The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Four 16-year-old girls, close friends practically from birth, discover a pair of magical jeans that somehow fit all of them, the tall and thin, the short and chubby. They are parting for the summer, and agree to mail them to each other so each will have equal access to the magic.

Given that plot outline, I expected a fairly dumb result. All of them will get handsome boyfriends, straighter, cleaner teeth, loving parents, lots of Xmas presents, and the fat girl will lose weight. But the pants are just a plot device that takes us into much darker territory than that. There are real issues addressed here: loss of a parent, anger at a parent, death, and how getting what you want can be the worst thing that can happen, among other things that concern teenage girls … and all of us. The five young actresses here are incredibly good, the script is smart. There are some very moving moments.

Mom: This ain’t your mall rat comedy. These are serious, likeable girls. I’d recommend it to you, but bring a hankie. [Many hankies.]