Movie reviews, production notes, and more! - "The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants"

Movie : The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants

Notes Provided by Warner Bros. Pictures "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." - Ann Brashares _________________________ 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 TAMBLYN) 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. Alcon Entertainment Presents a Di Novi Pictures / Debra Martin Chase Production, in association with Alloy Entertainment, a Ken Kwapis Film: Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, Blake Lively and Alexis Bledel star in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, also starring Bradley Whitford, Nancy Travis, Rachel Ticotin, Jenna Boyd. Directed by Ken Kwapis, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is produced by Debra Martin Chase, Denise Di Novi, Broderick Johnson and Andrew A. Kosove, from a screenplay by Delia Ephron and Elizabeth Chandler, based on the novel by Ann Brashares. Executive producers are Leslie Morgenstein, Alison Greenspan and Kira Davis; co-producers are Christine Sacani, Steven P. Wegner and Melissa Wiechmann. Kathryn Himoff, A.C.E., is the editor, John Bailey, A.S.C., is director of photography and Gae Buckley is the production designer. Music supervisor is Dawn Soler. Original score by Cliff Eidelman. Costumes designed by Lisa Jensen. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. It is rated PG by the MPAA for "thematic elements, some sensuality and language." www.sisterhoodofthetravelingpants.com / AOL: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants PRODUCTION INFORMATION Bringing Ann Brashares' Acclaimed Novel to the Screen 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 "wish-fulfillment 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 sometimes 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 occasional snap judgments and pettiness." The author also appreciated that the filmmakers avoided the temptation to wrap everything up neatly, emphasizing, "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 they way you need to. In life, not everything is resolved." "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." 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." 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." 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." 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 might 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 - the Traveling Pants make their Circuit 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." ABOUT THE CAST An experienced and stunning actor from an early age, AMBER TAMBLYN's (Tibby) dedication to her craft is shown in plain light with the multifaceted characters she brings to life. The CBS hit series Joan of Arcadia began its second season at the end of September, carrying with it three 2004 Emmy nominations, including Tamblyn's nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and Outstanding Drama Series. Last year, the role earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Dramatic Actress in a Drama Series and picked up its first People's Choice Award for Best New Series in January. Tamblyn's latest film credit was a role in the smash hit The Ring, directed by Gore Verbinski. She gained the most notoriety on the small screen with her portrayal of Emily Quartermaine on ABC's General Hospital. What was originally only to be a few months' work turned into a seven-year stint on the show as she won viewer's hearts, critical acclaim, and two consecutive Hollywood Reporter Young Star Awards for Best Young Actress in a Daytime Series. Her stellar work on General Hospital earned her a multitude of roles for television. Tamblyn was in the starring role for the premiere episode of UPN's series, The Twilight Zone. Other television guest-starring roles included Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Boston Public, CSI: Miami and Without a Trace. She also did a short series film for Showtime called Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet. Tamblyn credits her father, veteran actor Russ Tamblyn (West Side Story, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Tom Thumb and Twin Peaks), as the guiding light for her continuing success. He was wary when talent agencies were seeking out the fresh young actor with such finely-honed skills, but his faith in her was well-founded as it led to a number of independent film roles and her later accomplishments on television. Having established her reputation as a top young performer, Amber's starring role in CBS's series Joan of Arcadia has propelled her to her rightful place alongside other acting greats. Her co-stars on the show are Joe Montegna and Mary Steenburgen. AMERICA FERRERA (Carmen) first came to national attention with her starring role in Real Women Have Curves, which earned her a Sundance Jury Award for Best Actress and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Debut Performance, as