This year, much to the world’s disappointment, it was confirmed that a third Sex and the City (SATC) movie was officially, off the cards.
After years of the rumour mill churning out headline after headline about the possibility of third and final film to complete the trilogy, Kim Cattrall announced to Piers Morgan that a third film is no longer in question, and the girls were never truly friends. I move past this point swiftly, as I’m still too bitter to talk about it. The world was outraged, SATC fans worldwide were distraught, city girls and gays alike will most likely have shed a tear that day (I know I did). But, with the distress and upset behind us, I want to focus on the force of positivity that the film, the characters and the brand stand for. And that’s of pure, ultimate sisterhood. Yes, I am a gay male attempting to write about female sisterhood, but if anyone else is going to know anything about it, it’s going to be a gay male, I’ll tell you that much.
SATC, both the series and the films, is known for the four girls. Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha each play a very exact, crucial role in the cogs of the ultimate gal group. For those unfamiliar with the characters, I’ll provide a quick summary, particularly focusing on the films…
Carrie: Driven by men. She’s career-focused, yet still seems to have all the time in the world for shopping, drinking and brunches - the dream, right? Her battles with men are ongoing, she writes her own books and regularly for Vogue and New York magazine, and has an iconic outfit for every single day of the week.
Charlotte: Driven by her family. Has one adopted daughter and one biological daughter after years of trying, struggling with motherhood. Ever the sensible role within the group, she’s often hesitant to step outside her comfort zones, but when she does – can be the most fun.
Miranda: Driven by her career, overworked mum of one. Spends more time at work than at home, deals with marriage issues almost constantly, one of the most emotional of the four. Her organisational skills make her the backbone of the group for all things social.
Samantha: Driven by sex. After locating to LA to follow a man and a successful PR career, she’s the inspirational business bitch we all aspire to be. Over-confident, over-dramatic and generally over-the-top, she’s most likely to get herself or the group into trouble, regardless of where they are or what they’re doing.
Now we’ve covered the basics for those that needed a little refresher course, let’s quickly focus back to the real meaty heart of this piece. Spanning over a decade on our screens, the journey these girls endure is enticing to say the least. From four lost girls in the city, through to four established women across America, the SATC cast represent the epitome of sisterhood today. The stories portrayed cover all aspects of modern life in the city, from trivial issues like bad dates and internal squabbles, through to real, hard hitting issues like cheating, abandonment, loneliness, employment, long distance friendships, and so on.
The running theme through SATC however, is the support network that the girls provide one another. Throughout the timeline, we are naturally introduced to new characters – assistants, fiancées, family, co-workers, which of course provides entertainment and keeps audiences hooked. But what is consistently present throughout, is their need for each other. The sheer longing for each other’s approval, support and encouragement. From the highest highs to the lowest lows, they are there for each other, through thick and thin. Scripts aside, I think there’s something really quite beautiful about the message that it portrays.
We all know that life can get a little lonely at times. Especially, living in a vast city. A standout feature about the SATC films for me, is the way that they explore the feeling of loneliness in such a uniquely compassionate way. These women are strong, fearless and determined. Quote Samantha’s famed scene when splitting from a relationship of five years: “I AM NOT THE KIND OF WOMAN TO SIT AT HOME WAITING ALL DAY FOR A MAN!” *Throws sushi at said man*
Exhibit A) of the compassionate approach to loneliness and desperation, comes from the first film. With Miranda facing her first New Year’s Eve alone (since being cheated on by long-term husband) she reaches out to Carrie in the middle of the night, with a longing for a supportive sound. Waking Carrie, Miranda explains her situation (crying over a Chinese takeaway) before demanding she go back to sleep. Jump to the next scene, Carrie is in a glamorous fur coat and sequin hat, hugging Miranda in her doorway. They sat, laughed, ate, cried, and simply embraced each other’s company.
Exhibit B) can be found in the middle of the second film. The gals have galavanted off to Dubai for a PR trip, courtesy of Samantha Jones Management. Carrie is out for dinner with an ex, and Samantha is about to be arrested for having sex on the beach. A classic night out. Miranda and Charlotte have dressed to the nines, only to stay at the bar in the suite. Sensing Charlotte’s distress at managing two young children, Miranda drowns Charlotte with cocktails and forces her to confess any feelings she’s kept quiet since becoming a mother, accompanied by a sip of alcohol afterwards. Again, both crying, laughing, sharing and embracing each other.
Both scenes are technically, creatively and visually… relatively average. But what I always find powerfully intriguing about both, is the power of friendship, trust, compassion - of sisterhood portrayed. Just two women, discussing their troubles, listening to each other, helping each other. Sometimes, it’s the most simplistic of scenes that can stick in audience’s minds, and these two are prime examples of that.
If you take away only one thing from reading this, it’s to embrace your loved ones. Friends, family, relationships – remember the importance of a connected support group and keep them close to you. It doesn’t and shouldn’t take a globally successful film with multimillion dollar budgets and some of the biggest actresses in the world to spell this out to you, but hell, if it’ll help remind you, I’m all for it.