Kostas Dounas, but learns that her and Kostas' families are sworn enemies. Kostas continues to pursue Lena, and they develop feelings for each other. Lena is hesitant, but admits to herself that she is afraid of love, and begins a secret relationship with Kostas. On their last night together, Kostas tells Lena that he loves her, but her family interrupts before she can answer. Lena confronts her grandfather, who finally agrees to allow her to see Kostas before he leaves. Kostas and Lena share a passionate kiss, and she confesses her love for him.

Tabitha "Tibby" Rollins
Working at a discount department store, Tibby finds a young girl named Bailey has fainted in the deodorant aisle and calls an ambulance. Fascinated by Tibby's self-made movie or "suckumentary", Bailey appoints herself Tibby's assistant. Initially annoyed, Tibby grows to accept Bailey, and learns from Bailey's neighbor that Bailey has leukemia.

Bailey goes to the hospital with a bad infection, and Tibby avoids the hospital for a while, but eventually visits Bailey with the Traveling Pants. She pleads with Bailey to take them to help her, but Bailey says the pants have already worked their magic by bringing her and Tibby together. Tibby continues to spend time with Bailey in the hospital, until receiving a phone call from Bailey's mother that she died in the night.

When Carmen returns from South Carolina, Tibby tries to help with Carmen’s feelings of being snubbed by her father. Carmen lashes out at Tibby, who leaves in tears. They reconcile, and visit Bridget to bring her out of her depression. Tibby undergoes dramatic changes in her outlook due to her time with Bailey.

Carmen Lowell
Coming to stay with her father in South Carolina, Carmen is shocked to meet the new family he is about to marry into; they are blonde WASPs, unlike Carmen who was raised by her Catholic, Puerto Rican mother. Her father and step-family neglect her emotionally, driving her to throw a stone through their dining room window and catch a bus back to Maryland. Tibby convinces Carmen to confront her father with a phone call; she finally tells her father her frustrations, and he apologizes. She and her friends go to South Carolina, where she is an attendant at her father's wedding, and he publicly apologizes for neglecting her. Accepting his apology, Carmen joins the blended family onstage for the ceremony.

Bridget "Bee" Vreeland
Arriving at soccer camp in Baja California, Mexico, Bridget develops a crush on coach Eric Richman. She reveals to Eric that, following her mother's suicide, a psychiatrist described her as "singleminded to the point of recklessness," presumably a way to avoid coping with her mother's death. Despite relationships between coaches and campers being forbidden, Bridget flirts with Eric, showing off for him during games.

When Bridget's turn with the Pants begins, she puts them on and walks to Eric's cabin that night, leading him to the beach. Bridget loses her virginity to Eric, but feels empty and listless even after returning home. Learning what happened in a letter, Lena calls Carmen and Tibby, and they arrive at Bridget's house to cheer her up. Bridget worries she is like her mother, whose mood swings culminated in deep depression and suicide. Carmen and Tibby reassure Bridget that she is stronger than her mother. Eric visits, and apologizes to Bridget for his behavior. He tells her that while she is too young for him now, he hopes she will give him a chance when she is older, providing Bridget much-needed closure.

Cast

 * Amber Tamblyn as Tabitha "Tibby" Tomko-Rollins
 * Victoria Tennant as Young Tibby
 * Alexis Bledel as Lena Kaligaris
 * Alanna Dawn Ekkert as Young Lena
 * America Ferrera as Carmen Lowell
 * Tiara Santana as Young Carmen
 * Blake Lively as Bridget Vreeland
 * Ashley Hale as Young Bridget
 * Bradley Whitford as Albert "Al" Lowell, Carmen's father
 * Jenna Boyd as Bailey Graffman
 * Nancy Travis as Lydia Rodman
 * Erica Hubbard as Soccer Pal Diana


 * Kyle Schmid as Paul Rodman
 * Mike Vogel as Eric Richman
 * Michael Rady as Kostas Dounas
 * Kristie Marsden as Soccer Pal Olivia
 * Emily Tennant as Krista Rodman
 * Leonardo Nam as Brian McBrian
 * Rachel Ticotin as Christina
 * Maria Konstandarou as Yia Yia
 * George Touliatos as Papou