well as a Young Artist Award nomination for Best Performance for a Leading Young Actress. She will next be seen in Lords of Dogtown and How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer. Ferrera's television credits include Plainsong, Gotta Kick It Up!, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Touched by an Angel. BLAKE LIVELY (Bridget) is making an astonishing big screen debut in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Lively was born into a showbiz family in Tarzana, California. Her mother is a talent manager and her father is actor-director Ernie Lively, who plays opposite Blake in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants as her father. Blake's siblings Jason, Eric, Robyn and Lori are all actors, too. At the age of 10, Lively played the Tooth Fairy in Sandman, a film directed by her father. A truly all-American teenage girl, she is extremely busy juggling duties as class president and cheerleader and she also performs with her National Championship Show Choir. Upon completing filming on The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Lively returned to high school for her senior year. ALEXIS BLEDEL (Lena) is quickly emerging as one of Hollywood's brightest talents in both film and television. Bledel made her television debut in The WB's critically acclaimed series Gilmore Girls. Her portrayal of Rory Gilmore earned her the 2002 Family Friendly Forum Award for Best Actress in a Drama, as well as nominations for Choice Actress in a Drama at the 2002, 2003 and 2004 Teen Choice Awards. Named by the Television Critics Association as 2001's Outstanding New Program, Gilmore Girls also stars Lauren Graham, Kelly Bishop and Ed Herrmann. Most recently, Bledel appeared in the Robert Rodriguez film Sin City, with Bruce Willis, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Hartnett and Rosario Dawson. Other credits include Bride and Prejudice, an Indian musical version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and the upcoming independent film Orphan King, for writer/director Andrew Wilder. In the fall of 2002, Bledel made her feature film debut in Tuck Everlasting, which is based on the acclaimed novel by Natalie Babbitt and also stars Ben Kingsley, William Hurt, Sissy Spacek and Jonathan Jackson. Bledel began her acting career appearing in community theater in her hometown of Houston, Texas. She also modeled in New York during her school breaks. Before winning the role of Rory Gilmore, she attended NYU Film School to study writing and directing. BRADLEY WHITFORD (Al), a classically trained stage actor who has received critical acclaim for his roles in theater, film, and television, quickly gained overnight fame as the sarcastic yet vulnerable Josh Lyman on NBC's The West Wing. One of the few actors working successfully and simultaneously in theater, film and television, Whitford has become one of Hollywood's most sought-after talents. During his summer 2004 hiatus, along with The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Whitford also worked on the feature film Little Manhattan, a romantic comedy written and directed by Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett. Whitford's additional film credits include the romantic comedy Kate and Leopold, opposite Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman; The Muse, with Albert Brooks; Bicentennial Man, opposite Robin Williams; Scent of a Woman; A Perfect World; Philadelphia; The Client; My Life; Red Corner; Presumed Innocent; and My Fellow Americans. Growing up in Wisconsin, Whitford studied theater and English literature at Wesleyan University and attended the Juilliard Theater Center. Appearing on Broadway in Aaron Sorkin's military courtroom drama A Few Good Men, Whitford's professional performance debut was in the off-Broadway production of Curse of the Starving Class, opposite Kathy Bates. Additional theater credits include Three Days of Rain, at the Manhattan Theatre Club; Measure for Measure, at Lincoln Center Theater; and the title role in Coriolanus, at the Folger Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C. Whitford is seen weekly on the celebrated The West Wing, created by Aaron Sorkin. His performance has earned him a 2001 Emmy Award as well as Golden Globe Award nominations in 2001 and 2002. Whitford's additional television credits include NBC's ER (in the critically acclaimed "Love's Labor Lost" episode), The X-Files and NYPD Blue. Whitford lives in Los Angeles with his wife, actress Jane Kaczmarek and their children, Frances, George and Mary Louisa. NANCY TRAVIS (Lydia) was born in New York and grew up in both Baltimore and Boston. She returned to New York to study drama at New York University. Soon after, she joined the national touring company of Neil Simon's hit play Brighton Beach Memoirs. Her additional theatre credits include Broadway's I'm Not Rappaport and Athol Fugard's My Children, My Africa, which the author directed at the La Jolla Playhouse. She is a founding member of the off-Broadway theatre company Naked