The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (released in the UK as The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants) is a 2005 American film, based on the novel The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares released by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was directed by Ken Kwapis and written by Delia Ephron.

The film's production budget was $25 million. At the box office, it brought in a total domestic gross of $39 million.^[2] The DVD was released in the United States on October 11, 2005, and features on-camera commentary by Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel, and America Ferrera and deleted scenes (discussed by Kwapis). The film was partially shot in the Kamloops and Ashcroft area in B.C., Canada.^[3]

Plot[link]

Four teenage girls — Lena, Tibby, Bridget, and Carmen — are best friends from Bethesda, Maryland, who are about to separate for the summer for the first time in their lives. Lena is spending the summer in Greece with her grandparents; Tibby is staying at home; Bridget is going to soccer camp in Mexico; and Carmen is visiting her father in South Carolina. On one of their final days shopping together, the girls find a seemingly ordinary pair of jeans that fit them all perfectly and flatter their figures, despite their very different measurements. The girls dub them the Traveling Pants and decide to share them equally over the course of the summer. They part the next day, and the film focuses on each girl's journey separately.

Lena Kaligaris

Through the unexpected intervention of the Pants, Lena meets a boy named Kostas Dounas, a Greek-American like her. Lena learns from her grandparents that her family and Kostas' family are sworn enemies stemming from an old family feud. Despite this, Kostas continues to pursue Lena, and the two develop feelings for each other. Lena holds back, though, until one day when she admits to herself that she is afraid of love. Once she makes this realization, she begins a secret relationship with Kostas in earnest. On their last night together, while they are dancing, Kostas tells Lena that he loves her. Before Lena can answer, Lena's family barges in, angrily pulling Lena away. Lena later confronts her grandfather and asks to go see Kostas before he leaves, to which her grandfather agrees. Kostas and Lena share a passionate kiss, and Lena confesses her love for him.

Tibby Rollins

While on the job at a discount department store, Tibby hears a loud crashing sound, and finds a young girl who has fainted in the deodorant aisle. She frantically calls for help, and the girl is taken away in an ambulance. Later, when Lena from Greece mails the magical Pants to Tibby, they are delivered to the wrong house, and someone comes to Tibby's house to deliver them - coincidentally, Bailey Graffman, the girl who had fainted at the store.

Fascinated by Tibby's movie, or "suckumentary", and her movie making, Bailey becomes Tibby's self-appointed assistant. Tibby is annoyed by this at first, but gradually grows to accept Bailey. She later learns from Bailey's neighbor that Bailey has leukemia.

Bailey eventually goes to the hospital with a bad infection. Tibby avoids the hospital for a while, but eventually visits Bailey, bringing the Traveling Pants. She offers them to Bailey and pleads with her to take them so that they can help her. Bailey responds by saying that the pants have already worked their magic on Bailey by bringing her and Tibby together. Tibby spends a lot of time with Bailey in the hospital after that. A couple days later, Tibby receives a phone call in the morning from Mrs. Graffman, Bailey's mother, saying that Bailey died in the night.

When Carmen comes back home from South Carolina, Tibby visits her to try and help her with her feelings of being snubbed by her father. Tibby later goes to Bridget's house along with Carmen in order to bring Bridget out of a period of sadness she's going through.

Over the course of the movie, Tibby undergoes dramatic changes in outlook due to her time with Bailey.

Bridget Vreeland

Shortly after arriving at soccer camp in Baja California, Mexico, Bridget develops a crush on one of the coaches, Eric Richman. She reveals to Eric and the audience that a psychiatrist who evaluated her following her mother's suicide described her as "single-minded to the point of recklessness," presumably as a way of avoiding dealing with her mother's death. This statement aptly describes Bridget's pursuit of Eric, despite the fact that flings between coaches and campers are forbidden. She flirts with Eric, shows off for him during games, and more.

