The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants succeeded as an entertaining film for teen-aged girls that adults could also enjoy due in large part to the four talented young actresses it showcased. Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel were the "big names" on that movie, Tamblyn because of her Emmy nod for Joan of Arcadia and Bledel for her long-standing role on Gilmore Girls. In the three years since its release, Joan stopped talking to God, the Girls stopped talking so fast, and Tamblyn and Bledel stepped back a bit from the public eye since their shows' cancellations. In contrast, America Ferrera and Blake Lively landed successful television series in the intermediary years, and Ferrera won the Triple Crown of TV awards in 2007 for her role on Ugly Betty. With a different director and the absence of one of the screenwriters from the first film, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 feels like a typical Hollywood attempt to cash in on Ferrera and Lively's new fanbases with a quickly slapped-together sequel, and unfortunately the end product seems to support that inclination.

The film takes most of its plot from Forever in Blue, the fourth and final book of the Traveling Pants series, but borrows bits from the second and third books as well. This piecemeal approach may have contributed to the aimlessness of the plot, but ultimately screenwriter Elizabeth Chandler fails to create a coherent story with any emotional resonance. Neither Chandler nor the actors really seem to know where the characters are going, and because the emotional journeys remain inscrutable the characters end up having to say what's going on in their heads so that the audience can figure out what has happened.

None of the four stories work particularly well, but Lena's rebound romance with an artist named Leo is probably the most successful, and not just because Jesse Williams is so pretty. Carmen's storyline about unintentionally becoming the lead in a production of Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale turns out to be too much About A Guy when it should be about Carmen gaining confidence and a renewed sense of self after feeling lost during her first year of college. Bridget leaving Turkey to visit her estranged grandmother in Alabama is just unfathomable, though I always enjoy seeing the lovely and talented Blythe Danner, especially when she's sporting a honeyed Southern drawl. Tibby's pregnancy scare and subsequent fears about getting close to people feels underdeveloped, and how frustrating that Tibby and Brian have an entire conversation about a condom breaking during sex without ever actually using the word "condom."

The acting from the four leads is something of a mixed bag. Bledel, Tamblyn, and Lively are solid, though not trying too hard in their separate storylines, but Ferrera seems downright bored. Just like its predecessor, the film really comes to life, or more accurately wakes from its coma, when they have scenes together. Once again, Tamblyn and Ferrera get the heavy lifting with a tense scene in which they argue about their mutual feelings of abandonment, but Bledel also has a moment to shine and gives the most genuine emotional display that I've ever seen out of her. These actresses obviously enjoy each other's company and their chemistry sparkles, making the script's lack of meaty material all the more lamentable.

Criterion 1: I must have seen a significant amount of the actress' oeuvre.
Criterion 2: The actress should demonstrate some range by having acted in more than just one genre. (Sorry, Tina.)
Criterion 3: I have watched films that I'm embarrassed to admit just to see the actress.

In alphabetical order:

Julie Andrews
(The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Victor Victoria, Princess Diaries)



Juliette Binoche
(Bleu, Caché, Bee Season)



Cate Blanchett
(The Missing, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Heaven, Notes on a Scandal)



Holly Marie Combs
(Charmed, Picket Fences)



Holly Hunter
(Living Out Loud, Thirteen, The Piano)



Diane Keaton
(Annie Hall, Manhattan, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Something's Gotta Give)



Frances McDormand
(Fargo, Friends With Money, Laurel Canyon, Wonder Boys)



Julianne Moore
(Children of Men, Far From Heaven, An Ideal Husband, The Hours)



Mary Tyler Moore
(The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Ordinary People)



Catherine O'Hara
(Beetlejuice, A Nightmare Before Christmas, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration)



Natalie Portman
(V for Vendetta, Closer, The Other Boleyn Girl, Star Wars: Episodes I-III)



Vanessa Redgrave
(Isadora, Julia, Atonement, Mrs Dalloway)



Susan Sarandon
(Igby Goes Down, Little Women, Thelma & Louise)



Barbra Streisand
(On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, What's Up, Doc?, Nuts, The Way We Were)



Tilda Swinton
(Stephanie Daley, The Deep End, Constantine, Thumbsucker)



Amber Tamblyn
(Joan of Arcadia, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Stephanie Daley)



Audrey Tautou
(Amèlie, Dirty Pretty Things, He Loves Me He Loves Me Not, Venus Beauty Institute)



Sigourney Weaver
(Aliens, The Ice Storm, Dave, The Village)



Kate Winslet
(Heavenly Creatures, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Finding Neverland)



Evan Rachel Wood
(Once and Again, Thirteen, The Missing)

Edited 1/19/09 to include Frances McDormand and Julianne Moore, who were grossly overlooked during the composition of the first list.

