Tagline: Laugh. Cry. Share the pants.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants brings to the screen Ann Brashares’ best-selling novel about one very special summer in the lives of four lifelong friends.
Introduced as babies who were born to mothers who met in a prenatal aerobics class, the four grew up together and developed an enduring bond despite their distinctly different emerging personalities. Now, after years of sharing every triumph and loss, every wild idea and secret fear with the laughter and love of true friends, these four young women couldn’t be closer… except that they’re about to be separated as their lives take them in different directions for the first time.
Introspective and occasionally volatile Carmen (America Ferrera) is looking forward to spending quality time with her out-of-state dad, whom she hasn’t seen much since he divorced her mother years ago; super-confident star athlete Bridget (Blake Lively) is heading for a soccer camp in Mexico; soft-spoken Lena (Alexis Bledel), a gifted artist as beautiful as her drawings, is set to discover her heritage – and an unexpected romance – on a trip to her grandparents’ home in Greece; and sharp-witted rebel Tibby (Amber Tambly) will reluctantly remain in town, stocking shelves at the local discount store while working on her pet project, a video “suckumentary” to expose what she sees as the banality of everyday life.
On a shopping trip together the day before their paths diverge, the friends find a pair of thrift-shop jeans that amazingly fits and flatters each one of them perfectly, even though they are four young women of very different shapes and sizes. It seems these pants are meant for sharing and that gives Carmen, Bridget, Lena and Tibby a wonderful idea. They decide to use the pants as a way of keeping in touch during the months ahead, each one wearing them for a week to see what luck they bring before mailing them on to the next. In this unique way, though miles apart, the four still experience the challenges and surprises of life as they always have – together – in a summer they’ll never forget.
Production Information
A New York Times best-seller for more than a year after its 2001 publication, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants became a national phenomenon, earning high praise from critics as well as readers. The book was consistently voted first choice in mother/daughter book clubs across the country and has prompted comparisons of author Ann Brashares to renowned storyteller Judy Blume in her ability to shine a light on the rich but rough terrain of youth while honestly connecting with readers of all ages.
An avid reader and editor at a small publishing company before taking the plunge into writing, Brashares recalls the inspiration for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, her debut novel. “I was chatting with someone who happened to mention she once shared a pair of pants with some friends, and for some reason that set off a lot of different ideas for me. I imagined who might share this pair of pants, what it means to them and where their lives might take them.”
“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a full emotional meal,” says producer Debra Martin Chase, who stayed up all night reading the book. “It’s about the power and beauty of friendship and it runs the gamut from intense joy to raw emotion. You find yourself completely identifying with and getting caught up in the journey of these characters.”
Chase, a two-time Emmy Award nominee (Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella) has a resumé distinguished by tales of what she calls “wishfulfillment and empowerment,” such as The Preacher’s Wife, The Princess Diaries and its sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. “I like to make films that explore the idea that we all have the power within ourselves to do anything. The only limitations in life are those we put on ourselves. This story is a perfect example of that.”
Producer Denise Di Novi, whose considerable filmmaking credits include successful screen adaptations of the bestselling books Practical Magic and Message in a Bottle, had a similar reaction. Initially assuming it was “a youth novel,” she soon realized that the themes in Brashares’ story transcend age to tap into familiar experiences of “growing into adulthood, realizing your parents aren’t perfect, struggling with self-confidence and facing the unexpected challenges of life with humor and determination – with the all-important support of friends who often know you better than you know yourself.
“I was impressed by the strength of the characters,” she says. “It’s eminently relatable and original, and brings up ideas and issues we’ve all faced and deals with them in an honest way. It’s easy to see why fans can quote whole passages from this book. It’s the kind of book you keep and re-read to find new meaning or to revisit certain times, whether these things happened to you 20 years ago or they’re happening now.”
Chase and Di Novi soon joined forces to develop The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, with producers Broderick Johnson and Andrew A. Kosove, founders and co-presidents of Alcon Entertainment.