When Bridget's turn with the Traveling Pants finally comes, she puts them on that night and walks around outside Eric's cabin, leading him to the beach. It is implied in the movie (and confirmed in the book) that Bridget loses her virginity to Eric. The event leaves Bridget feeling empty and listless, even once she returns home. After learning about this in a letter, Lena calls Carmen and Tibby, and they arrive at Bridget's house to cheer her up. She tells them she is worried she is like her mother, whose mood also swung easily from very up to very down, eventually resulting in deep depression and suicide. Carmen and Tibby comfort Bridget by reassuring her that she is stronger than her mother. Eric visits Bridget and apologizes for his behavior over the summer, and tells her that while she is too young for him now, he hopes she will give him a shot when she is older, giving Bridget some much-needed closure.

Carmen Lowell

During the summer Carmen goes to her dad's house in South Carolina. On arrival, she is shocked when her dad immediately introduces her to a new family that he is about to marry into; they are blonde White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, unlike Carmen who was raised by her Puerto Rican mother. During her time there her father and her new family neglect her emotionally, driving her to throw a stone through their dining room window, and catch a bus back to Maryland. At home she tells Tibby about her time with her dad and Tibby convinces her to confront her father with a phone call and finally tell him that she's mad at him. Carmen tells her father and he apologizes. Her summer ends with the four of them returning south where she is an attendant at her father's wedding, where at the reception he makes a public apology for having snubbed her.

Cast[link]

Reception[link]

Critical response[link]

According to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, "This adaptation of a beloved novel charms with its heartwarming tale of friendship and young adulthood; realistic portrayals of the lives of teenage girls lend the comedy-drama sincerity, and may capture hearts outside the female-centric demographic." It has a score of 77% based on 125 reviews as well as 94% approval from Top Critics.^[4] Metacritic gave the film a score of 66%, with "generally favorable reviews", based on 34 reviews.^[5] Yahoo! Movies gave the film a B rating based on 13 different critics.^[6]

Box office[link]

On its opening weekend, the film opened #5 at the box office with $9,833,340.^[7] As of November 14, 2008, the film has grossed $42,013,878 worldwide.^[8]

Home media[link]

The DVD was released in the US on October 11, 2005.

Soundtrack and score[link]

The song album was released by Columbia Records on May 24, 2005.

1. These Days - Chantal Kreviazuk (3:57)
2. Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield (4:19)
3. Black Roses Red - Alana Grace (4:12)
4. If God Made You (Radio Remix) - Five For Fighting (4:16)
5. Just For You - William Tell (3:46)
6. Closer To You - Brandi Carlile (2:54)
7. No Sleep Tonight - The Faders (3:00)
8. I Want You To Know - Chantal Kreviazuk (3:19)
9. Be Be Your Love - Rachael Yamagata (4:14)
10. Sun's Gonna Rise - Shannon Curfman (3:55)
11. Simple - Katy Perry (3:39)
12. Always There In You - Valli Girls (3:46)

The album of Cliff Eidelman's score was released by Varèse Sarabande on July 12, 2005.

1. Prologue (3:44)
2. Deja Blue (1:04)
3. Fate (1:01)
4. Rules of the Pants (3:26)
5. A Touch of Greece (1:18)
6. Honey (1:10)
7. The Traveling Pants (:53)
8. Reflection (2:07)
9. Running (1:26)
10. Traveling to Baja (:39)
11. The Way of the Pants (:34)
12. Letter (1:48)
13. Broken Heart (1:16)
14. A Brave Soul (1:15)
15. Last Words (:58)
16. Us (2:18)
17. Sisterhood Reunites (1:14)
18. Together (1:29)
19. The Traveling Song (3:17)
20. Piano Suite (4:03)

Awards[link]

