Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Sex and the City--Movie Love

(Remember, this is our Reader Appreciation Anniversary. A surprise gift will go out to one lucky commenter!

Fashion

Oh, the outfits were fabulous! I remember reading that no 30-something woman could possibly afford the way they were dressed in the series but that never stopped me from drooling over the clothes. After watching the movie, I was inspired. Not to cash out my 401-K for a shopping spree, but let me tell you about the backyard barbecue I went to last Friday night. I would usually have worn something very casual and flip flops. But, inspired as I was, I put on a pair of dark gray cropped jeans, a yellow halter top with ruffles around the deep vee neck, big earrings with matching yellow discs, and these great shoes I recently bought—wedge sandals with yellow and gray patent leather straps. Oh, yeah, then I upped my make-up usage by a couple of pounds, mostly mascara. I looked so chic! I received many compliments, but then kind of blew my cool by blurting out it was all because of the movie—but the women there totally understood.

Age

Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte, to me, will always be “girls” in their sense of fun. In the movie, they have mature relationships and mature problems at times, and I liked that. I also liked how they didn’t try to make them perpetual thirty-somethings. These are women approaching (or in) their forties and fifties and they weren’t self-sacrificing, dowdy caretakers (and motherhood and wifehood can make all of us feel that way sometimes). There was a scene where Carrie didn’t have make-up on and you could see her age on her face. I appreciated that—but also gained a new appreciation for the value of good enhancement (see above on my new loyalty to mascara).

Friendship

The men were there. Smith, what can I say? I have it bad for blonds. And I’ve had a thing for Big since the old Law & Order days (Chris Noth is always “Big” to me now). Not to mention that there’s some pretty eye-bugging scenes of naked bodies doing what naked bodies do. But the star of this movie is that heartfelt friendship the four women have. Whether they’re shopping for wedding dresses or just walking down a city street, their bond reminds us all of the power of women together. Go, us! That’s what we build wherever we go, don’t we? We find “our people” and connect with them and make our little communities of caring, fun, and, well, cosmetics. That’s what the Riders have here with each other and with our readers! Lucky all of us!

Have you seen the movie? Do you have a group of girlfriends that nurture you? Tell us about them!

58 comments:

Playground Monitor said...

I haven't seen the movie. I never watched the TV series because we didn't get HBO or whatever premium channel it was on.

I do have a group of girlfriends. I have two actually. One is my Writing Playground cohorts. I love them dearly and we nurture each other. I'm old enough to have given birth to all of them but we all have writing in common. We've taken numerous trips together, always room together at our chapter retreat, and have a blast at Nationals.

The other group is my Red Hat Society group. Likewise we nurture each other, but I'm the youngest of that group. I learn a lot from these ladies and their wisdom gathered through the years.

I just don't see how a woman gets through life without at least one good girlfriend.

Marilyn -- who needs to rethink what she's going to wear to the hair salon today. It'll now include a few coats of mascara. ;-)

Nicole P said...

Oh, I want to see that movie so bad. I just haven't had the chance yet. I loved that series. I have watched every single episode.
And Chris Noth will alway be "Big" to me as well.
I don't have a group of girlfriends like the SATC girls, but I do have a best friend. We are both 34 years old, and we have been best friends since we were 11 years old. Basically, we have been in each others lives longer than our husbands, longer than our kids. We know just about everything about each other. We live about 45 miles apart right now, so we do not see each other more than once every month or so, but we talk every day either by email or phone.

Virginia Lady said...

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I do have a few friends that are 'my group'. We balance each other and we can tell each other ANYTHING and not get judged or looked strangely at. Well, maybe we get strange looks, but they are always friendly ones. :-)

Cindy Gerard said...

Thanks for the low down the SEX, Christie. I want to see that movie in the worst way but deadline mania is keeping me glued to my office day and night.
As for girlfriends - I'm a lucky, lucky woman. I have a group of writing buddies - we help keep each other sane through the rough times and share the successes. And of course I have the TopDown crew - smart, fun, generous women who help keep me current and on my toes. then I have my non writing friends and yeah, anything goes in the conversation department. This summer will mark our 15th year of vacationing together at our family cabin way up north in Minnesota. The laughs we've shared on those trips have lined my face and yet I wouldn't trade a single wrinkle for the time I've spent with those crazy women
vyupma

Playground Monitor said...

vyupma?