“What made Broderick and me so passionate about it was how different it was from the traditional approach,” notes Kosove, who, with partner Johnson, has brought a diverse slate of films to the screen, among them Insomnia, Dude Where’s My Car, My Dog Skip and this year’s Racing Stripes. “It’s a smart movie that doesn’t talk down to its audience. Even though our protagonists are young women, the quality and the drama is mature.”
Johnson concurs, adding, “The charm of the story is its authenticity. First love, first loss, the first time we’re confronted with tragedy, and through it all the humor and great times we share with friends – these moments are universal.”
The filmmakers hired writers Delia Ephron (Michael, You’ve Got Mail, the upcoming Bewitched) and Elizabeth Chandler (A Little Princess, What A Girl Wants) to work on a screenplay and the search began for a director.
Chase recalls how director Ken Kwapis met the team’s high expectations in their initial meeting. “In great detail,” she says, “he spoke about each character with complete understanding. Nothing sappy or cute. As he walked out the door I knew, ‘this is the guy.’ This is the guy who can make you smile and have fun and then deliver completely on the emotion and gravity and connect all the dots.”
Renowned in the industry for directing some of the most groundbreaking and intelligent shows on television, beginning with The Larry Sanders Show and including ER, Malcolm in the Middle, Freaks and Geeks, The Bernie Mac Show and The Office, Kwapis shared a 2000 Emmy Award nomination for his producing work on Malcolm in the Middle. He has directed seven features, including He Said, She Said and most recently the independent Sexual Life.
“What struck me most,” Kwapis explains, “was that the four stories were so different and the characters such different types and yet I was able to identify with them equally. It reminded me of a film that had a profound effect on me as a teenager and ultimately steered me toward my career: American Graffiti. I loved all of those characters and felt on some inexplicable level that they represented different aspects of myself. So when I read the Sisterhood script, I knew this should be a film for which every member of the audience sees themselves reflected not in a single character but in several or maybe all of them. There are no villains here, there are only people; people who make good or bad choices and screw up, and these are choices that I’ve made and that everyone in the audience has made.
“Structurally,” he says, “I sometimes thought of it in musical terms, as a piece for four voices. Each of us has known shyness like Lena or dreamt of being impulsive like Bridget. Each of us has a sarcastic, rebellious side, like Tibby and would like to be as passionate and expressive as Carmen. Ultimately, I wanted to create the worlds these young women inhabit so we could eavesdrop on their lives.”
Of paramount importance to the director was “making sure the voices and intention of Ann Brashares’ story were vividly preserved from book to screen.” Brashares, watching the film evolve, reports being “delighted at how it turned out, absolutely true to the spirit of the book,” and notes that Kwapis did not shy away from depicting her characters as she envisioned them, “honestly, warts and all. I wanted them to be natural, with their flaws and weaknesses, their snap judgments and pettiness.”
The author also appreciated that the filmmakers avoided the temptation to wrap everything up neatly, “I never want to tell a story that’s leading up to a lesson learned. If that’s what’s drawing you through a story then you’re not listening to the characters. In life, not everything is resolved.”
Introducing Four Actresses
“We’d been a foursome for as long as I could remember. We depended on each other to understand things that no one else could, and to be there for the things we couldn’t face alone.” – Carmen
Faced with the challenge of introducing four actresses who had never met and helping them develop a credible chemistry on screen as though they had known each other all their lives, Kwapis invited them on a special shopping trip before production started. He gave them each $75 and turned them loose in a thrift store for an afternoon, charged with finding an outfit for themselves and each other – in character.
As a result, “They immediately began to interact as Tibby, Carmen, Bridget and Lena,” he says. “It helped immensely toward developing that lived-in feeling of lifelong friendship. What I wanted to avoid was their putting on a show of being great friends.”
In retrospect, he needn’t have worried because the four became fast friends on set and have remained close. “It’s always a crap shoot when you cast actors,” Di Novi says realistically.
“Are they going to like each other, are they going to get along? In this case, the movie gods were on our side and these women naturally clicked. They had so much fun together. Ultimately that energy and camaraderie shows on screen, which is great because one important thing about this story is that it’s not syrupy or too earnest; it has a sense of fun and irreverence running through the drama.”
