Carrie Bradshaw is responsible for inspiring countless women of my generation to move to the big city and look for love without feeling that we need a partner to be complete. She is the Ann Marie of Generation X . For six seasons we cheered for her and Mr. Big to make it as a couple. In 2004 Big followed Carrie to Paris and swept her (and us viewers) off our feet.
Much to the delight of SATC fans everywhere, Carrie and her girlfriends reunited this summer in Sex and the City's first full length feature. As a character on the TV series once said to Carrie, "The world is waiting with breath that is bated." This was true of SATC's film incarnation. Many questions and criticisms were floating around before the movie even premiered. "Can you turn a 25 minute sitcom into a two and a half hour movie without boring your audience?" "Can a female lead ensemble carry a film?" "We left these women with happy endings four years ago. Can their lives really become disrupted again without disappointing the most devout fans?" The answers are yes, yes, and yes!
If you are a fan of the series, seeing the film version of SATC is like spending an afternoon with old friends. Whether your favorite character is Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, or Samantha you will not be disappointed. Each of the ladies experience their own sets of disappointments and triumphs through the course of the film and Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristen Davis, and Kim Catrall slip right back into their characters' Manolo's without missing a step.
The film picks up four years after the series ended. Carrie and Big are still dating and planning on moving in together. Will they take there relationship to an even further level or will Mr. Big's (who's name we now know is John James Preston) ever present fear of commitment ruin their relationship forever?
Miranda is still in Brooklyn with husband Steve and son Brady. Miranda is still a workaholic and is juggling more then ever between her work life, family life, and life with her girlfriends. Early in the film Steve does something to betray Miranda's trust which leaves her shaken and more cynical then ever.
Charlotte and her husband Harry are still very happy. They adopted a daughter from China, Lily. Charlotte is as optimistic and charmingly quirky as ever.
Samantha is still with Smith but they have moved to LA. Samantha is starting to feel like she is losing her identity and is constantly escaping to NYC. She loves Smith but with his career taking off she feels alone and isolated most of the time.
The girls are still the girls but they have grown since we last saw them. You can see it even in their wardrobes. The ever fabulous Pat Fields once again weaves her magic and is able to tell a story through clothing. Carrie is still a risk taker but her clothing is more age appropriate and mature. Miranda is less tailored then she used to be and doesn't seem to be as put together as she was on the show. This has much to do with the demands of her personal and work life. We even learn that Miranda has not had time for a bikini wax in a while. Charlotte is still preppy and conservative but like Carrie; she dresses a bit older now. Samantha wears bright, sexy clothes like she did on the show, only now they are more sophisticated.
The only disappointment some fans might feel is not enough screen time for some of the guys on the show. This film is (as it should be) about the ladies but it would have been nice to see some more of the fan favorite men of the series. Poor Harry (Evan Handler) has hardly any screen time at all. We see plenty of Mr. Big (Chris Noth) but not a ton of Steve (David Eigenberg). The biggest disappointment is that there are only about three brief scenes that feature Stanford (Willie Garson). Stanford is Carrie's male BFF and the one guy who has always been there for her. Some of the most endearing moments of the series were the scenes between Carrie and Stanford and sadly there is no alone time given to these two chums in the film.
It is hard to pull off adding a new character in a film version of a beloved series; however Louise (Jennifer Hudson) is a welcome addition. Carrie hires Louise as her personal assistant. Louise is a good fifteen years younger then the other girls. It was nice to highlight a character in her 20s and one who was just starting out in NYC. SATC is a fantasy world (which is one of the things we love about it) most New Yorkers do not have the roomy apartments, disposable incomes, and bottomless designer closets that the girls have. Louise is a refreshingly real character. She lives in a small apartment with roommates, has to rent bags from Bag Borrow or Steal.com because she can't afford to buy them, and it is nice to finally see an African American woman represented on SATC.
Other then some minor disappointments this film will please SATC fans everywhere. This film is best enjoyed with your girlfriends before or after a round of Cosmos.