The "Sex & the City" Movies: Comparing & Contrasting the TV Series

[Sun-Bun]

Having watched the first S&tC movie on television for the trillionth time((and what's up with the lame sequel never getting shown? Are networks really that repulsed by it??)), I couldn't help but get struck by how inherently different the vibe of those are compared to the television series.

Granted, I get it: everything is grander and more exaggerated on the big screen.

Plus, the women are all older, and far more secure and well-off than they ever were in the series.

But still---any of you SatC fans still consider the movies almost like a fantasy extension of the actual stories? The women/men themselves even seem...different.

For instance, did the ladies always scream upon seeing each other *that* much?

It seemed like in the movies they're always screaming like Oprah audience members about something.

Especially Charlotte---she's squealing throughout both movies. She seemed terribly dumbed down and one-dimensional in the movies, even while crying in her kitchen pantry about being overwhelmed by mothering in the second flick. They made her into a cartoon character almost, a caricature of a sickeningly happy Upper East Side wife with the "perfect" life.

They all are suddenly way more fashion-conscious, spend-happy consumers.

Carrie seems more bitter, less flighty in the movies, yet more smug. Maybe that's her character's natural trajectory, but she still seems so different. And her first wedding dress/look seemed way too severe and high fashion even for her.

Miranda and Samantha more or less seem the same as their television personas, although I really hated that Steve actually cheated on Miranda---it seemed so out of character and random even for a goofy bartender like him.

Aidan appearing in the second flick just seemed so cheap and pointless. Why couldn't he have just remained a happy husband/dad like we all knew he was meant to be? I felt like that was tossed in as a "conflict" for all those Aidan fans.

And Mr. Big is my largest gripe with the flicks---I know Chris Noth is older and a lot of his youthful charm and suave ways from the series has gone by, but still...he just seems like such a lame old bore in the first flick.

And then the way he went from supposedly smooching Carrie regularly(even though he was never into PDA much on the TV series), to suddenly being unable to marry her in that first wedding ceremony? Made NO sense to me....what a jerk, either way. He utterly humiliated Carrie, but she sure didn't help with the very public bouquet-beating she gave him in the street.

Anyways, I was just curious what everyone here loved/hated about the movies?

[A Boston Gal]

I also think Mr. Big's case of cold feet was pretty much unbelieveable and required a huge suspension of disbelief. And yet, that was the crux of the entire plot: Mr. Big Backs Out, and Spends the Rest of the Movie Offscreen (Until the Finale), Seeking Redemption. 

 

Considering Mr. Big's high station and socio-economic status in life, a high fallutin' wedding should not have made him squeamish in the least. So, what would bring it about? A random comment by Miranda? A missed cellphone conversation, because Lilly got to the phone first? The fact that, after years of being with and without Carrie, all of a sudden, he was unsure what he wanted?

 

However, in spite of all of this, I still enjoy the movie, and always watch the last 15 minutes, whenever I happen to find it on.

 

ETA: I'm always sorry Samantha broke up with Smith: he was her rock, and I think deep down, she knew that.

Edited July 28, 2014 by A Boston Gal

[Maherjunkie]

What I took from the movies was "Don't have kids."

[Hanahope]

The series was always about spending and consumerism, but the two movies definitely took it to 11.

 

Agree that it didn't make any sense for Mr. Big to back out at the last minute, after he went to Paris to bring Carrier back to NYC.  And he certainly was never camera shy or afraid of making of splash.

[ShellSeeker]

ETA: I'm always sorry Samantha broke up with Smith: he was her rock, and I think deep down, she knew that.

 

I didn't like that either, but mostly because of the reason she gave. "I love you, but I love me more," was just stale reheated dialogue from the series. It was such great character growth when Samantha used that line on Richard, and a lame cop-out when she resorted to that same reasoning for dumping Smith. And really, it was just another way for Samantha to say that she wanted to keep sleeping around and being promiscuous because that was the only way she knew how to find validation. Ugh. It erased all the progress she'd made by the end of the series.