“Casting on this project was key,” notes Chase. “Not only did each young woman have to be a terrific actress in her own right she had to fit the part. Readers know these characters so well we really wanted our choices to embody the essence of each one. Together, they had to represent the sisterhood – without that, there’s no movie.” Adds Kosove, “our objective was not so much to find four actresses but to find these four women.”
Amber Tamblyn as Tibby
Smart, sarcastic, rebellious, creative – “she definitely marches to her own beat,” says Amber Tamblyn, the Emmy-nominated lead of the CBS series Joan of Arcadia, cast as Tibby.
In contrast to her friends, Tibby’s summer plans revolve around working shifts at the local discount store and babysitting her little sister. “As the only one of the group who doesn’t have travel plans for the summer, she’s focusing on other people who, in her estimation, aren’t going anywhere with their lives either, and decides to spend the summer working on her video, the Suckumentary, which is just her interviewing people in town in order to show how pathetic their lives are. It’s her way of coping and venting her anger.”
“Not only is Tibby angry,” offers Kwapis, “she’s actually very invested in being angry and miserable and refusing to connect with people.” What she lacks is an appreciation of how rich life can be on a moment to moment basis, and how to mine the good. Tibby needs something to shake her out of her entrenched opinions and that will happen in a most unexpected way, through a chance encounter with an extraordinary girl named Bailey (played by Jenna Boyd) who views life in an entirely different way and for very compelling reasons. Says Kwapis, “When Bailey offers to be Tibby’s assistant on the video project, little does Tibby realize that Bailey is going to collaborate on a much deeper level.”
Tamblyn was the first of the quartet to be cast, “which immediately set the bar very high,” says Kwapis. “Amber has a keen intelligence, a sharp wit and cynical point of view on things yet, like Tibby, she’s not all edge. She has an equal amount of heart, and was able to bring all these layers to the part, because it’s important to see there’s more to Tibby than even she herself is aware.”
America Ferrera as Carmen
Sassy and outspoken yet deeply sensitive, fireball Carmen is brought to life by America Ferrera, who earned wide recognition, critical acclaim and an Independent Spirit Award with her feature debut in 2002’s comedy drama Real Women Have Curves. The film took the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
Hoping for quality time with her father, whom she’s seen only briefly since her parents’ divorce, Carmen is instead stunned to discover him happily living with a fiancé and two future stepchildren. As producer Johnson suggests, “It’s as though he has moved on to a whole new family and Carmen can’t help thinking, for herself and her mother, ‘weren’t we good enough for you?’” Disappointed and suddenly out of place, she struggles with her feelings rather than risk losing him with a confrontation, until her emotions get the better of her and all hell breaks loose.
Ferrera sees Carmen’s situation as “something many people can relate to in this world where the definition of family is always changing and so often one parent is not present or where relationships can be full of love but lack trust. I grew up in a single-parent household so Carmen’s struggles are familiar to me.” What Carmen must learn, Ferrera says, “is that your parents aren’t superheroes and aren’t perfect and that can be a very painful experience.
Sometimes you hate them. And after that you learn to love and respect them.” For all her self-doubt when it comes to talking with her father, “Carmen is really the rock of the quartet,” says Di Novi. She’s the one who always says what the others are thinking or feeling and with they could say. She’s also the writer and narrator of the story. Carmen is a combination of passion and introspection, and America is all of that and more.”
Blake Lively as Bridget
When the story opens, Bridget is still reeling from the recent death of her mother. Afraid to face the enormity of their grief, both she and her father have chosen denial and escape over communication. Always confident, athletic and impulsive, Bridget has lately grown reckless, and unwisely decides to amp it up over the summer by pursuing an out-of-bounds older coach while at soccer camp in Mexico. But the relationship proves more than she bargained for.
“On the surface, it seems Bridget doesn’t have any problems at all, she’s always fun and the life of the party,” says Blake Lively, cast as the high-energy MVP. “When she feels a mood coming on, she takes off running, literally. She needs to stop and deal with things.”