Angels. Travis just landed the lead role in UPN's new pilot Talk Show Diaries, a story that follows the lives and antics of three female morning talk show hosts. Last year, she returned to the stage in Boy Gets Girl for director Randall Arney, at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. Travis made her feature film debut in the blockbuster comedy Three Men and a Baby. Her additional film credits include Internal Affairs, Air America, Three Men and a Little Lady, So I Married an Axe Murderer, The Vanishing Greedy, Fluke, Destiny Turns on the Radio and Bogie. On the small screen, she starred in Becker with Ted Danson; Almost Perfect for CBS; and the television movies My Last Love and Fallen Angels. Travis resides in Los Angeles with her husband and two children. A Bronx native of Puerto Rican descent, RACHEL TICOTIN (Carmen's Mother) is best known for portraying strong women in demanding roles, both in feature film and television. Ticotin was most recently seen in Tony Scott's Man on Fire, starring Denzel Washington and Christopher Walken; Something's Gotta Give, starring Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton and Keanu Reeves; and the groundbreaking PBS drama series American Family. Ticotin garnered international recognition for her role as Melina, opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, in the sci-fi blockbuster Total Recall. Ticotin's additional feature film credits include Desert Saints, Con Air, Steal Big Steal Little, Don Juan DeMarco, Falling Down, F/X2 and Fort Apache the Bronx. Ticotin's television credits include series regular roles on Dick Wolf's Crime & Punishment, the military drama For Love and Honor, and the detective drama Ohara. JENNA BOYD (Bailey) is proving that big things come in small packages. At the young age of twelve, she has a very impressive career that is getting her noticed. This young girl from Fort Worth, Texas has amazed film audiences and impressed critics alike with her memorable lead role of Dot Gilkeson in Ron Howard's western-thriller The Missing, alongside of Cate Blanchett and Tommy Lee Jones. Boyd previously worked with Tommy Lee Jones in the William Friedkin film The Hunted, in which she played the surrogate daughter of Benicio Del Toro's character. Boyd also starred in Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, opposite David Spade. In addition to her highly regarded film work, Boyd has landed guest-starring roles in the groundbreaking shows Six Feet Under, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Just Shoot Me and HBO's Carnivale, as well as the film Mary Christmas, opposite John Schneider. In 2004, she was selected as Best Performance by a Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film by the Young Artist Award committee for her lead role in The Missing. Boyd was recently selected for the Hollywood Reporter's "Ones to Watch" special issue honoring young actors. Boyd has a genuine love for figure skating as well as acting. She has been skating for eight years and has earned numerous gold medals. She has finally conquered the axle and will next compete with her double jumps. When not skating, Boyd is fulfilling her responsibilities as student council president and founder of her spy club. When looking to the future, she sees herself as actress, accomplished figure skater and an orangutan specialist. ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS KEN KWAPIS (Director) is an award-winning director who has moved easily between the worlds of feature filmmaking and television directing. Kwapis made his debut as a writer-director with Sexual Life, a free adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's La Ronde, which premiered to rave reviews in competition at the Los Angeles Film Festival. Sexual Life, which boasts an ensemble cast including Elizabeth Banks, Anne Heche, Tom Everett Scott and Kerry Washington, premieres on Showtime in July of 2005. Kwapis also directed the romantic comedies The Beautician and the Beast, starring Fran Drescher, and He Said, She Said, starring Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth Perkins. He Said, She Said was conceived and co-directed with Kwapis' wife Marisa Silver. He also helmed the screwball comedies Dunston Checks In, starring Jason Alexander and Faye Dunaway; and Vibes, starring Jeff Goldblum and Peter Falk. Kwapis' first feature was Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird, starring Jim Henson's Muppets. Kwapis has produced and/or directed the most ambitious television comedies of the past decade, including The Office, NBC's adaptation of the much-lauded BBC series. Kwapis launched HBO's groundbreaking series The Larry Sanders Show. He won an Emmy Nomination for his work as a producer-director of Fox's long-running Malcolm in the Middle. He helmed the pilots for the critically-acclaimed The Bernie Mac Show and the innovative Watching Ellie, starring Julia-Louis Dreyfus. His directorial touch also graced the much-loved (if short-lived) Freaks and Geeks and Bakersfield P.D. Kwapis' work has