 

And I've said many times that one of the many reasons I hated the second movie was because it took Samantha from being a smart, successful woman who had made her own way in a very competitive business, and turned her into a horny desperate cougar controlled by her libido, and ended up costing her a lucrative business deal. The Samantha from the show would never have behaved that way.

 

The series was always about spending and consumerism, but the two movies definitely took it to 11.

 

This was true especially with the second movie. I thought the Big Gay Wedding was the most ridiculous and ostentatious example of that. I didn't have a problem with the conspicuous consumption in Abu Dhabi, because that's pretty accurate -- lavish spending anywhere you turn. But the wedding was just ludicrous. Plus I didn't like that Stanford ended up with Anthony. I always liked him with Marcus much better.

 

I did like Miranda in the second movie. I liked how she was so enthusiastic about going to Abu Dhabi and took the time to read up on it, find things to do, and learn a few phrases in Arabic. And I especially liked that she pulled her head out of her ass after the first movie and realized that she was not the only woman on the face of the earth who has a child and a full time job/career. 

[braziliangirl]

 

I'm always sorry Samantha broke up with Smith: he was her rock, and I think deep down, she knew that.

I think I'm the only one that liked Sam and Smith breakup. I found it very realistic and in character. She needed freedom to do whatever she wanted without having to put someone else's needs first. Maybe it's considered egotistical but I buy it for her. Also, I didn't understood her decision to end it to be only about other men (although it was part of it). It was also about her career, where she wanted to live, how she wanted to devote her time and who she wanted to be. Some people don't want to be in a relationship. Her core family was always her friends not boyfriend/husband/kids. IMO, this relationship was beautifully done. The beginning, the middle and the end. They were always loyal and honest to each other. It worked until it didn't.

 

I like a lot of things of the first movie: the friendship between the girls and the way they really help each other. That was always my favorite part of the series: the relationship between this group of woman who are very different but are there for each other no matter what.

Also I really like the scene with Carrie giving a LV bag to her assistent. One of my favorite Carrie moments. Actually, in this movie I actually liked Carrie.

I didn't like the happy ending for Big and Carrie but I made peace with it.

But I hate the second movie. I like to pretend that it doesn't exist. All the characters (but Miranda) are awful, caricatures, annoying. No way TV series or first movie Sam would behave like she did, same with Aidan. It just made him look foolish and pathetic. And made Carrie look like a jerk. Awful. Just awful.

[Stella MD]

I hated the pressure they put on Miranda to get back together with Steve after he cheated, like it was some minor issue that she was overinflating. Especially jarring next to their coddling of Carrie/vilification of Big. Carrie gets spoon-fed in Mexico (one of the most ridiculous scenes ever, btw) and Charlotte dreams of telling Big she curses the day he was born, but Miranda is overreacting if she doesn't immediately forgive a cheater? Whatever.

You know if Big had been the one who cheated on Carrie, ain't nobody gonna suggest that she just forgive him already and live to tell about it.

[WhitneyWhit]

I hated the pressure they put on Miranda to get back together with Steve after he cheated, like it was some minor issue that she was overinflating. Especially jarring next to their coddling of Carrie/vilification of Big. Carrie gets spoon-fed in Mexico (one of the most ridiculous scenes ever, btw) and Charlotte dreams of telling Big she curses the day he was born, but Miranda is overreacting if she doesn't immediately forgive a cheater? Whatever.

You know if Big had been the one who cheated on Carrie, ain't nobody gonna suggest that she just forgive him already and live to tell about it.

So much this. I caught the movie the other nigh on E! and was just as confused as ever at their reaction to Steve cheating. Now, I don't believe Steve is a bad guy and I believe he was truly sorry for what he had done, but damn, it was like none of them could understand why Miranda was contemplating divorce and acting as though he just forgot her birthday, or something. It was especially odd coming from Charlotte.