• 2006 - Won; Imagen Foundation Awards for Best Actress (America Ferrera)
• 2006 - Nominated; ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (America Ferrera)
• 2006 - Nominated; Young Artist Award for Best Family Feature Film - Drama
• 2006 - Nominated; Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actress (Jenna Boyd)
• 2005 - Nominated; Satellite Award for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role, Comedy or Musical (America Ferrera)
• 2005 - Nominated; Satellite Award for Outstanding Youth DVD (Widescreen Edition)
• 2005 - Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress: Drama (Alexis Bledel)
• 2005 - Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress: Drama (Amber Tamblyn)
• 2005 - Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Performance - Female (America Ferrera)
• 2005 - Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Performance - Female (Jenna Boyd)
• 2005 - Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Performance - Female (Blake Lively)
• 2005 - Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Performance - Male (Michael Rady)
• 2005 - Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Hissy Fit (America Ferrera)
• 2005 - Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Love Scene (Alexis Bledel and Michael Rady)
• 2005 - Nominated; Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Drama

In popular culture[link]

At the 2008 Democratic National Convention, then-New York senator Hillary Clinton referred to a group of her supporters as the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits".

Sequel[link]

All four actresses signed on for the sequel and filming started June 2007. The movie, titled The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, was released on August 6, 2008. The movie is said to be based on the second, third and fourth books in the Traveling Pants series, while the time is apparently of Girls in Pants, i.e. after high school graduation before the girls leave for college. It is rated PG-13 for mature material and sensuality unlike the first film which was PG.

References[link]

Notes

External links[link]

• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants at the Internet Movie Database
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants at Rotten Tomatoes

For movie, See The Sisterhood (film)

The Sisterhood was a side project by Sisters of Mercy singer Andrew Eldritch that recorded songs, which he had intended for a second Sisters album, with guest musicians.

Background[link]

After the March 1985 release of the first Sisters of Mercy album First and Last and Always the band prepared themselves for a follow-up. Eldritch: "The next Sisters album was going to be called 'Left On Mission and Revenge'." ^[1]

Singer Andrew Eldritch saw the time ripe for a change of direction: "I always wanted to do something different, because whatever we did it all eventually sounded the same." ^[2] "I wanted to find out how to record songs without any rock structures and especially without guitars." ^[3]

Together with guitarist Wayne Hussey Eldritch went to Hamburg-Bramfeld during August and September 1985 ^[4] to compose new material. Wayne Hussey: "I went to Hamburg for a month with Andrew to try and write songs for the second Sisters album, and we came back with all my ideas rejected and Andrew's very skeletal." ^[5] "Andrew rejected all my songs and let me work on one single chord all the time: 'Here's my song - E minor!" ^[6]

Back in England the band came together to rehearsals in October 1985, but the musical differences had become irreconcilable. Wayne Hussey: "We got to doing the second album and Andrew said 'I'm not singing any of your songs.'" ^[7]

Eldritch: "Then they said 'Well, okay, what are we gonna do for new songs?' And I said 'How about this, this and this' and, unfortunately, the first 'this' I cited had too many chords per minute and Craig said 'If that's the guitar line, I'm not playing it' and walked out. That was really that." ^[8] "The others didn't want to play my new songs, such as 'Torch' for instance. [...] The song has some unusual chord changes. Craig thought it was crap, he said 'I'm not playing it, I'm going home.' And there he stayed." ^[9]

Hussey: "Craig walked out of rehearsal and a day later I did." ^[10]

The music press reported the break-up of the band on Saturday, 2 November 1985: "The Sisters of Mercy were down to singer Andrew Eldritch and his faithful drum machine Avalanche this week after guitarist Wayne Hussey and bassist Craig Adams left the band. Although this has scuppered recording plans for a new album this month, Andrew now intends to record the same album in the New Year and could well be using Wayne as a session guitarist. The split was described as 'friendly' by a Merciful Release spokesperson. 'The cliché of musical differences would not be inappropriate. Wayne and Craig were unable to comprehend the direction the band was going.' Andrew has also approached former Gun Club bassist Patricia Morrison - now in Fur Bible - to play on the album, but it's not yet known whether Andrew will continue with the name Sisters of Mercy. Wayne and Craig are now reported to be getting their own band together." ^[11]

Andrew Eldritch: "The people that are now The Mission and myself had an agreement, no one would use the name when the band went its separate ways." ^[12] "The band was good and successful, each of us could continue. The split came at a time when it wouldn't do us any damage." ^[13]