The filmmaking team agrees that Bridget was the hardest role to cast. “Who’d have thought we would have difficulty finding a vibrant, attractive, energetic all-American blonde in Southern California?” jokes Chase, recalling countless hours of auditions. It was Lively who finally struck that perfect chord, although not based upon her resume.
As Kwapis recalls, “I turned over her photo to see what she had done and it was blank. I couldn’t believe it. But after she’d finished reading her scenes I turned to the casting director and said, ‘our Bridget just walked out of the room.’ She’s absolutely wonderful.”
“It’s always exciting to discover a new star,” says Di Novi. “When a newcomer just blows you away like that, it’s part of the thrill of being in this business.”
Alexis Bledel as Lena
A striking beauty, Lena is wary of being judged on her looks. Believing that people are uninterested in knowing the real Lena, she is shy with anyone but her friends. Dressing modestly to avoid attention, she is happiest when left alone to sketch and paint.
Somewhat hesitantly, she embarks on a summer trip to Greece to meet her grandparents, never dreaming to find there a forbidden romance that will shake her self-image to its core and alter her view of life.
“Lena lives through observation, not participation,” notes Alexis Bledel, cast as the shy artist. “Uncomfortable in her own skin, unable to take a compliment, uncertain about everything and afraid to take a chance, what she needs is to find her courage and meet life halfway.”
A two-time Teen Choice Awards nominee for her leading role as Rory in The WB series Gilmore Girls, Bledel also distinguished herself in Tuck Everlasting and Pride & Prejudice and most recently appeared in the action thriller Sin City. Had she been an actress in the 1920s, Kwapis suggests, she would have been an extraordinary silent film star, because of “her ability to express character through nuance, gesture and facial expression. Luckily, that encompasses comedy. This is a woman who knows how to take a pratfall.”
“I have no doubt,” says Chase, “that Alexis has spent her entire life feeling people stare at her. Yet inside she’s a smart, funny, delightful person. In that way I imagine she can identify with Lena on a fundamental level.”
Important People in Their Lives
Jenna Boyd stars in the pivotal role of Bailey, a remarkably mature and self-possessed girl who enters Tibby’s life abruptly by fainting one day in the store where she works. Panicked, Tibby summons an ambulance and waits with the unconscious girl, finding herself caring more than she would want to admit.
An accomplished actress with television and commercial credits logged before she was 10, Boyd most recently earned a 2004 Young Artist Award for her starring role in Ron Howard’s mystery The Missing. “Jenna is an amazing talent,” says Kwapis. “She completely disappears into the role. There’s not one nanosecond that’s false.”
Days after the fainting episode, apparently recovered from whatever caused her to pass out in the store, Bailey reappears and attaches herself to Tibby, volunteering to help with the Suckumentary project. Tibby grudgingly allows the “young pest” to carry her recording equipment and is soon surprised at her new assistant’s commitment. But when Bailey innocently inserts a question or two of her own into Tibby’s interviews, it becomes clear that she has her own point of view, which is not exactly in line with that of her cynical “mentor.”
Rather than seeing their subjects as Tibby does, uninteresting people with dull jobs and meaningless lives, Bailey’s questions get to the heart of who these individuals truly are. Warmed by Bailey’s interest, they open up to reveal depth and personality beyond their job titles or circumstances in ways Tibby would never have imagined. “Bailey has an uncanny ability to connect with people,” says Kwapis. “Where Tibby closes the door, Bailey is constantly opening it. She lets people in. These two could not be more dissimilar and yet it’s Tibby’s destiny to meet this girl who’s going to turn her life around.”
“She teaches Tibby things that she would never accept from her parents or older people,” adds Di Novi, noting the unique nature of the relationship. “It’s so true to life.”
Bailey’s influence subtly alters the negative premise of Tibby’s documentary and, ultimately, her view of the world by focusing on the positive and finding diamonds in the rough. It’s a perspective that will liberate Tibby but, as she also discovers, it comes at a price: when you step out from behind the façade and start caring about people, you can really get hurt.
