Perhaps one theme that “chick flicks” have pounced on is the theme of sisterhood and female relationships. The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants are prime examples. How can we fail to see the correlations when the word “sisterhood” is smack dab in the middle of the two titles staring at you? However, there is much more than a title word that these two movies share. Who can deny that many women gain much self-esteem and support from their close knit group of friends? Comparing these two movies is interesting because both movies address different age groups. Divine Secrets covers the lives of many generations of women as well as various ages in their lives. The areas covered in this movie are all more adult issues dealing with alcoholism, depression, abuse, marriages, raising children, and then mending and forming bonds with the children they have raised. The areas covered by Divine Secrets are issues that many women are dealing with and are able to relate to and gain some kind of closure on, even if it is temporary and only on the silver screen.
The same can be said for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. This movie tackles issues that younger women can relate to such as first loves, losing friends at a young age, and becoming a part of a divorced parent’s new family. So, now we understand the issues these movies cover, but how does that relate to sisterhood?
One thing always present in these two movies is the love and support of friends that makes going through tough times easier. One thing that has not been lost through generations is the bond that women share with each other and how important these relationships can be.