"Giving Ground" single (January 1986)[link]

On the very same day Eldritch made a phone call to bassist Patricia Morrison whose band Fur Bible was on a UK tour with Siouxsie and the Banshees at the time, and asked her to play on his planned album. Morrison: "The day they fell apart he called me and said 'Will you do it?' and I said yes. [...] We had some tours set up, so I waited until that was cleared, then left." ^[14]

Hussey and Adams, who like Eldritch remained under contract with WEA Records, booked some studio time at Slaughterhouse Recording Studios in Driffield at the end of October 1985, recorded a four-song demo tape, and set up a new band. But the demo tape was rejected by the record company who were not convinced by Hussey's singing talents.^[15]

Eldritch went into the studio at the tail end of 1985 to produce the debut single of James Ray and the Performance for his Merciful Release label.^[16] James Ray: "The Sisterhood project arose during the recording of 'Mexico Sundown Blues'." ^[17]

While Eldritch was in the studio, Hussey and Adams, who had taken over The Sisters' roadcrew and equipment, announced their debut concert for 20 January 1986 which they were going to play under the new name The Sisterhood.

Eldritch was alarmed: "They began to claim rights to [The Sisters name], which patently had to be stopped. And when they wanted to be called The Sisterhood, there was nothing I could do but be The Sisterhood before them - the only way to kill that name was to use it, then kill it." ^[18] "Warners thought they could have two bands on the same label with pretty much the same name." ^[19]

Eldritch decided to secure the rights to The Sisterhood name as quickly as possible. He registered a company under the name ^[20] and prepared a record to be released on his own label.

In only five days Eldritch recorded a song called "Giving Ground" which he co-wrote with Merciful Release manager Boyd Steemson and co-produced with Lucas Fox. Fox and Eldritch had met in the spring of 1985, when Fox was the stand-in drummer for Australian support band The Scientists on The Sisters' UK tour. Eldritch recorded all instruments himself (guitar, bass, synthesizers and drum programming), while Fox programmed some additional percussion tracks.^[21]

The single contained two different mixes of the song, Eldritch's original instrumental "Giving Ground (AV)" (5:45 min) on the b-side and the vocal remix "Giving Ground (RSV)" (4:50 min) on the a-side. 'AV' and 'RSV' are explained on the official Sisters website this way: "The 'Authorised Version' of 'Giving Ground' is Andrew's original version, and the 'Revised Standard Version' is the version developed by colleagues at Merciful Release and subsequently adopted as the standard version. 'AV' and 'RSV' are well-known versions of the Bible." ^[22]

Because Eldritch as an artist was under contract to WEA Records, he could not sing on the record, otherwise WEA would have had an option on the recording. James Ray: "He asked me and I did the vocals, as easy as that." ^[23]

Merciful Release announced the single's release with a press statement: "From among the forces allied to Merciful Release we bring you The Sisterhood. capturing (in this instance) the musical bile of Andrew Eldritch, and introducing the colossal vocal talents of James Ray and the Performance ... of whom more soon."

The single was released as planned on 20 January 1986, the same day that Hussey and Adams played their debut concert in London as The Sisterhood. The press hype about the two conflicting parties made the single enter the UK Indie Chart on 8 February, where it got to no. 1 on 15 February 1986. The reviews in the music press were unanimously negative, and even James Ray later declared: "It's a terrible track." ^[24]

Hussey and Adams had to give up The Sisterhood name. A radio session for the Janice Long Evening Show on BBC Radio 1 on 10 February was broadcasted under the provisional name of The Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams Band, and at the end of February 1986 the new name The Mission was announced.

Another Eldritch press release commented: "We assume that their choice of name is entirely unconnected with the forthcoming Andrew Eldritch album which for some months has had the working title Left on Mission and Revenge."