Christie Ridgway said...

Marilyn: I don't think you need to have seen the series to enjoy the movie. My friend went to see it and enjoyed it anyway.

Mascara is my new friend! Happy to share the love.

Christie Ridgway said...

Nicole: I love that you have a good friend you've known longer than your husband. I have a couple of friends like that but we're separated by long distances and very busy lives. The last time we got together, though, it was as if no time had passed.

Christie Ridgway said...

Virginia: Yes, on the "tell each other anything." What amazes me too, is how easily I find new people to be good friends like that. I sort of sense them. Well, take that back. It's my son's doing. Right now we're making new friends through the new friends he's making and I just love this group of moms (dads too are great). But I clicked with them so quickly! Obviously it must be because we raise our kids sort of similarly, since they've become such good friends.

And I also want to know what vyupma is, Cindy! Oh, I know, she probably typed that spam trap word in.

Cindy Gerard said...

Okay guys, quit picking on me. that was the garbage at the end - you know the mistyped stuff you just sort of push along until you finish writing and then delete it? Only, whoops, I forgot to delete it. It's an age thing. What can I say???

Michele Hauf said...

Saw the movie, loved it, might have to see it again. I was thrilled that Charlotte got some major laughs. Wasn't too thrilled about another relationship in the story, but won't spoil.

I thought the bridesmaids dresses were so beautiful. They fit each one of them to a T. Also was very excited when they teased us with a semi-full-frontal scene of a sexy man. Come on! Just give us a few more inches—er, seconds. :-)

I do have good friends that I get together with to chat over food and gossip. It's always great to connect with friends.

tetewa said...

I haven't seen the movie but I do have a group of friends and we try to hang out with each other whenever possible. Some are married and some are single which makes it hard for all of us to get together and do something. We try to at least twice a month, depending on everybodys schedules and for the moms to be able to get sitters for the kids.

Christie Ridgway said...

Michele: Oh, yeah, that hot guy who lived next door to Samantha and Smith. Wowza. I was a little startled by the nudity/sex in the movie, but it was always there in the series.

Tetewa: Two times a month with your girlfriends is great. I have a group that tries to get together once a month. We used to do coffee with the littlest ones tagging along. Now we make the dads take care of the kids and we go out for Happy Hour. We've been known to delay going home until past childrens' bedtimes.

mslizalou said...

I can't wait to see SATC! My girlfriends and I are all going to the late show of Friday night(only time we could all make it). We try to get together every month and this is our big gathering this month without any of the kids.

Unknown said...

I went to see it the night it came out-- my sister and I dragged the guys to see it. Predictably, we LOVED it, they didn't. They were shocked (heh,heh)by the graphic sex scenes and were sort of mystified by the attitudes of the women. And these are guys who live with very outspoken women! They didn't think much happened in the movie and that the whole business with the wedding was a big kerfuffle-over-nothing.

Me? I was not a S&C fan when the show was on. Only saw it a few times and thought the women were a trifle too adolescent and selfish for real relationships and that their friendship kept them from evolving and growing up. Maybe the reason I loved the movie was that they now HAVE grown and changed some and are finally maturing. Except for Samantha, who disappointed me a bit this time. I kept thinking-- yeah, she can still play sexy-cougar at 50, but what happens when she's 65 and ill and no longer attractive to 20-somethings? Remember when Smith stood by her during her cancer? Did she learn nothing from that? Geez.

(Possible SPOILER ahead!)

That said, the fashions and spaces were wonderful. I still thought the bird on her head at the wedding was over the top. And I was delighted to see her get to wear her lovely white suit to City Hall for the real wedding.

And I'm puzzled. . . did they think they really "hid" the plot from the audience until the movie came out? Duh. It was all right there in the trailers!

Debra Dixon said...

I was never a SITC watcher. Probably my nasty streak of rebellion. Tell me everyone's doing it and I suddenly want to be the one that doesn't. LOL!

SJP is also an actress I've never warmed too. But like everyone on the planet I've seen at least a few episodes, so I understand references to the friendships, the girl powwows, the sex talk, the clothes talk, dating dilemmas, etc.