Bradley Whitford stars as Carmen’s father, Al, a character he sees as not purposely hurtful but just woefully unaware. “Having minimal contact with his daughter,” Whitford explains, “Al is kidding himself that he’s managing this long-distance relationship, keeping it simple and uncomplicated, and that everything is okay. But the fact is, it is complicated, and painful. He’s hurt her unintentionally but very deeply and doesn’t realize that until Carmen gets up the nerve to tell him.” A father of three himself, he admits with a laugh that, “often parents are far more educated by their children than the children be by the parents.”
Whitford has starred in numerous features such as Bicentennial Man and Kate and Leopold, but is best-known as Joshua on the acclaimed NBC series The West Wing, a starring role that has earned him an Emmy and two Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as additional Emmy, SAG and Golden Globe nominations.
A longtime friend of Ken Kwapis, it was Whitford’s connection to the director that initially interested him in the project, but it was the story itself that captured him. “The things that these four are going through is not limited to their own experience; it’s universal. It’s an honest account, told in a way that makes you feel the characters breathing. I flew through the script and found myself truly moved by it,” he recalls. “Then I read the book and suffered the humiliation of tearing up in a coffee shop.”
Nancy Travis stars as Al’s fiancé Lydia, a suburban divorcée with two teenagers, preparing to make a new life with Al and somewhat nervous about meeting his daughter Carmen from his first marriage.
Travis, who appeared as Chris on the CBS series Becker and recently starred opposite Tom Selleck in the Turner Network movie Running Mates, appreciated the fact that Lydia “is not just the evil step-mother. The wonderful thing about Ann Brashares is that all of her characters are fleshed out and given dimension so you really get a sense that you’re dealing with real people. Everyone has their loves and issues and conflicts but there is no simplistic good or bad.”
Carmen and Lydia have their differences from the minute they meet. Carmen’s obvious resentment fuels Lydia’s apprehension. As Travis suggests, “they are two completely different creatures trying to graze in the same pasture. Lydia is reserved and somewhat sheltered and naïve in her approach, while Carmen is more flamboyant and gives vent to her frustrations. Ultimately, they want the same thing, which is to share their lives with Al. But they have to stop seeing each other as obstacles.”
Starring as Carmen’s mother, Rachel Ticotin must tread the line between friend and protector, “as mothers do every day whether they’re single parents or not” she says. “I’m trying to understand this complicated young woman who often doesn’t want to communicate and wants to be left alone and yet very much needs me as her rock, to hold her and love her and not say ‘I told you so’ when things don’t turn out the way she expects.”
But it’s not always drama. Ticotin, who plays Vangie Gonzalez in the PBS series American Family and recently appeared as Jack Nicholson’s caring doctor in Something’s Gotta Give, notes that her scenes with Ferrera also illustrate how “mother and daughter do enjoy each other’s company, which is equally realistic and I really liked that. In most families, mother and child love each other and drive each other crazy at the same time.”
During production, Ticotin and Ferrera discovered their mutual passion for musical comedy. “We sang every musical comedy song known to mankind,” Ticotin reveals. “Probably unbearable to everyone around us but we were having such a good time we didn’t care.”
Rounding out the main cast are Mike Vogel (Grounded for Life, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) as Bridget’s forbidden crush, soccer coach Eric; and big-screen newcomer Michael Rady as Kostas, Lena’s Santorini romance.
Bridget and Eric prove to be champion racers at soccer camp, literally “running to escape from their respective problems,” as Vogel sees it. Assessing the relationship that develops between these two, clearly a mistake for both of them, Vogel understands, “this is not what she really wants. Bridget has an unacknowledged void in her life and is looking for ways to fill that void. At that moment, she thinks it might be Eric.”
Cast as charismatic Greek islander Kostas, Rady makes his appearance by fishing Lena out of the harbor when she falls in while sketching. Rady believes the element of the unexpected defines their relationship and sparks her burgeoning self-confidence, saying, “It was all part of a maturing process she had already begun but meeting Kostas is a catalyst.” Kostas’ honest passion for life prompts Lena to break through her shyness and formality. “She is wonderfully surprised by how much richer everything looks and feels once she comes out of her shell to experience it.”
