This week-end it is definitely about friendship. We’re obviously talking about Judd Apatow’s comedy “Pineapple Express” and another movie, a mixture of comedy and romance, “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.” Both cinematographic productions focus on friendship relations of the same sex (which again makes me wonder about the possibility of friendship between a man and a woman – but that’s definitely another story) and leave romantic relations as secondary themes.

From this vantage point, we might consider “Pants” and “Pineapple” as cinematographic siblings, however the former has a sister. Evidently, I’m making reference to this summer’s earlier opening, “Sex and the City.” The two movies are so close to each other not only because both focus on four women, but mostly due to the fact that both productions approach the theme of women’s friendship. Whatever goes wrong, your best gal pals will be there to support you.

SATC featured the four protagonists in their ‘40s, “Pants” is more ludic and centers on the adventures of 20-something girls. As the first installment revealed three years ago, the four friends, Tibby, Carmen, Bridget, and Lena are bound by a pair of jeans that miraculously fit each of them perfectly, despite the fact that they are different sizes and shapes. The pants are endowed with magical powers, helping them to overcome difficult moments in their adolescence. In the present sequel, the pants are almost a substitution of their physical presence, however, still an embodiment of their strong relationship.

The narrator of “Pants 2” is still Carmen (“Ugly Betty’s” America Ferrera), probably because she is still the most emotional one of the group. It’s the end of their first year in college, a period which separated them as each went to study elsewhere, and Carmen hopes to spend the summer vacation in their company. Turns out that each has already made plans and Carmen takes up working backstage at an actors’ colony. Moreover, she is offered the leading role (hence trouble begins).

Lena (Rory of TV series “Gilmore Girls) follows her artistic talents and is in New York, at the Rhode Island School of Design. Still a coy personality, Lena finds it difficult to have a nude male model to paint. In the same city, we find Tibby (Amber Tamblyn of “Joan of Arcadia”) who has to find inspiration in a video-store to concoct a romantic screenplay. On the other side of the world, in Turkey, Bridget (Blake Lively, “Gossip Girl”) is preoccupied with an archaeological dig and finding more about her mother’s death.

The girls aren’t alone in the flick. No, designer clothes and shoes won’t be the other leading characters as in SATC. Shohreh Aghdashloo plays the teacher that supervises Bridget and we also find Blythe Danner as her grandmother. Also, the girls are surrounded by many smart and good-looking boys, boys whom we’d like to have around us, too (but that’s yet another story).

The four protagonists are not fabulous in the SATC way, but make a terrific job in the movie. “Pants” highlights that girls’ friendship is no utopia (as in “Mean Girls”) and most importantly, that a romantic relationship is not the quintessence of their lives. Each of them pursuits her happiness, and every bump is overcome with the support of her BFF, and not necessarily with the affection of a man. A ring is definitely not a goal and boys craze won’t be the ailment of any of them.

Let’s not forget to highlight that the movie tackles with actual themes like teen pregnancy or commitment. The fact that every character has equal time on the silver screen to be great emphasizes that friendship is based on equality; moreover, if in the first sequel Alexis Bledel and Amber Tamblyn were more known due to their previous TV roles, in the second sequel all four of them take advantage of the same popularity and success. 

The movie is based on the script of Elizabeth Chandler, who developed on the novels by Ann Brashares. The directorial work bears the signature of Sanaa Hamri, a newcomer who has done an outstanding 111-quality-minute work.  Even though there are no hints that “Pants 2” will have any twin sister within a few years, who knows what the magical vintage pants can do?