On 2 March 1986 The Mission played in Birmingham. Wayne Hussey: "The majority of the songs we've been doing in the set so far are my songs that Andrew rejected for The Sisters' second album. It's ironic cos he saw us at Birmingham and told us how good he thought the songs were." ^[25]

"This Corrosion" 12 inch EP (spring 1986, unreleased)[link]

Sounds magazine reported on 20 February 1986 that "a new 12 inch EP called 'This Corrosion' will soon be in the shops, featuring the same line-up but with the addition of a mysterious and so far undisclosed American vocalist." ^[26] This 12 inch single even appeared in German music paper adverts as "available soon".^[27]

James Ray: "So during the recording of ['Mexico Sundown Blues'] we made and released 'Giving Ground'. We then spent weeks on what was to be The Sisterhood's second single, 'This Corrosion', but Eldritch decided he was going to use it to kickstart The Sisters Mk II." ^[28]

Recording took place at Fairview Recording Studios ^[29] near Hull with in-house engineer John Spence. American vocalist Alan Vega, who had made friends with The Sisters in 1983,^[30] and undertook a solo tour through the UK and Europe during February and March 1986, recorded one version of the song, other vocal takes featuring James Ray and Andrew Eldritch are in existence as well. On 25 December 2006, former James Ray and the Performance member Carl Harrison uploaded a 9 minute Eldritch version of 'This Corrosion' ("I was recording in the same studio at the time") on the internet, which is widely available since.

The projected 12 inch EP remained unreleased, instead the song "This Corrosion" in 1987 became The Sisters of Mercy's comeback single.

"Gift" album (July 1986)[link]

In March 1986, The Mission began negotiations with Phonogram Ltd. as WEA Records refused to release any material. So the band released the October 1985 demo tape in slightly re-recorded form as an independent single on 9 May 1986. The single (its b-side was titled "Wake (RSV)" as a nod to "Giving Ground (RSV)") promptly entered the UK Indie Chart at no. 1. WEA Records had to release The Mission from their contract.

Both Andrew Eldritch and The Mission still had a publishing contract with RCA Records from their days in The Sisters of Mercy. A sum of £25,000 for one studio album was payable for the year of 1986 in an Advance against royalties deal, so RCA decided to split up the money to the two concerned parties.^[31]

Eldritch decided to claim the whole sum for himself by being first to compose, produce and release a studio album, much in the same way as he did with the "Giving Ground" single. Again he didn't appear as a vocalist, so he could release the album on his own label without having to offer it to WEA Records: "They thought it was great that I called myself The Sisterhood while they still had The Sisters of Mercy, so they didn't have to back me at all. I had to put out the album on Merciful Release, but it gave me free rein." ^[32]

Eldritch and Lucas Fox returned to Fairview Recording Studios. Merciful Release office manager Boyd Steemson: "Basically, we had some extra tracks around, so Andrew quickly put some songs together." ^[33]

James Ray: "I wasn't involved too much with the album, as it was taking ages for Eldritch to formulate any concrete ideas, and I wanted to be writing my own stuff. I personally think the album transpired to cash in on the sales of the single."^[34]

"Giving Ground" was included as an extended remix on the album, the only track featuring James Ray.

James Ray: "Lucas Fox done the spoken word stuff." ^[35] "If I remember correctly I advised Andrew on how Lucas Fox should approach his vocals and that was quite enough for me." ^[36]

Lucas Fox does the vocal parts on "Colours", "Finland Red, Egypt White" and "Rain from Heaven". The text of "Finland Red, Egypt White" comes from an arms dealer's catalogue for the AK-47 rifle, while the title cites the country code for blank cartridges. James Ray remembers Norman Cook, then bassist of local band The Housemartins, having done a mix of the track which remains unreleased.^[37] "Rain from Heaven" with its choral singing seems to have been one of the tracks Eldritch intended for the Left on Mission and Revenge album, as he later mentioned how "Wayne and Craig had said those choral singings were insane." ^[38]

Patricia Morrison got her first opportunity to collaborate with Eldritch, but her only verified contribution to the album is one spoken passage on the opening track "Jihad". Eldritch: "So I asked Patricia to come to the studio and told her: 'Speak this - Two-Five-Zero-Zero-Zero'. It took The Mission two months to realise the meaning of those words. Two months!" ^[39]

Alan Vega gets a credit on the album cover but it remains unknown whether he made any contributions to the recording. He was possibly part of the "Chorus of Vengeance" on the track "Rain from Heaven".