always displayed his love for the classics, both cinematic and musical. His USC thesis film For Heaven's Sake! was based on Mozart's one-act opera Der Schauspieldirektor, with backbiting nuns replacing the dueling divas of the original. The film won Kwapis the Student Academy Award in Dramatic Achievement. With The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Kwapis aimed to create a film that hewed closely to the original novel, both in its unique structure - a quadruple-tiered narrative - and also in its emotional honesty. He hopes that every viewer will come away from Sisterhood feeling as if they've made four new best friends. DEBRA MARTIN CHASE (Producer) is an Academy Award and Emmy nominated motion picture and television producer and the president of Martin Chase Productions, her Disney-based company. Chase produced The Princess Diaries for Disney, which has grossed over $109 million in domestic box office receipts and sold over 17 million video and DVD units. She also produced its sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, which grossed over $95 million dollars at the domestic box office. Chase also executive produced the most successful movie in the Disney Channel's history, The Cheetah Girls, an original musical based on the Hyperion book series, which stars Raven, Sabrina Bryan, Adrienne Bailon and Kiely Williams, of the platinum selling group 3LW, and Lynn Whitfield. She also executive produced its platinum-plus soundtrack. Chase was also the producing partner of singer/actress Whitney Houston in BrownHouse Productions. She was an executive producer of ABC's Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, which was nominated for seven Emmys and won for art direction. She previously ran Denzel Washington's production company, Mundy Lane Entertainment, where their first movie was Devil in a Blue Dress. She was an executive producer of the Oscar and Emmy nominated and Peabody Award-winning documentary Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream. She executive produced Courage Under Fire and co-produced The Preacher's Wife. Chase began her career as an attorney and worked at several major law firms and Fortune 500 corporations in Houston and Manhattan. She received her J.D. from the Harvard Law School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude from Mount Holyoke College. DENISE DI NOVI (Producer) is considered one of Hollywood's top producers and has been instrumental in bringing to the screen the work of several of today's most imaginative filmmakers. Di Novi counts among her producing credits such diverse motion pictures as Heathers, Little Women and a number of films during her producing association with Tim Burton, including Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood and James and the Giant Peach. Her most recent releases are What A Girl Wants, starring Amanda Bynes and Colin Firth; A Walk to Remember, based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks, starring recording star Mandy Moore and Shane West, directed by Adam Shankman; Original Sin, with Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas; Practical Magic, based on Alice Hoffman's best-selling novel and starring Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing; and Message in a Bottle, with Kevin Costner, Robin Wright-Penn and Paul Newman. Di Novi began her career in journalism, rising from copy editor at the National Observer (a Dow Jones weekly) to staff writer for Canada AM in Toronto. Her writing skills and extensive experience with the media prompted her segue into the film industry, where she began as a unit publicist. She became a principal in the Montreal-based production company Film Plan, acting in various production capacities on nine major studio releases, including Scanners and Videodrome. In 1983, Film Plan relocated to Los Angeles and merged with Arnold Kopelson's Film Packages. Di Novi then joined New World Pictures as executive vice president of production. She later shifted into an overall deal as an independent producer, producing the cult favorite Heathers, starring Winona Ryder. Di Novi then headed Tim Burton Productions and was responsible for producing several of Burton's most successful films including Batman Returns and Edward Scissorhands. She set up her own production company, Di Novi Pictures, in 1993 at Columbia Pictures, producing Little Women. Today she has a production deal at Warner Bros. Pictures. Di Novi was the executive producer of the fourth year series The District, a CBS primetime series created by Terry George and starring Craig T. Nelson. She also executive produced both Eloise at the Plaza and Eloise at Christmastime for ABC, based on the beloved children's books by Kay Thompson. Di Novi is currently working on Curtis Hanson's Lucky You, starring Eric Bana and Drew Barrymore, for Warner Bros. Pictures. Co-Presidents ANDREW A. KOSOVE and BRODERICK JOHNSON (Producers) founded Alcon Entertainment in 1997 (named after the ally of Hercules - a mythological archer who never missed his target) to