I've never been a slender girl so I've never had a thing for fashion. I like to look nice but I gave up "forward fashion" so many years ago I didn't torture myself watching a series that would irritate me. LOL!

But my hat is off to a series that can garner that many fans and produces a movie that makes long-time fans happy and garners respect from new fans. That's a job well done!

Helen Brenna said...

Double wowser on Samantha's hot next door neighbor. Oh, man! I think I'll have to get that dvd and run that shower scene over and over and ...

Saw it that first Friday night with a group of 7 friends. Loved it, loved the night. It was such and EVENT! All those women out to see a movie and many of them were dressed UP in heels and all. What a kick.

Don't know what I'd do without my buds!

I will have to say, though, that after thinking about the ending there's a part that's bugging me, but I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it.

Let me just say this - her first wedding, his third - why does it always have to be the woman who gives for the guy?

Am I just being a bixxx or did anyone wonder the same?

Anonymous said...

The movie was amazing.

My girlfriends and I have been together since elementary. With the exception that a couple of them have moved too far away Which is hard b/c one of them is my very best friend. We have bickered over boys, stole each other’s clothes, or argued over who got the front seat while riding around. I wouldn’t trade any of it. Now we get together when we can and we always talk on the phone or email.

Anonymous said...

Alas, I never watched the show. . . never really wanted too. But I did see one episode, only because it was posted on a David Duchovny site since he was in it. Now he sure gets around. :)

And well, admittedly I don't have any girlfriends now, but back in high school I had a couple -- one was through the four years, but the other two were only part of the time. In fact, the reason why I lost the one was because of the other. (loooong story)

Lois

Michele Hauf said...

Ah, the bird. The bird! I kept thinking it was a joke in the trailers, but it was a serious thing in the movie. Aggh! A freakin' bird! You know that marriage would have never lasted if they'd had to look back on wedding pictures and see 'the bird'.

:-)

CrystalGB said...

I haven't seen the movie but I want to. Yes, I have friends that I consider that I can depend on to be there for me.

Christie Ridgway said...

Helen: I think that she didn't give up so much as make their joining the intimate thing that is what marriage really is. It's not a fancy wedding, it's two people comitting. And for those two characters, that was best for them.

And Big really groveled a lot, which I always enjoy.

Christie Ridgway said...

Lois: There are those moments with girlfriends, especially when we're in junior high and high school. I had the same friends from kindergarten on (I never moved and neither did my group of friends.) In high school, the original group got even bigger and we were known collectively as "The Pack." We even all wore the same/similar shoes that we called "Pack Tracks." LOL.

There were a lot of alliances made and broken within that larger group.

Christie Ridgway said...

Liza: You are your group will have a great time at the movie, I guarantee. And I think that part of it is not whether or not SITC is your cup of tea so much as it's a movie =for women=. This is a movie that no one put car chases or big explosions in to attract that young male demographic too.

Surfer Guy went with me, though, and enjoyed it. Probably didn't care much about the fashion, but liked revisiting the characters. Another teacher at his high school would tape each episode and give it to us a week at a time (we didn't have HBO for a while) and we'd lock the kids out of our bedroom and watch it on Friday evenings with a martini in hand. A fun ritual for us!

When we watched the movie, we had popcorn and Milk Duds. Wasn't quite the same!

ruth said...

I definitely want to see the movie. This summer for sure.
I have a special best friend whose support has been amazing. When I lost my husband suddenly a year ago she dropped everything and stayed with me for a month. We always stay in contact and will be together this summer for a week at my home.

Christie Ridgway said...

Ruth: Oh, yes, how wonderful to have a special friend like that. I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm sure your buddy was an immense comfort to you and hope you two can have fun together this summer.

petite said...

I didn't watch the series but will see the movie. I love their clothes which I drool over. Friends are such a boon to me. It feels so good to have a few close girlfriends. We shop together and then relax and have a coffee each Saturday. I just love it.

anne said...

The movie looks great! Friends are necessary for my sanity and health and welfare too. I e-mail when we can't get together but I really look forward to our daily walks where we have great gab sessions.