In July 1986 Eldritch put the album out on his Merciful Release label to unanimously negative press reactions. The album did not accomplish its purpose, as RCA Records dissolved the publishing contract with Eldritch ^[40] and decided to keep The Mission instead.

Tony Perrin, The Mission's manager: "I think Eldritch perpetuated it longer than anyone else bothered. We'd still get letters from his lawyers ages after but nothing would ever come of it. The whole thing cost us legal bills and that's all, the rumours about big losses by us were all rubbish, it was never going to court." ^[41]

Andrew Eldritch later said about the album: "The Sisterhood album was a weapon in this corporate war. That's why I called it Gift. [in German: poison] [...] But I still like the record. It's weird but it's fine." ^[42] "I see it as a techno record. Or what I thought to be techno at the time." ^[43]

The official Sisters of Mercy website comments: "The Sisterhood album has become a classic; it parallelled the New Beat of the Continental avant-garde which eventually spawned Techno." ^[44]

Album track list[link]

All songs written and composed by Andrew Eldritch. 

Album CD releases[link]

• On 1 August 1989 Gift was released on CD for the first time.
• On 16 May 1994 the Gift CD was re-released in Germany.

Album trivia[link]

The final episode of BBC drama Spooks' seventh series references this album. The Russian code broadcast on a Cold War number station is "2.5.0.0.2.5. Finland Red Egypt White. It is twice blest. It is twice blest. Rain from Heaven". This code activates a Russian sleeper agent in Faversham, Kent to collect a hidden portable nuclear weapon to be taken to Grosvenor Square in London and detonated at 1500hrs. Also, while trying to get to London Bridge through an unused tube tunnel, Lucas says the sentence "What is lost can never be found"; a line from the "Giving Ground" track.

References[link]

Blake Lively
Lively at the 2011 Time 100 gala
Born	(1987-08-25) August 25, 1987 (age 24) Los Angeles, California, US
Occupation	Actress, model
Years active	1998–present

Blake Christina Lively (born August 25, 1987) is an American actress and model who stars as Serena van der Woodsen in the television teen drama series Gossip Girl. She has also starred in movies, including Accepted, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, The Town and Green Lantern.

Early life[link]

Lively was born in Tarzana, Los Angeles to actors Ernie and Elaine Lively. She was raised as a Southern Baptist.^[1] The youngest of five siblings,^[2] Lively has an older brother, Eric, two half-sisters, Lori and Robyn, and a half-brother, Jason. Both of her parents and all of her siblings are, or have been, in the entertainment industry.^[3] During Lively's childhood, her parents would take her with them to acting classes that they taught because they did not want to leave her with a babysitter.^[3] Lively said that watching her parents teach acting classes helped her learn the "drills" of acting and gain confidence as she got older.^[2][3]

Lively was initially not particularly interested in acting, however during the summer between her junior and senior years of high school, her brother, Eric, asked his agent to send her out on a few auditions over a period of a few months. From these few auditions, she got the role of Bridget for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.^[4] Lively filmed her scenes in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants between her junior and senior years at Burbank High.^[4]

Career[link]

Lively at the New York premiere of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 on August 8, 2008 in New York City

Lively began her acting career at age 11, when she appeared in the 1998 film Sandman, which was directed by Lively's father. Lively describes her role in the film as having been a "bit part".^[5] Lively appeared in the film adaptation of the novel of the same name, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, in 2005 as Bridget, one of the four female leads. Lively's performance in the film earned her a nomination for a Teen Choice Award for "Choice Movie Breakout - Female."^{[citation needed]}