develop, package, finance and produce feature length theatrical motion pictures and television programming, backed financially by Frederick W. Smith, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Federal Express Corporation. Kosove and Johnson draw from common professional goals and a shared alma mater, Princeton University, where they were classmates beginning in 1989. Kosove graduated magna cum laude with a joint degree in politics and economics. Johnson, who earned his degree in economics, later worked as a quantitative analyst for Salomon Brothers in New York. Since its launch seven years ago, Alcon has quickly risen to prominence by successfully attracting top veteran filmmakers and up-and-coming talent alike, and was featured in the 2000 Entertainment Weekly's "Power 100" issue. Following its maiden effort for Warner Bros. Pictures, the David Spade/Sophie Marceau comedy Lost & Found, Warner Bros. Pictures released Alcon's second film, My Dog Skip, a $7.5M production that was the #1 family film in America for four consecutive weeks. The film, which starred Kevin Bacon, Diane Lane and then-unknown Frankie Muniz, grossed $35M domestically and became one of the most profitable films of the year. Alcon followed with the hit comedy Dude, Where's My Car? starring Ashton Kutcher. Shortly after the success of My Dog Skip, Warner Bros. Pictures and Alcon entered into a $300m exclusive, long-term worldwide distribution agreement. Alcon's next project under its new relationship with Warner Bros. Pictures was The Affair of the Necklace, directed by Charles Shyer and starring Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank. The period drama earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design. Recently, Alcon saw Warner Bros. Pictures release the $67M hit Insomnia, directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank. Alcon's latest project was Racing Stripes, directed by Frederik Du Chau, which combined live action with CG effects and featured the vocal talents of Dustin Hoffman, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Harvey, David Spade, Jeff Foxworthy and Joey Pantoliano, among others. The company also announced that it will team up with Brett Ratner and his Rat Entertainment partner Jay Stern to produce the live-action/CGI family comedy Hong Kong Phooey, based on the beloved children's property. Most recently, Denzel Washington has agreed to direct and produce Alcon's Brothers in Arms: The Story of the 761st, based upon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's book of the same title. DELIA EPHRON (Screenplay) is a screenwriter and producer, as well as the author of many books of fiction and non-fiction for adults and children, including her most recent novels, Hanging Up and Big City Eyes. Her screenwriting credits include You've Got Mail and Michael. She has two movies being released in June 2005 - The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (based on the novel by Ann Brashares) and Bewitched (co-written with Nora Ephron). Her original screenplay Sammy was recently purchased by Columbia Pictures, and is expected to be in production by fall. Her next novel, Franny In Your Face, is scheduled to be published in 2006 by Laura Geringer Books/Harper Collins. Ephron began her career as a journalist at New York Magazine. How to Eat Like a Child, her first book, became a year-long best seller. It was adapted for television as a musical for NBC, and then adapted for the stage as a musical revue for children, with words and lyrics by John Forster. The revue, published by Samuel French, has been performed in over a thousand theaters and schools in the United States and Canada. Teenage Romance, her sequel to How to Eat Like a Child, also became a best seller. She has written a book of essays about the divorced family called Funny Sauce, and several books for children, including Do I Have to Say Hello?, Santa and Alex and The Girl Who Changed The World. She was the associate producer of Sleepless in Seattle, and the executive producer of You've Got Mail, Michael and Hanging Up. Her humor, essays, and commentary have appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The New York Times and Vogue. She lives in New York City with her husband, writer Jerome Kass. ELIZABETH CHANDLER's (Screenplay) screenwriting credits include the Warner Bros. Pictures' feature film What a Girl Wants; the romantic comedy Someone Like You, starring Ashley Judd and Hugh Jackman; and A Little Princess. For the small screen, she wrote and co-produced Eloise at Christmastime and the HBO film Afterburn. ANN BRASHARES (Book Author) grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland with three brothers, and attended a Quaker school in the D.C. area called Sidwell Friends. She studied Philosophy at Barnard College, part of Columbia University in New York City. Expecting to continue her studies in philosophy in graduate school, Brashares took a year off after college to work as an editor, hoping to save money for school. Loving her job, she never