Dina said...

I've seen the show, but never got into it to watch more than I did, so I don't plan to watch it.

pearl said...

I think that it is the best summer movie of all. I have a few good friends who are always there for me. When we moved to a new town I was not worried about meeting women with whom I had something in common. I consider myself fortunate to have met and made a new circle of friends.

jenna said...

I can hardly wait to see the movie. I need light entertainment.
I do depend upon friends for their advice and catch up. It makes me feel so good just to sit amongst my girlfriends and relax together.

Cathy M said...

I haven't seen the movie yet, waiting to watch it with my sisters, who just happen to also be my best girlfriends. We laugh and vent with each other, cry when we need to, share our lives, both the good and the bad, and love each other unconditionally.

cheryl c said...

I never watched Sex and the City, and I am wondering if I can watch the movie without all the background story from the series. Or do I need to rent the old shows before seeing the movie? What do you think?

Keri Ford said...

I caught Sex on TBS a couple of times. I'm sure it was a tame version to the HBO series. I didn't stay with it long. This will be a wait for HBO release for me.

Never had a pack of girls that I ran with constantly. I always fit in better with the guys. now a days, I have some writing buddies I can talk with about anything writing related or not and a girlfriend I can call up and schedule a lunch if I need to talk.

If I have a problem about whatever, or just need to talk something out, the hubby's pretty good about listening (or does a good job pretending!). If not him, then there's always a character I can use to vent my frustrations out on!

Christie Ridgway said...

Cheri: A friend of mine from the gym (more of my friend circles, I have my mom friends and then my gym friends and my writing friends and...) said she hadn't watched the series and enjoyed it anyway. I don't think there's any "in" stuff you should know that they don't explain. For example, they right out there mention how Smith stood by Samantha when she had breast cancer. In the series, they wouldn't have bothered with that since regular watchers would already know.

Just go for the fun clothes and the cute men and the great friendship!

Christie Ridgway said...

Keri: I bet as you get into the school world with your little one, that you find yourself with a bunch of new people in your life. The commonality of kids the same age is the same as writing and brings women together.

I have my "Mayberry Moms" group and we share so much and the best part is, we've come past trying to make our kids look perfect to each other. We can worry aloud about them and know that the other moms love them too and wish them only the best.

Christie Ridgway said...

Cathy: I'm so jealous! I want sisters. I only have a bro. One of my good friends has two sisters and they are very close. It's so nice.

My mom is one of two sisters and they are also very close. I like to write about sisters because I like to imagine having that relationship. Yes, they'll tell you that dress makes you look fat, but they'd smack anyone else who would say it!

Keri Ford said...

Oh, and almost forgot! Saw you on the Diva's LATE last night, but I did have a *ahem* few titles that's been nagging me to give you for #3

All Yours for a Ball of Yarn
Knit Me
Knitted Underwear
Hook Me With Cotton
One Pull And I'm Undone
Needles and Yarn Make Sweaters, Oh My!

:O) (yes, keri's doing edits and avoiding them!)

flip said...

While I have some very dear friends, I never had a group of close girlfriends. However, I have always been very close to my two younger sisters, Patti and Alicia. We were very close in age, 3 years between myself and my youngest sister, Alicia. We were the best, dearest friends.

Estella said...

I have not seen the movie.
I do have a best friend of 30 years, who is always there when I need her.

Jane said...

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I loved the series. I have several girlfriends who are really close to me. When I need support or advice they give it to me. We don't hang out all the time and drink Cosmos like the SATC gals, but we always have a good time when we do meet up.

Christie Ridgway said...

Keri: Thanks for the great titles!

Jane: There is a great moment in the movie where the girls are all drinking Cosmos and one says "These are good, why did we stop drinking them?" Another answers: "Because everyone else started drinking them!"

I've only had Cosmopolitans a couple of times and they're not my fave. Too sweet. I had a very bad experience in college drinking something that was very sweet (white wine, 7-Up, and sherbet...it makes me ill just thinking about it).

Unknown said...

I didn't watch the series but I went to the movie and really enjoyed it. I actually teared up a few times. And...I went with my husband who also liked it so....hmmmm.

Christie Ridgway said...