And maybe it's my Carrie-hatred coming through, or the fact that I have no patience for anything Carrie/Big related, but I had no sympathy for Carrie. There's no way I would have spent that much time babying her. I would have probably shrugged my shoulders and said "Eh, what else is new".

[Maherjunkie]

I think the point you never hear is Miranda broke her vows too.  Whenever they had sex it was a chore, and then you are surprised he breaks down and gets with another woman one time?  Please.

[WendyCR72]

I think the point you never hear is Miranda broke her vows too.  Whenever they had sex it was a chore, and then you are surprised he breaks down and gets with another woman one time?  Please.

 

I don't condone Steve's cheating, but I do understand it. Miranda did seem to prioritize everything else above her marriage for a bit. Like I said, I don't condone what Steve did, and maybe he should have pushed the issue...but Miranda was far from blameless in the breakdown, too.

[wovenloaf]

I didn't like that either, but mostly because of the reason she gave. "I love you, but I love me more," was just stale reheated dialogue from the series. It was such great character growth when Samantha used that line on Richard, and a lame cop-out when she resorted to that same reasoning for dumping Smith. And really, it was just another way for Samantha to say that she wanted to keep sleeping around and being promiscuous because that was the only way she knew how to find validation. Ugh. It erased all the progress she'd made by the end of the series.

 I also didn't like her rehashing that excuse. When she used it on Richard, I took it to mean she was breaking up with him because he treated her like shit, and she loved herself too much to allow him to treat her like that any longer. But when she used it on Smith it was, like you said, just a lame excuse to go sleep around some more. So using that line didn't really mean anything. It was just like, "I'm dumping you after 5 years without really bothering to explain why, despite the fact that you've treated me wonderfully. So I'll just say, 'It's not you, it's me.'" 

Edited November 18, 2014 by wovenloaf

[Maherjunkie]

And why didn't she have a career??!!  This wasn't the character we knew.

[Hanahope]

I think the point you never hear is Miranda broke her vows too.  Whenever they had sex it was a chore, and then you are surprised he breaks down and gets with another woman one time?  Please.

 

Actually, I do blame Steve more.  If he had a problem with not having sex (or in noticing Miranda thought it chore), then he should have talked to her about it.  Since it was obviously a long time they went without sex, and apparently Miranda didn't seem too upset by it, Steve should have spoken up before he reached the "breaking point" of succumbing to desire/frustration/physical need/whatever and having sex with another woman.  Now, if he had tried to talk to her and she was still rebuffing him, then I could understand his actions.  All this said to me was that their problems were more than just 'not having sex', it was lack of communication, which isn't solved with just having more sex.

[psychoticstate]

And why didn't she have a career??!!  This wasn't the character we knew.

 

YES.  I think it would have made more sense for Sam to break up with Smith because his career was keeping her from focusing on hers.  That and she clearly missed NY and wanted to live there.

 

That would have made so much more sense than the focusing on herself line or suggesting that Sam just couldn't be faithful for long.

[ktwo]

YES. I think it would have made more sense for Sam to break up with Smith because his career was keeping her from focusing on hers.

At some point, Sam says that she says his name more than she says her own. That encompassed the above for me. Her career was tied up in and all about HIS career and she had lost herself in the process. I don't think it had anything to do with fucking the neighbor.

Edited November 19, 2014 by ktwo

[sunrisepink]

Actually, I do blame Steve more.  If he had a problem with not having sex (or in noticing Miranda thought it chore), then he should have talked to her about it.

 

This may go beyond the scope of the show, but in most real-life relationships I know where people have serious problems of this nature, they have talked to the person about it. Their partner either argues with them about it or agrees to changes they can make without implementing them. Of course Miranda seemed blindsided by Steve's actions in the movie so I think we were supposed to assume he hadn't ever brought it up.

[Maherjunkie]

I thought he did and she brushed him off.  Either way I didn't mean to sound like Phyllis Schafley.

[SlovakPrincess]

I never watched the second movie, because I HATED the first one so much.  I liked Jennifer Hudson, not that she got to do that much.  But she was almost the only bright spot in the film.