went to graduate school, and instead, remained in New York City where she worked as an editor for many years. Brashares made the transition from editor to full-time writer with her first novel, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. She has published two subsequent Sisterhood books, The Second Summer of the Sisterhood and Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood. All of her books have been New York Times bestsellers. Ann currently resides in New York City with her husband and three children. LESLIE MORGENSTEIN (Executive Producer) has been president of Alloy Entertainment and its predecessor,17th Street Productions, Inc., since 1999, overseeing all phases of development and production of the company's properties, which include Gossip Girl, A-List and The Clique. Morgenstein serves as executive producer or producer on Alloy Entertainment's television and feature film projects. He has an undergraduate degree in writing and photography from Sarah Lawrence College, an MBA in finance from the New York University's Stern School of Business, and completed his master's work in English and creative writing at the City College of New York. Morgenstein lives in NYC with his wife and two sons. He is an avid runner and writer. ALISON GREENSPAN (Executive Producer), as President of Di Novi Pictures, helped to develop the script The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and to oversee the film's production. Greenspan most recently executive produced the comedy New York Minute and the action-packed Halle Berry-starrer Catwoman. Prior to that, Greenspan executive produced the heartwarming feature What a Girl Wants, as well as Eloise at the Plaza and Eloise at Christmastime for ABC. She helped develop the inspirational romance A Walk to Remember and is currently working on the upcoming films Jetsons, Maid of Dishonor, Food of Love and Gossip Girl. Greenspan began her career with a two-year stint at Creative Artists Agency and then spent three years as a creative executive at ImageMovers, Robert Zemeckis' and Jack Rapke's production company. Greenspan joined Di Novi Pictures in 1999 as Vice President of Development. Greenspan graduated Suma Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 1994. At U Penn, she enjoyed a four-year stint as performer, writer & director in the nation's only all-female collegiate comedy troupe Bloomers. KIRA DAVIS (Executive Producer) began her film career in 1994 on a small film called Love Is All There Is, starring Angelina Jolie. It was on this production that she met the two co-presidents of Alcon Entertainment, and began working with them as an assistant in 1997. A year later, Davis was promoted to production executive and now serves as Vice President of Production and Marketing for the company. During her tenure at Alcon, she has overseen the productions of Lost & Found, My Dog Skip, The Affair of the Necklace, Insomnia, Love Don't Cost A Thing, Chasing Liberty and most recently the live action/CGI animation family film Racing Stripes. Davis is a native of Santa Fe, New Mexico. She studied theatre with an emphasis in directing and graduated magna cum laude from New Mexico State University. After graduating, she worked in a series of professional theatres, including La Jolla Playhouse and the Mark Taper Forum, before becoming Alcon's first official employee. CHRISTINE SACANI (Co-Producer) is a veteran producer of more than 40 film and television productions. Prior to filming The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Sacani was co-producer on the Warner Bros. Pictures' film New York Minute, starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. With television as her foundation, Sacani counts among her accomplishments the Emmy Award-winning family dramas Eloise at Christmastime and Eloise at the Plaza, starring Julie Andrews and Sofia Vassilieva; the musical drama South Pacific, starring Glenn Close and Harry Connick Jr.; the crime drama Thin Air, with Joe Montegna and Marcia Gay Harden; and the two critically acclaimed productions Trapped in a Purple Haze, starring Jonathon Jackson and JoBeth Williams, and The Rosa Parks Story, starring Angela Bassett. Born in New York, Sacani graduated from New York University with a B.F.A. in film and television. She began her career in the entertainment industry in 1987 and moved to Los Angeles in 1988 to pursue her career as a producer. Sacani's career has brought her around the world and back, but the place she calls home is Santa Monica, California where she lives with her husband, Michael and their daughter, Lauren. STEVEN P. WEGNER (Co-Producer) is the Vice President of Development for Alcon Entertainment, the motion picture production and finance company headed by producers Broderick Johnson and Andrew A. Kosove. Steven has been heading motion picture development for Alcon for the past seven years and currently supervises their entire 14 picture slate. He set up the Christopher Nolan-directed feature film, Insomnia, starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank, at