The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a true charmer, a coming-of-age dramedy that treats adolescent girls with respect as it capitalizes on the power of friendship, individualism and life's possibilities.

There are some heavy-handed moments of affirmation in the film, but there is a likeable warmth to it, some strong performances and some grit and spark, particularly in the strand involving Ferrara.

It’s all mostly warm and fuzzy until the film descends into multiple, tearjerking moments and trite resolutions. The performances are fine but after Mean Girls you may find this too sticky and sweet.

This adaptation of Ann Brashares’ best-selling YA novel hurtles over most its shortcomings by adding a layer of toughness not usually found in films aimed at teens.