Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

My review of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 appears in this week's WE.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
By Andrea Warner
3 stars


Gasps, groans, and collective “awwwwwwwws”—these are the sounds of tween girls hearts alternately breaking, bursting, and ballooning with love at the infectiously fun and flawed return of the four best friends who magically fit one pair of truly hideous looking but downright durable jeans.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 picks up the summer after the girls first year of college. Each one has gone on to great schools, living out their dreams—these are the role models every liberal parent dreams about. Almost.

Alexis Bledel’s Lena is trying to deal with love trouble (a decidedly grown-up trouble, so parents of young kids be aware) while Blake Lively’s Bridget is dealing with the ramifications of her mother’s depression and suicide. Amber Tamblyn’s Tibby is saddled with the most ridiculous storyline (again, parents, if you don’t want to address birds and the bees, see something else) whereas America Ferrara’s Carmen is facing the bigger reality of the loneliness and insecurity that often shapes one’s first year away from home.

The actors are a charming group, and surviving the bridge between high school and college provides material that’s emotional, funny, and sweet. But, the film goes on forever, and some of the plot points (going back and forth to Greece is as easy as going to the store for milk) stretch the already thin confines of believability. But, one thing is clear—magical pants, boys, even dreams may come and go, but best friends are forever.