 

I hated the fact that they undid everything from the series for the first movie.  Hated Steve cheating on Miranda, which - with no build up or explanation as to why he would do such a thing (especially after Miranda started taking care of his Alzheimers-stricken Ma for him, and how much he loved Miranda) - just made zero sense.  Hated Samantha leaving Smith.  I thought it was terribly stupid to have Big leave Carrie at the alter ... it actually would have made more sense for them to have the wedding, but then really struggle with their first year of marriage.  At least they left Charlotte and Harry alone, but they also didn't give Charlotte much to do but get diarrhea in Mexico.

 

I also hated how consumer-y the movie was.  I think there was even one of those terrible clothes montages when Carrie was shopping for her wedding.  Yes, Carrie was big into trendy fashion and the ladies liked to dress nicely on the show, but it wasn't so in your face and annoying.

 

Honestly, much of the movie was just kind of depressing.

[Maherjunkie]

I can only watch the last hour at home.  I thought Carrie was a real bitch to Miranda.  I love Chris but those eyebrows look stretched.

[Janet Snakehole]

I hate what they did to Charlotte in the first movie. They turned her into a third grader with her screeching and ditziness. I also want to smack Carrie when they are talking about how much they have sex, and she refuses to answer. Bitch, please, you are a sex columnist. It is not a big freaking deal to open up to your best friends who are opening up to you. I consider myself to be more on the modest side, and even I hate how damn prudish she could be considering her job.

Also hate her for the "there was a death" and "will I ever laugh again" lines. Shut up Carrie. It sucks but people go through a lot worse and survive.

It has been beaten to death here, but I hate how they treated to Miranda. Almost everyone I know would consider one time cheating as a potential reason to break up. She was just as humiliated as Carrie. And even if she did have her part in her whole situation, so did Carrie by ignoring Big's thoughts about not wanting a huge wedding. Yes, it is not the same exactly, but I hate how they coddle her.

Miranda was the only redeeming part of the second movie. Even though it was kind of pandering, I liked the Charlotte/Miranda scene talking about motherhood. Actually, I always really liked it when the show explored the relationships between Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha. Probably because they were never focused on as much.

Edited January 24, 2015 by Janet Snakehole

[RainOnToosdays]

I have never seen the second movie and have no desire to see it, it sounds absolutely awful. But I watched the first one again today as it was on TV. 

 

The last night in Carrie's apartment where they were supposed to be helping her pack and they did the trying-on-outfits montage? Ridiculous. Would have taken hours for all of them to keep changing clothes yet they supposedly did that and packed up the apartment that night? Just silly. 

 

Steve committing adultery with a one-night fling? I buy it. He may have worshipped the ground Miranda walked on but it was a one way street IMO. No sex for six months and then "let's just get it over with" .. What a humiliating thing to hear from your partner. (Even the friends were horrified when Miranda told them about it). For all he knew it was over; she wasn't showing the same interest in him as he was in her and he was way way down on her list of priorities. So he succumbs one night to a woman who did make him feel good and desirable. I'm not excusing it but I understand it so I don't think it was an out-of-left-field plot device.

 

Big leaving Carrie at the alter? He didn't really. He just needed to see and talk to her and by the time they finally were able to connect on the phone he didn't get a chance to talk it out and get the reassurance he needed from her, she dropped the phone on him. And when he went back she didn't give him a chance either, self-absorbed brat that she is it was all about her. If she had taken a moment to talk with him instead of wigging out on him the wedding would have went on and the guests wouldn't even have known why the ceremony was starting a bit late. 

 

Charlotte taking Carrie into a protective hug and telling Big NO! when he tried to approach - best Charlotte moment of the series I think. Sweet little Charlotte turning bulldog .. of the four she is the friend I would want. 

