Lena Kaligaris (Alexis Bledel), Tibby Rollins (Amber Tamblyn), Carmen Lowell (America Ferrera), and Bridget Vreeland (Blake Lively)[4] are teenagers from Bethesda, Maryland, who have been best friends their whole lives and are about to spend their first summer apart. Lena is visiting her grandparents in Santorini, Greece; Bridget is going to soccer camp in Baja California, Mexico; Carmen is visiting her father in South Carolina; and Tibby is staying home. While shopping together, they find a pair of jeans that inexplicably fit them all perfectly. They decide to share the jeans equally over the summer, before parting the next day.
While wearing the Pants, Lena nearly drowns but a local Greek boy Kostas Dounas rescues her. Lena later learns from her grandmother that her and Kostas' families are enemies. When Lena returns the shirt Kostas’ gave her to change into after the rescue he tells her the reason for the dispute “money and fish, what everything here is about”. Kostas’ grandfather claims Lena’s grandfather cheated him; Lena’s grandfather claims the fish he purchased from Kostas’ grandfather make his whole restaurant sick. Kostas pursues Lena, saying the dispute between their families has nothing to do with them. Lena initially rebuffs his advances but eventually begins a secret relationship with him. Later Kostas tells Lena he loves her, but her family interrupts and drags her away before she can answer. Lena’s grandfather even spits in Kostas’ face and her grandmother berates Lena for breaking her promise to not see Kostas again, as well as for her shirtless sketches of Kostas. Lena appeals to her grandfather that the dispute has gone on long enough and he allows her to see Kostas before he leaves for Athens.
Working at a discount department store Tibby finds a young girl, Bailey Graffman, who has fainted and calls an ambulance. Later, Bailey delivers the pants to Tibby's house when they are accidentally delivered to her home by mistake. Fascinated by Tibby's self-made film, Bailey appoints herself Tibby's assistant. Initially annoyed, Tibby grows to accept Bailey, and learns that Bailey has leukemia. When Bailey again is taken to the hospital, Tibby avoids her for a while, but eventually visits her with the pants. She pleads with Bailey to take them, but Bailey says the pants have already worked their magic by bringing her and Tibby together. The two spend time together in the hospital with Bailey telling her it’s about time she showed up and Tibby pleading her to keep fighting. Tibby’s mother then gets a phone call that Bailey has died from her disease. Devastated Tibby then decides to make a film inspired by and called “Bailey.”
Carmen arrives in South Carolina, only to discover that her white father Al, is about to marry Lydia, who has two children around Carmen's age: Paul and Krista. They are all blonde WASPs, unlike Carmen, who was raised by her Catholic, Puerto Rican mother. Although Carmen's father and step-family initially seem welcoming, they emotionally neglect her and continue their lives as if she isn’t there. Carmen comes downstairs speaking Spanish assuming her father still understands her from his marriage to her mother, only to be told that nobody understands what she’s saying. Nobody even seems excited by her idea to make Mexican food for dinner with recipes she learned from her mom. Krista’s friend comes over and mockingly asks “is that her? with Krista replying “yeah” in the same tone; which Carmen overhears as she walks down the hallway. Carmen feels uncomfortable with her father referring to Paul and Krista as his kids, and resents him being an enthusiastic, present father to them while he has usually been absent in her life. She is embarrassed at a dress shop when she tries on the bridesmaid dress picked out for her for the wedding, being that it is several sizes too small and they can’t get it zipped up all the way. Angered when the saleswoman calls her "the other one", Carmen shouts at everyone and runs away. She eventually takes a taxi home and sees Al and her step-family happily enjoying dinner together in their dining room, apparently unconcerned that she's missing. Enraged and at her breaking point she throws a stone through their dining room window and returns to Maryland. When she arrives, Tibby tries to help Carmen with her feelings toward her father. Carmen lashes out at Tibby, who leaves in tears, though they eventually reconcile. Tibby convinces Carmen to confront her father with a phone call, during which she finally reveals her feelings of neglect and abandonment. He apologizes sincerely, but Carmen tells him it isn't good enough.
Arriving at soccer camp, Bridget develops a crush on coach, Eric Richman. Despite relationships between coaches and campers being forbidden, Bridget flirts with Eric and seeks his attention during games. When Bridget's turn with the Pants begins, she leads Eric to the beach at night where they have sex and she loses her virginity. Bridget becomes depressed afterward lamenting that “how can something that should have made her feel whole make her feel so empty?” and isolates herself when she returns home. After hearing about what happened in a letter, Lena calls Carmen and Tibby, and they go to Bridget's house. Bridget worries she is like her mother, whose mood swings and mental issues culminated in deep depression and her suicide. However, Carmen and Tibby reassure Bridget that she is stronger than her mother and comfort her with happy memories of her mother. On his way back to Columbia University, Eric visits and apologizes to Bridget for his behavior and expresses his hope that she will give him a chance when she is older.
The girls meet Lena at the airport and drive to South Carolina to attend Carmen's father's wedding, despite Carmen's reluctance. Carmen's father publicly apologizes for neglecting her. Carmen accepts his apology and joins the blended family onstage for the ceremony.
A number of young actresses were in talks to be cast for the movie. Hilary Duff was reportedly considered for the role of Tibby; the director chose Tamblyn instead.[5]
The film was partially shot in the Kamloops and Ashcroft area in British Columbia, Canada. Also at the Zellers Coquitlam centre location.
Reception and legacy
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 82% based on 153 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads "This adaptation of a beloved novel charms with its heartwarming tale of friendship and young adulthood; realistic portrayals of the lives of teenage girls lend the comedy-drama sincerity, and may capture hearts outside the female-centric demographic."[8]Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 66 out of 100 based on 34 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[9] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale.[10]
Shondaland mentioned in its review of the film that Bridget's white underwear (seen in the trial scene at the beginning of the film) was iconic.[11]
Box office
On its opening weekend, the film opened #5 at the box office with $9,833,340.[12] As of November 14, 2008, the film had grossed $42,013,878 worldwide.[13]
Legacy
Demi Adejuyigbe has mentioned that he coerced director Malcolm D. Lee to have characters from the film appear as background cameos in Space Jam: A New Legacy. Though not confirmed, this was likely a joke given that Adejuyigbe comically suggested to "decide how much of this anecdote is real."[14]