Lois, my husband liked it too! He thought bad thoughts about Big for a while though. I'm pretty sure it wasn't the clothes that kept his interest though, more likely the notion that there might be the lack of them at any moment.

robynl said...

No I haven't seen the movie or watched the TV series. We live too far away from the theatre.

I have 3 close girlfriends. One lives hrs. away from me; in fact a whole province away and I haven't seen her in years. But: we have been through divorces together, through marriages, through her losing a leg below the knee, etc. I can phone her anytime and most often come away feeling so much better. We talk about everything.

The other friend lives across the street from me and she is my 'pet friend'. We both love dogs and each has one or more. She's very easy to talk to and often gets my dh to do repairs around her home.

The other friend lives a few blocks away from me and I am there for her going through some rough times with 3 kids, 2 of whom are rebelling. Yikes!!! Dh is a mentor of sorts for the boy and I am a shoulder to lean on.

Jeanette J said...

I have not seen the movie but I have heard good things about it from one of my "dog walk" friends. A bunch of us walk our dogs every Saturday and Sunday at 8:30am and there are 2 or 3 of the women I get together with at other times also.

catslady said...

I'm probably one of the few people in the world that never watched Sex and the City lol.

Anonymous said...

I'm going to see this movie tonight. I can't go with my bffs because they're both out of town right now.

We don't get together as often as we'd like but we talk all the time. These women are touchstones for me. We talk about every and ANY thing. And the older we get, the deeper our friendships become. It's awesome.

Christie Ridgway said...

Catslady: Nah, as you can see from the comments, there's plenty who haven't seen it. And you know what? I liked the movie more than watching episodes in the series. There's good closure here and pretty much a full boat of HEA.

Amy: Have a great time tonight! Report back!

Lily said...

I have not seen the movie... but the fashion looks amazing. So I will probably see it just for that when it comes on DVD!

Nathalie said...

I have never seen the series and so I am not sure that I will be interested in the movie.

I am not that lucky to have a great group of friends... however, my mother is my best-friend and she is always there for me, which is as great!

Fedora said...

I haven't seen the TV show or the movie, but I am blessed to have a group of girlfriends who are the best! It's a treat to get together and dish about life--especially if we can do it without the husbands and kids :) Being able to chat with them definitely recharges my batteries!

Christie Ridgway said...

nathalie: Moms count as girlfriends! My mom is also the absolute best. She just visited me and I missed her the moment she got out of the car at the airport.

flchen1: Yeah, it doesn't count as the best girlfriend time if husbands or kids are anywhere in the vicinity!

Anonymous said...

I haven't seen the movie yet and I will probably wait until DVD anyways- totally can't afford the movies these days. I do have a couple close girlfriends but they are not close in distance. We are all 3 military wives which usually means we are stationed thousands of miles apart. Sometimes the stars align and we get put in the same places but usually it is email and phone calls. Despite the distance we manage to keep each other sane! Being in the military teaches you how important real friends can be. I have this theory about friendship that both my gal pals share... but only because they agreed with my wacky logic. It's like this, a person should never have more friends than they have fingers on one hand. That selective number kind of keeps the real pals close and the spongy drama-ridden bunch at bay. A person can have as many casual friends as they can tolerate but those true gem friends are hard to find and hard to keep. Having that bond takes work sometimes because it is give and take (like marriage) but it is always worth it.

Christie Ridgway said...

Anna: You're a military wife! Wow. My m-i-l was a military wife (second husband, first died, was a captain in the Navy) and it's a big job! I'm glad you have good friends to support you.

Love your fingers on one hand idea.

Lori T said...

I loved this movie. I was a bit surprised because I had not really watched the tv series, but I loved the movie so much that I am thinking that I may need to pick up the seasons.

Anonymous said...

not yet prob rent it teh movie. m y friends are great
kim h

Christie Ridgway said...

Lori T: You can rent the seasons at Blockbuster or via Netflix (this is what I did with the Sopranos). It's fun to watch them as a block.

limecello said...

I haven't seen the movie - but I do have a group of friends that I can count on. We grew up together, and out parents were all friends before we were born. We don't get to see each other too often or get together as a whole group - but we all try to keep in touch. And, we can depend on each other.