 

Samantha dumping Smith .. I think that was totally in character for her and I don't think it was just about wanting to have sex with the guy next door.  Her life had become about all him, she was losing herself. She chose to hang on to herself and let the relationship go. Which is what we tell women all the time .. don't lose yourself in the relationship ... and it was a nice opposite take compared to Miranda. Both independent, successful career-oriented women; one chooses to step outside herself and go with the husband, kid, and house in the suburbs, and one doesn't. 

 

And this isn't directly related to the movie but I want to say .. I can't fathom what about Samantha was lovable, why Smith would be so into her. She had nothing to offer but sex. Everything was about sex.  Five year anniversary - he bought her something he was observant enough to notice that she had really liked. She didn't even remember it was an anniversary and when she did all she tried to give him in return was a BJ. Valentines day? Again, her gift to him was sex. Sex is important (see Miranda & Steve) but really, you need more than just that to sustain a serious relationship and it seems Smith wasn't getting anything else out of it. He should have been the one to dump her. 

 

Last note ... what was up with Miranda's face in the scene were she and Carrie were at dinner and she told her about what she said to Big at the rehearsal? The make-up people must have used a gallon of bronzer on her, it looked awful, not her normal pale red-head complexion.

 

[JasminePhyllisia]

 

Charlotte taking Carrie into a protective hug and telling Big NO! when he tried to approach - best Charlotte moment of the series I think. Sweet little Charlotte turning bulldog .. of the four she is the friend I would want.

I'm probably biased since I'm a big fan of the movie, have even watched it on DVD with MPK commentary. 

 

Agree on Charlotte, she really stole the show.  Loved the affection between her and Lily and the way they were often dressed in similar outfits, it was so cute.  I also liked the scene where Miranda asked if she should tell Carrie what she said to Big at the rehearsal dinner and Charlotte wisely advised her that it was not the right time to bring it up.

 

Carrie was self-absorbed as usual but Jennifer Hudson provided some much-needed youthful, enthusiastic contrast to many of her scenes.  I was totally bored with Samantha's obsession with the guy next door.  Miranda--well she was carrying a lot of weight being the main breadwinner with a job that required her to work many hours, but I was still fairly sympathetic to Steve and was glad they worked things out.

 

As for the makeup on MIranda, well, let's just say of the four women I think Kristen Davis is aging the best.  The others' age really showed on the big screen.  But there was one scene where they were in the café and Samantha had her hair pulled back off her face and she looked absolutely beautiful. 

Edited January 25, 2015 by JasminePhyllisia

[Sheenieb]

 

Big leaving Carrie at the alter? He didn't really. He just needed to see and talk to her and by the time they finally were able to connect on the phone he didn't get a chance to talk it out and get the reassurance he needed from her, she dropped the phone on him. And when he went back she didn't give him a chance either, self-absorbed brat that she is it was all about her. If she had taken a moment to talk with him instead of wigging out on him the wedding would have went on and the guests wouldn't even have known why the ceremony was starting a bit late.

But why did she need to reassure him? He was obviously shaken up by what Miranda said, which he should've brushed off anyway since she was dealing with her own issues with Steve, but he should've told Carrie that night how he was feeling. It's been a while since I've watched the movie in its entirety, but didn't he tell her that he was out front, but he couldn't go through with it? I don't remember the exact wording. Big could've gotten out of the car and spoken to her as well. Carrie can be self-absorbed as hell, but this one I can't fault her with. I don't know any bride who wouldn't be angry by what he did.

 

She shouldn't have married him. I know that the movie had to have a happy ending with those two, but the way he embarrassed the shit out of her was unforgivable.

Edited February 4, 2015 by Sheenieb

[Sun-Bun]

But why did she need to reassure him? He was obviously shaken up by what Miranda said, which he should've brushed off anyway since she was dealing with her own issues with Steve, but he should've told Carrie that night how he was feeling. It's been a while since I've watched the movie in its entirety, but didn't he tell her that he was out front, but he couldn't go through with it? I don't remember the exact wording. Big could've gotten out of the car and spoken to her as well. Carrie can be self-absorbed as hell, but this one I can't fault her with. I don't know any bride who wouldn't be angry by what he did.