Production
Principal photography started on the island of Santorini, Greece. Filming then continued in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 77% approval rating based on 125 reviews with an average rating of 6.69/10. The site's critical consensus reads "This adaptation of a beloved novel charms with its heartwarming tale of friendship and young adulthood; realistic portrayals of the lives of teenage girls lend the comedy-drama sincerity, and may capture hearts outside the female-centric demographic." Metacritic gave the film a score of 66%, with "generally favorable reviews", based on 34 reviews. Yahoo! Movies gave the film a B rating based on 13 different critics.

Box office
On its opening weekend, the film opened #5 at the box office with $9,833,340. As of November 14, 2008, the film has grossed $42,013,878 worldwide.

Home media
The DVD and VHS were released in the US on October 11, 2005. The film has yet to be released on Blu-ray.

Soundtrack and score
The song album was released by Columbia Records on May 24, 2005.


 * 1) "These Days" – Chantal Kreviazuk (3:57)
 * 2) "Unwritten" – Natasha Bedingfield (4:19)
 * 3) "Time of Our Lives" – Paul van Dyk (3:37)
 * 4) "Black Roses Red" – Alana Grace (4:12)
 * 5) "If God Made You" (Radio Remix) – Five for Fighting (4:16)
 * 6) "Just for You" – William Tell (3:46)
 * 7) "Closer to You" – Brandi Carlile (2:54)
 * 8) "No Sleep Tonight" – The Faders (3:00)
 * 9) "I Want You to Know" – Chantal Kreviazuk (3:19)
 * 10) "Be Be Your Love" – Rachael Yamagata (4:14)
 * 11) "Sun's Gonna Rise" – Shannon Curfman (3:55)
 * 12) "Simple" – Katy Perry (3:39)
 * 13) "Always There in You" – Valli Girls (an early track involving members of HAIM) (3:46)

The album of Cliff Eidelman's score was released by Varèse Sarabande on July 12, 2005.


 * 1) "Prologue" (3:44)
 * 2) "Deja Blue" (1:04)
 * 3) "Fate" (1:01)
 * 4) "Rules of the Pants" (3:26)
 * 5) "A Touch of Greece" (1:18)
 * 6) "Honey" (1:10)
 * 7) "The Traveling Pants" (:53)
 * 8) "Reflection" (2:07)
 * 9) "Running" (1:26)
 * 10) "Traveling to Baja" (:39)
 * 11) "The Way of the Pants" (:34)
 * 12) "Letter" (1:48)
 * 13) "Broken Heart" (1:16)
 * 14) "A Brave Soul" (1:15)
 * 15) "Last Words" (:58)
 * 16) "Us" (2:18)
 * 17) "Sisterhood Reunites" (1:14)
 * 18) "Together" (1:29)
 * 19) "The Traveling Song" (3:17)
 * 20) "Piano Suite" (4:03)

Awards

 * 2006 – Won; Imagen Foundation Awards for Best Actress (America Ferrera)
 * 2006 – Nominated; ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (America Ferrera)
 * 2006 – Nominated; Young Artist Award for Best Family Feature Film – Drama
 * 2006 – Nominated; Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress (Jenna Boyd)
 * 2005 – Nominated; Satellite Award for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role, Comedy or Musical (America Ferrera)
 * 2005 – Nominated; Satellite Award for Outstanding Youth DVD (Widescreen Edition)
 * 2005 – Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress: Drama (Alexis Bledel)
 * 2005 – Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress: Drama (Amber Tamblyn)
 * 2005 – Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Performance – Female (America Ferrera)
 * 2005 – Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Performance – Female (Jenna Boyd)
 * 2005 – Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Performance – Female (Blake Lively)
 * 2005 – Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Performance – Male (Michael Rady)
 * 2005 – Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Hissy Fit (America Ferrera)
 * 2005 – Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Love Scene (Alexis Bledel and Michael Rady)
 * 2005 – Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Drama