Alcon, which went on to gross $120 million worldwide. In addition, Steven was the executive producer and shared story credit on Racing Stripes, a live-action, talking-animal family film about an orphaned zebra that dreams of becoming a race horse. The feature film features the voice talents of Frankie Muniz, Dustin Hoffman, David Spade, Joe Pantoliano, Snoop Dogg and Whoopi Goldberg, to name a few. Steven also supervised the development and co-produced the teen comedy Love Don't Cost a Thing, starring Nick Cannon, Christina Milian and Steve Harvey, as well as the romantic-comedy Chasing Liberty, starring Mandy Moore. He also developed the feature film comedies Lost & Found and Dude Where's My Car? Steven is presently overseeing the development of the live-action version of Hanna-Barbera's cult cartoon Hong Kong Phooey and the black comedy The Whole Pemberton Thing. Prior to arriving at Alcon, Steven worked as a freelance script analyst for production companies such as New Line, Largo, JVC, Woods Entertainment and Summit Entertainment. Steven got his start in the business as an intern for Arnold Kopelson Productions and is a graduate of the USC School of Cinema-Television. MELISSA WIECHMANN (Co-Producer) has worked as head of development for Martin Chase Productions for the last three years. Prior to that, she worked on numerous film, television and video productions as a producer, production manager and production coordinator. As one of the premiere American cinematographers, JOHN BAILEY, A.S.C (Director of Photography) has worked with a number of leading directors, including Paul Schrader, Lawrence Kasdan, Michael Apted, John Schlesinger, Robert Redford, Herbert Ross, Wolfgang Petersen, Jonathan Demme, Robert Benton, James Brooks and Sam Raimi. Bailey's most recent credits include The Enigma of Loch Ness, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, The Kid Stays in the Picture, Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood and The Anniversary Party. In an eclectic career, Bailey has photographed mainstream Hollywood films such as The Big Chill, Ordinary People, The Accidental Tourist and As Good As it Gets, offbeat auteur films such as Norman Mailer's Tough Guys Don't Dance and Jason Miller's That Championship Season, as well as genre-bending pictures such as Swimming to Cambodia and A Brief History of Time. A highlight of Bailey's career is the special Artistic Achievement Award he received from the Cannes Film Festival for his work on Paul Schrader's Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters. Bailey is married to film editor Carol Littleton. They both have served on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He has also served several terms as a vice president of the American Society of Cinematographers. Bailey's upcoming credits include Must Love Dogs and The Producers. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants marks KATHRYN HIMOFF's (Editor) third collaboration with director Ken Kwapis. Previously, they worked together on Sexual Life, an independent film that Kwapis wrote and directed, and the recent NBC primetime television series, The Office. Himoff has edited a wide range of films of all genres including Pollock, Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion (a documentary), House of a Thousand Corpses, Killing Zoe and Mi Vida Loca. Currently, she is editing Lonely Hearts, a noir thriller starring John Travolta, James Gandolfini and Salma Hayek. Himoff has a degree in Theater from Boston University and a background not only in acting but also in story development as an executive for several film companies in Los Angeles. GAE BUCKLEY (Production Designer) attended Cornell University where she received her Bachelors degree in Architecture, followed by working as an architect in New York City for five years. She is also the daughter of a New Jersey artist and has studied painting and drawing since childhood, at home as well as in New York City through The Brooklyn Academy of Art and The Lester Polikoff School of Scenic Painting. Buckley began her film career through the music video world and segued into television commercials, first as a staff producer and then later bringing all of her skills to the table as an art director. Five years later, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her love of feature films and worked as an art director for 15 years before designing her first feature, Open Range, for Kevin Costner and David Valdes. Her credits as an art director include What Women Want, Coyote Ugly, Tin Cup, The Craft and Indecent Proposal. DAWN SOLER (Music Supervisor) has been working as a music supervisor for 16 years. She began her career at Inaudible Productions, working with notable industry veteran Peter Afterman. After starting her own company, Working Music, she went on to create several hit soundtracks including Now and Then, Dumb and Dumber and Don Juan De Marco, which garnered both Academy Award and Grammy Award nominations. Soler joined PolyGram Film Entertainment in 1995 