The Pants: A Symbolic Link for an Unbreakable Friendship
Talking about jeans – the way they fit, the way they look and what they say about the person wearing them – is never a neutral subject. When producer Chase says, “I believe it’s every woman’s fantasy to find the perfect pair of jeans,” she is, admittedly, only half-joking.
“We imbue jeans with a judgmental quality,” says Brashares. “You have your skinny jeans, your fat jeans, your sexy jeans and how they fit is integral to how you feel that day. But this pair transcends all that; it suits these four women equally, differently-built as they are. So we have this traditionally judgmental, restrictive piece of clothing that’s reformed into an object of unconditional acceptance,” which is exactly what these four friends give each other.
“I’ve always liked the idea that clothing can hold emotions and memories or connections to other people, so it wasn’t a stretch to imagine a pair of jeans could be a physical repository for a living friendship,” Brashares continues. “That’s what they came to mean as I wrote the book.”
On the day before they’re due to part, the four young women stop into a thrift store. Impulsively, Carmen grabs a pair of jeans and presses Tibby to try them on. They fit perfectly but Tibby’s not interested and tosses them off to Lena, who protests that she doesn’t wear jeans but tries them on anyway and is surprised to see them fit like a glove. Next up is Bridget, who, although taller than the others, scores another great fit. Finally Carmen, claiming not the slightest expectation of coaxing the zipper up, slips effortlessly into the jeans and at this point the four are convinced that these pants were meant for them to share while they are apart.
Feeling the sadness of their impending separation and anxious about whatever lies ahead for each of them without the support they’ve come to depend upon their entire lives, the young women then sneak into their secret haven, the empty exercise studio where their pregnant mothers met years ago, and improvise a mock ceremony for these incredible pants. Amidst laughter, they create a list of rules – some silly, some serious and all uniquely personal – to govern their use:
1. You must never wash the pants
2. You must never double-cuff them (it’s tacky).
3. You must never say or think you look fat while wearing the pants.
4. You must never let a boy take off the pants (although you may take them off yourself in his presence).
5. You must never pick your nose while wearing the pants.
6. Upon your reunion, you must follow the proper procedures for documenting your time in the pants.
7. You must write to your sisters throughout the summer, no matter how much fun you are having without them.
8. You must pass the pants along to your sisters according to the specifications set down by the Sisterhood.
9. You must not wear the pants with a tucked-in shirt and belt (see Rule #2)
10. Remember: pants equals love. Love your pals. Love yourself.
Of the ten, even Brashares has her favorites, in particular #4. “I’m quite fond of that one, although it’s a bit racy,” she admits. “The idea was that these young women should take charge of all aspects of their lives, decide what to do and what not to do and not allow themselves to be manipulated by anyone or anything.”
“I’ve adopted a slightly agnostic point of view regarding the potential power of these pants,” offers Kwapis, underscoring Brashares’ own intentionally ambiguous approach. “I feel this story is like The Wizard of Oz in that the strength and capability of each character is inside of them all the time. The pants are just the agent that brings this out. Truth is, Carmen has the courage inside to confront her father, Lena has the ability to come out of her shell, Bridget comes to realize that pursuing Eric has more to do with emptiness than love and Tibby discovers how much her anger has been keeping her from experiencing life. Their problems are solved by themselves.”
“The jeans are a metaphor,” suggests Chase. “They link the girls and become a symbol of their connection. Friendship is one of the most important bonds a person can make and will help you get through whatever you must face in life.”
From Greece to North Carolina to Mexico and back Home to Maryland
Sprung from its thrift store rack, first stop for the traveling pants is the Greek island of Santorini, via Lena’s suitcase, and ultimately up a narrow and bumpy burro trail to the cliffside home of her grandparents. “Santorini is a marvelous, enchanting place,” Kosove warmly recalls. “From a production standpoint it’s not easily accessible, perched on a steep mountainside,” which may be why The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is one of very few American productions to film on the spectacularly beautiful volcanic island in the past 25 years. “Everything about it is vertically oriented,” adds Kwapis. “Homes are built into the sides of cliffs. It’s exotic in a way unlike any other place in Greece or in the world.”