In 2006, she co-starred with Justin Long in Accepted, and Lively had minor roles in the horror film, Simon Says. While Accepted was not well received by critics, Lively's performance was, earning her a 'Breakthrough Award' from Hollywood Life.^{[citation needed]} In 2007, Lively played one of the two title characters in Elvis and Anabelle as Anabelle, a bulimic girl who hoped to win a beauty pageant. Lively said of getting into character for the role that she had 'shed serious weight' for her height. Lively stated that that process was difficult for her because food is “the No. 1 love of my life.”^[6] MovieLine.com praised her performance in the film and credited it as having been her "breakthrough role".^[7]

Lively in September 2010

Lively was cast in the CW's series Gossip Girl, which premiered in September 2007. She plays Serena van der Woodsen in the teen drama.^[8] Her first magazine cover was the November 2007 issue of Cosmo Girl, where she discussed her time in high school and her career prior to Gossip Girl.^[9]

In 2008, Lively reprised her role in the sequel, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Similar to the first film, Lively was positively received by critics.^[10][11] As of November 2009, the film had earned over $44 million at the box office.^[12] In 2009, Lively appeared as Gabrielle DiMarco, a minor role in the romantic comedy, New York, I Love You, a sequel to the 2006 film Paris, je t'aime. Despite positive reception from critics, the film had a poor box office performance.^[13][14]

One of Lively's most acclaimed roles to date is her supporting role playing the younger version of the title character in The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009).^[15] Paul Byrnes, of the Brisbane Times, described Lively's performance in the film as being "sensational".^[16] In October, 2009, Lively began filming her scenes for her role as Krista Coughlin, in the 2010 film The Town, based on Chuck Hogan's novel Prince of Thieves.^[17] In the film, Lively's role has been described as "the sister of Jem and Doug's ex-girlfriend who has a 19-month old daughter, Shyne."^[18] The film, which also stars Ben Affleck, was released in the United States on September 17, 2010 to critical acclaim. In an interview with Marie Claire, Lively stated that she wasn't relying on her career as an actress, having felt that having her own interior decorating firm would be a substitute as a back-up plan, and because of her 'fascination'^{[clarification needed]} with "colors and textures and layering things."^[2][19]

In January 2010, it was announced that Lively would play Carol Ferris, the female lead and love interest of Hal Jordan in the superhero film Green Lantern, which was released in June 2011.^[20] The film grossed a worldwide total of $219,851,172.^[21] but was considered as a summer flop as it "failed to perform to expectations" even though it grossed more than its budget.^[22] Lively appeared in the music video for The Lonely Island's "I Just Had Sex" together with Jessica Alba in December 2010.^[23]

Lively with the cast of Green Lantern at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International

She will next star in Oliver Stone's Savages. Lively was originally considered for the lead role in Steven Soderbergh's The Side Effects.^[24] However, it was later reported Rooney Mara would replace her.^[25]

Personal life[link]

Lively dated actor Kelly Blatz from 2004 to 2007; the two had been friends since childhood.^[26] Lively dated Penn Badgley from late 2007 to mid-September 2010.^[27][28][29] Lively was in a relationship with actor Leonardo DiCaprio from mid-May^[30][31] until October 2011.^[32] She has been dating her Green Lantern co-star Ryan Reynolds since October 2011.^[33]

During the 2008 United States presidential election Lively expressed her support for Barack Obama. Lively and Badgley appeared in a pro-Obama commercial, as part of MoveOn.org's Youth Vote program. The commercial, directed by Doug Liman, aired during Gossip Girl on CW, MTV and Comedy Central.^[34]

In 2011, she was featured in the annual TIME magazine 100 influential people.^[35] AskMen named her the most desirable woman of 2011.^[36] People named her one of 2012 Most Beautiful at Every Age.^[37]

Filmography[link]

Awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Blake Lively

• Blake Lively at the Internet Movie Database
• Blake Lively at AllRovi
• Blake Lively cast bio at The CW
• Blake Lively at TV Guide
• Blake Lively At Her Hottest — slideshow by Life magazine