to create and head up a music division for the growing film conglomerate. One of her first duties was helping Tim Robbins put together a stellar group of artists (including Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder and Johnny Cash) to write and record songs for Dead Man Walking. This gold soundtrack was followed by her music supervision of Home for the Holidays, What Dreams May Come and Hi Lo Country. As executive in charge of music, she also guided the musical direction for The Game, Gridlock'd, Sleepers, French Kiss, Elizabeth, Notting Hill and numerous other PolyGram Films. After the dissolution of PolyGram, Dawn went back to her roots of independent music supervision with her company Working Music. Some of the projects that she has completed are Being John Malkovich, Dumb and Dumber, Princess Diaries 1 & 2, Big Trouble, Jungle Book II, Sweet Home Alabama, Moonlight Mile and Raising Helen. Dawn also owns a woman's clothing store in Santa Barbara, Treehouse Clothing, and occasionally caters dinner parties through her company Breaking Bread Catering. CLIFF EIDELMAN (Composer), at 40 years old, is already the veteran of seventeen years of composing orchestral scores for 29 films. He has created symphonic scores for such epic productions as Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and the powerful Triumph of the Spirit, and has displayed a particular affinity for more introspective, dramatic films such as Untamed Heart; Leap of Faith; A Simple Twist of Fate; Now and Then; the highest rated HBO film ever, If These Walls Could Talk; One True Thing, starring Meryl Streep, Renee Zellweger and William Hurt; Witness Protection; An American Rhapsody; the IMAX film Ocean Men; Harrison's Flowers; The Lizzie McGuire Movie; Sexual Life and currently Open Window. In back to back projects, Eidelman has conducted The Metropolitan Orchestra of London, The Munich Symphony and Chorus, Unione Musicisti Di Roma and Chorus, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, The Seattle Symphony Orchestra and many others. At the age of 22, Eidelman's first break into film scoring came by way of conducting his first symphonic ballet at Santa Monica City College in Los Angeles. A tape from this performance reached the hands of director Monica Touber. She was so impressed with Eidelman's lush score that she gave him the opportunity to read her film script and write music based on it. Soon after, Touber hired him to write the score for Magdalene, starring Nastassja Kinski, which launched his career. In addition to his film music career, in 1996, Eidelman was commissioned to compose and conduct a new concert work of his choice. He completed a symphonic tone poem in 3 movements to the story of Shakespeare's The Tempest, which is available on Varese Sarabande Records. Additionally, he conducted works by Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Walton, Rozsa and Rota. Wedding In The Night Garden is Eidelman's most recent concert work. Originally, he orchestrated the piece for strings and mezzo soprano. Eidelman later developed a second version for strings choir and mezzo soprano which was performed in 2002 by the Los Angeles Master Chorale, under the direction of Grant Gershon. The Los Angeles Master Chorale performed Wedding in the Night Garden in the 2005 season for two performances at Disney Hall. Currently, Eidelman is working on a new concert piece titled In the Womb. LISA JENSEN (Costume Designer) was born in Berkeley, California and studied both at Alfred University, Alfred NY, and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. The multi-talented Jensen was a dancer and both studied and taught ceramic art before setting on a career in costume design. She trained and worked in the costume department for several years on productions for Joseph Papp's NY Public Theatre. She also designed costumes for numerous off-off-Broadway productions in Manhattan. Moving to Los Angeles, Jensen designed for rock videos and after-school specials. Her first feature assignment was the hit comedy Mannequin, followed by Maid to Order, Rented Lips, Freejack, The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag, White Palace, Crisscross and, perhaps most notably, The Fabulous Baker Boys, which featured spectacularly slinky gowns for Michelle Pfeiffer. Jensen turned a new page with the hugely successful Grumpy Old Men, which began an association with the late Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau that continued with its equally popular sequel Grumpier Old Men and The Odd Couple II. She also designed the costumes for the short film Puppies For Sale, which starred Lemmon and won five international film festival awards. Jensen's other credits have included Baby's Day Out, Richie Rich, Dudley Do-Right, Say It Isn't So, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, as well as the adorable and successful George of the Jungle. Official Web Site: http://sisterhoodofthetravelingpants.warnerbros.co Back to main movie page Showing Today at: Click here for other showings