Early on, the filmmakers unanimously dismissed the idea of using a more popular filming locale, such as Malta, to double for the Greek island. Chase, who had been to Santorini, attests to “how distinctive it was, physically. When Andrew and I looked at the scouting photography we agreed it was the only way to go. It’s such a significant part of the movie, we felt compelled to deliver the real thing.”
To emphasize Santorini’s legendary visual splendor and enhance Lena’s experience of romance and cultural immersion, the production took care to present the well-known locale in a slightly more traditional way, as artists have captured it in years past. Still primarily a fishing village, the modern harbor now hosts large boats that can block the background vistas. Working during the locals’ off-season, the Sisterhood production brought in smaller boats, dressed picturesquely with nets and traps, and created a fictitious fleet for Kostas’ family complete with hand-painted mermaid and starfish logos and flags marked with the family initial.
From Greece, production moved to an uncrowded beach near Cabo St. Lucas, Mexico, to feature the glorious Pacific ocean as backdrop for the soccer camp and in particular for a scene in which Bridget and Eric exuberantly race one another on the damp sand to catch a moment alone while the rest of the team falls behind.
“There were a number of challenges,” Johnson acknowledges, “because the action is located in four different primary locations, each focusing on a different actress, so scheduling to accommodate the actors’ schedules and move from place to place was a feat of timing and organization. We began in Santorini, to start out at the furthest and possibly the most difficult point and then move back toward home.”
Ultimately, the film encompassed a total of 68 individual locations, with production designer Gae Buckley (Open Range) noting, “it seemed the company was almost always shooting two or three locations a day, while we were prepping another six or nine. It was like working a logistics puzzle just to get everything done.”
“Gae did an amazing job with all our sets and designs,” says Chase. “She loved the story and really got the characters and their personalities.”
“I know these girls,” Buckley responds fondly, meaning not only the Sisterhood actresses but her own three best friends, echoing the sentiments of many among the cast and crew. “These characters are familiar to me.”
The designer and her team chose subtle color continuities for each of the four young women to inhabit. As Buckley outlines, “Lena was blue and white, colors associated with the brilliant Greek island scenery; Bridget was green, echoing the soccer field on which she excelled; Carmen was bright oranges, pinks and fuchsia, so she would really stand out against the paler color field represented by her father Al and his fiancée’s family; and Tibby’s world was that of mini-malls, store interiors, fluorescent lighting and colors unknown in nature, while her room colors were dark and smoldering.”
“Our task was to give each of the four storylines a particular look but make them belong to the same film,” explains Kwapis, who had a trusted ally in renowned cinematographer John Bailey. Bailey’s career spans 30 years and includes a range of notable titles from American Gigolo and The Big Chill to As Good as it Gets and more recently, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days. He shared a 1985 Cannes Film Festival award for his work on Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters. Says Kwapis, “What I love about working with John is that we share an appreciation of classic Hollywood cinema. Sisterhood is not gimmicky, and the transitions from one story to another don’t call attention to themselves.”
Bailey employed wide-angle lenses for the Santorini shoot, to make Lena’s environment seem more overwhelming. In Mexico, long lenses set Bridget apart from the crowd. For Carmen’s scenes in her father’s new home, shots were composed to accentuate her awkwardness in the family tableau, as Kwapis describes. “A lot of the tension in those scenes comes from the fact that she doesn’t fit in visually.” When Tibby was on screen, he says, “to help express the edginess of her personality, we’d sometimes take the camera off tripod and shoot in a shakier way. Ultimately, these distinctive parts folded into a harmonious whole.”
These production notes provided by Warner Bros. Pictures.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Starring: Amber Tamblyn, Jenna Boyd, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera, Nancy Travis
Directed by: Ken Kwapis
Screenplay by: Delia Ephron
Release Date: May 20th, 2005
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic elements, sensuality and language.
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Box Office Totals
Domestic: $39,053,061 (93.0%)
Foreign: $2,960,817 (7.0%)
Total: $42,013,878 (Worldwide)