I cannot remember the last time that I anticipated a film as much as I am anticipating the April release of Hilary Brougher's Stephanie Daley. When I read the plot outline, I worried that the material could easily become a very special presentation on Lifetime. But judging from the small amounts of available footage, Brougher has created an appropriately somber and understated tone. The trailer promises a soul-crushing, Lars von Trier-ish affair. I anticipate comparing the labor scene to Bess's taunting and stoning in Breaking the Waves or Bill demanding that Selma kill him in Dancer in the Dark, trying to determine which is more heartbreaking.

Brougher has three very strong actors in Tilda Swinton, Timothy Hutton, and Amber Tamblyn. Even though Swinton and Hutton are amazing actors and over 20 years her senior, I think the stand-out performance of the film will belong to Tamblyn. Though she did not win, Tamblyn was recognized with an Independent Spirit Award nomination. (She lost to Frances McDormand who is fabulous, but I think that Tamblyn's performance in this film might overshadow McDormand's in Friends With Money.)

I think that Amber Tamblyn will prove to be the Jodie Foster of my generation.

I actually don't know what that means, but I thought it sounded good. I don't mean to imply that anyone will shoot a president for her. Though hmmm...that is a thought.

Though her adult acting resume is as yet quite short, Tamblyn has displayed enormous talent as both Joan on Joan of Arcadia and Tibby in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. (I'm giving her a pass on The Grudge 2. She did what she could with a script that gave her nothing interesting to do.) Her characters do not run together — Joan is not Tibby, who is not Aubrey, who is not Stephanie — and she shows a remarkable amount of restraint for an actor her age.

I struggle how to phrase this next thought because I do not want to sound insulting. I love Amber Tamblyn's averageness. Don't get me wrong — she is very pretty and can break out the sexy sexy, but she has the ability to appear entirely familiar. And then five minutes later she looks striking. She has a normal body, and she hasn't slimmed down drastically after gaining some notoriety like many actresses do. But again, Tamblyn is still bringing the sexy sexy. AND — I know, you thought it couldn't get any better than the reading glasses — and she really seems to be a good example for young people. I like that in two of her projects, Joan of Arcadia and Stephanie Daley, she portrays young women negotiating sex and not in a superficial way. (Though JoA does take the typical route of suggesting that the only pathway to sex jumps from fully-clothed, vertical kissing to naked, horizontal intercourse.)

Conclusion: Having only seen the trailer for Stephanie Daley, that image of Stephanie pressing her arm to her mouth and leaving a smear of blood hasn't left my mind for over a week. Its April release date cannot come soon enough.

You know, I cannot decide if I really like Amber Tamblyn or if I find her kind of obnoxious. Either way I don't really think that she cares, which I have to respect.

• Clip: Independent Spirit Awards
  
• Review: Karina Longworth, Cinematical
  
• Review: Scott Foundas, Variety
• Review: Kurt Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
  

Joan of Arcadia began its short, two-season run to a good amount of critical acclaim. By the end of season two, both ratings and acclaim had waned, but despite the weak writing that caused its decline in both quality and appreciation Joan of Arcadia distinguished itself as a member of a very short list of television shows that actually inspire people. The show tackled the topic of spirituality in an inclusive, exploratory manner, intending not to tear down either the religious or unreligious rather to celebrate wonderful aspects of humanity, aspects in which one might find God.

Strong characters and strong actors carried the show even when the writing faltered. Many writers would be content with a central character who talks to God played by Amber Tamblyn, who brings compassion and complexity to a character who easily could have become a caricature at times. However, creator Barbara Hall did not stop with Joan, developing engaging and multidimensional characters who surround her: Helen, Kevin, Luke, Grace, Adam, and even the many avatars of God. While I could say great things about everyone's performance, I think that Mary Steenbergen, Chris Marquette, and Becky Wahlstrom also deliver performances of particular note.

The only character that occurs as a misstep is Will. I do not fault Joe Mantegna's portrayal, rather the concept of the character. Barbara Hall has stated that she intended Will as a complement to Joan: she is a spiritual warrior while Will is a physical warrior. Will also has a very clear sense of right and wrong, while Joan is developing her moral compass and recognizing ambiguity. Because of these qualities, Hall chose to make Will a cop, which created the inclusion of the ineffectual police/detective B-plots. The show's greatest weakness lies in the police storylines, which are never very compelling. The rotating cast of secondary characters (Eric Palladino, April Grace, Mark Totty, Annie Potts) also fails to stimulate the viewers' investment in the case of the week. Because of his involvement in these storylines, Joe Mantegna's character often seems separate from the core of the show, i.e. Joan's changing relationship with her friends and family as she accepts her role as an instrument of God. That choice of Will's profession was, no pun intended, a cop-out and too obvious. Will as a character is very what-you-see-is-what-you-get – none of his opinions or reactions surprise me, which isn't a good thing.

Joan. Joan, Joan, Joan. OK, back it up. Amber Tamblyn – I cannot say enough good things about this young actress. (Ha! "Young actress." She is a couple of months older than I am. Anyway.) I first encountered her work through The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, a surprisingly good movie that both my mother (pretty easy-to-please film-goer) and myself (slighty cyncial film critic) enjoyed. Even partnered with other strong, young actresses like Alexis Bledel and America Ferrera, Tamblyn distinguished herself as an actress to look out for -- the scene in which Tibby's cynical exterior dissolves is heartbreaking. Tamblyn plays Joan with just as much aplomb, but the writing does not always deserve her skill. Barbara Hall has said that she wishes Joan to be as normal as possible. But if Joan is Hall's example of a normal teenager I really, really do not want the teenagers that Hall knows to become voting adults. In season one, Joan suffers from an excess of both self-absorption and stupidity. Yes, teenagers do tend to think that their world is the world, but not quite to the extent of Joan's egotism. And next to characters like Adam, Luke, and Grace, Joan can look like a real jerk. Joan also falls victim to the writer's penchant for the sitcom comedy, which prevailed during the middle of the season. I think that some of her erratic and, uh, dumb behavior was explained by her Lyme's disease, but evidence of, er, un-common-sensical thinking appears in season two as well.

Highlights of Season One:

• "Pilot"
• "Bringeth On" - nice handling of a sensitive topic and Adam is, like, the cutest thing ever
  
• "Death Be Not Whatever" - nice bonding scene between Adam and Joan, interesting client character in Rocky, and an excellent conversation about death between Joan and God
  
• "The Devil Made Me Do It" - Joan smashing Adam's art is probably one of the most powerful scenes of the series
  
• "Jump" - Adam and Joan sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! Oh, and there's some other good stuff involving a deepening of affection and emotion between the two of them, but did I mention the kissing?!?
  
• "The Gift" - though I have misgivings about the somewhat strange, black-and-white vignette, I liked that God challenged Joan to address the topic of sex with Adam and make a choice
  
• "Silence" - I thought it was really brave of the writers to allow the audience to question the entire premise of the show
  

Why, oh why couldn’t it have been The Sisterhood of the Traveling Jeans? But my auditory discomfort aside, Ken Kwapis’ (Hey, I just looked him up and realized that he directed two episodes of Freaks & Geeks. You go, man.) film based on the novel by Ann Brashares is a solid motion picture with limited missteps that delivers two hours of entertainment.

The film’s assets:

1. The acting. The performances delivered in this film by the female leads are all solid, with Amber Tamblyn and America Ferrara’s as the stand-outs. Of the four leads, Blake Lively has the shortest filmography and her lack of experience is evident in her performance. While she does not embarrass herself, she does not make Bridget as distinctive as the other three young women. Tamblyn and Ferrara’s stories are the most interesting, but Alexis Bledel manages to make her romance-by-rote engaging thanks to her acting skills and a charismatic co-star. Mike Vogel — Lively’s love interest — plays Eric as a bland pretty boy, which combined with Lively’s less-engaging performance serves to make Bridget’s story the least interesting. But the four leads are incredibly engaging when together. The scenes with Ferrara and Tamblyn are some of the film’s best moments. As a supporting character, Jenna Boyd also delivers a fine performance.

The film doesn’t really have any offenses, which is why it is perfect for its target audience of 12- to 16-year-old girls. But that does not mean that the movie is without flaws — the script is hardly perfect. Some weaknesses:

1. Lena’s story is very formulaic.
2. Carmen and Bridget’s stories end too succinctly.
3. The screenplay drifts into the sappy and melodramatic a few times, but at other times the dialogue sparkles. Kwapis chose to allow the leads to overlap their dialogue in their scenes together, which gives the scenes a very natural feeling but causes the audience to miss some dialogue. I intend to rent the film when it comes out on DVD so that I can decipher more of the throwaway lines because the ones that I did catch were pretty funny.
4. Even though Boyd is playing a 12-year-old dying of leukemia, some of her dialogue sounds a little mature for a girl of her age. And even with her old-soul-in-a-young-body persona Boyd doesn’t quite manage to sell some of the lines.
5. Bridget’s story was also disappointing because it seemed as though the writers did not follow through completely. With the film’s target audience consisting mainly of young girls, I thought that screenwriters Delia Ephron and Elizabeth Chandler could have better handled Bridget’s reaction to losing her virginity. And even though they hinted at it, they did not come back to Bridget’s need for attention from an older man stemming from the lack of attention she was receiving from her father.

But the film’s missteps do not impinge on its overall effect. There is an honesty to these stories and their portrayals that makes them emotionally impactful, despite some manipulation involved in the telling.