She shouldn't have married him. I know that the movie had to have a happy ending with those two, but the way he embarrassed the shit out of her was unforgivable.

Agreed. They'd supposedly been together for 10 years, they've finally been planning a nice wedding, and then all of a sudden he acts like a scared pussy because she needed to look at him and "reassure" him before the shindig that got way "too big" for his tight britches?? All because Miranda made some bitchy anti-marriage comment to him the night before?!

What a selfish bastard---sure, she went overboard with the Bridezilla bullshit near the end and that freaked him out a bit, but that was no legitimate reason to keep the whole damned wedding party waiting for him and to publicly humiliate Carrie like that.

Any bride would've been just as upset by her groom dragging his ass around right before the wedding and making her look like the fool.

But hey, he was rich enough to buy her a Manhattan penthouse with a bigassed walk-in closet and too old/settled to go bag another ill-suited 20-something to marry on a whim a'la Natasha, so at least timing and the dumb luck of discovering sappy old emails got those two married in the quiet and boring courthouse wedding ceremony of *his* dreams.

[Bella]

Or, he was right about one thing: they were NOT ready to get married, because in the course of that 10 years, they hadn't had more than 3 (if that many) conversations about anything serious.

 

Sorry, I'm being sarcastic there.

 

At the 10 year mark, he should have been able to say something like, "look, you're acting like bridezilla and I hate it, so just stop!" And she should have been able to say something like "F*** you, I'm only getting married this once, I can't help it that you made 2 prior mistakes marrying the wrong woman. Anyway, it's just a day." Etc.

 

But when did they actually talk about anything real? If communication is one of the foundations of marriage, as I believe it is, I'll go back to my original comment that they weren't ready because they didn't communicate. And in that case, they were never going to be ready.

 

I'm so glad they weren't real people.

[Maherjunkie]

I didn't get that either one of them wanted a big wedding, it just grew.

[Inquisitionist]

I didn't get that either one of them wanted a big wedding, it just grew.

 

Carrie was in charge of the wedding.  She allowed it to grow, and deliberately kept Big in the dark about that. All because she wanted to make a spectacle of herself in that hideous Vivienne Westwood dress.

 

That said, Big's actions on the wedding day were inexcusable -- and I mean that from a writing standpoint.  It was not consistent with his character and made no sense to me.

[Janet Snakehole]

Honestly, I thought Carrie's whole desire for a small wedding initially with a non-designer skirt suit was wildly out of character.

The whole Big needing to call her before and missing her was so ridiculously contrived too, it was like a plot out of an 80s sitcom. And the Miranda talking to Big stuff....come on, he is an adult with two failed marriages. THAT is what made him freak out?

I am just going to pretend neither movie ever happened.

[Sun-Bun]

Carrie was in charge of the wedding. She allowed it to grow, and deliberately kept Big in the dark about that. All because she wanted to make a spectacle of herself in that hideous Vivienne Westwood dress.

Ooof, and that dress was indeed pretty damned hideous.

Well, maybe not so much the dress itself as her godawful styling, complete with the raging red lipstick, hair severely pulled back, and that idiotic damned blue bird on her head. When she first showed off the look to Miranda's shocked gasp, I half expected Miranda to deadpan, "You...look like a drag queen..."

Plus, getting married in the NYC public library? I'm sorry, that just seemed so silly and contrived.

[ktwo]

Plus, getting married in the NYC public library? I'm sorry, that just seemed so silly and contrived.

Particularly since we had never seen her pick up a book, other than her own and her then-boyfriend's, the entire series.

[Maherjunkie]

I thought people did rent it out when they simply wanted a classy venue.

[andromeda331]

Or, he was right about one thing: they were NOT ready to get married, because in the course of that 10 years, they hadn't had more than 3 (if that many) conversations about anything serious.

 

This was really it. They rarely do have any serious conversation. Carrie didn't know they could get married. Ah, why? Did they have a conversation and decide marriage wasn't for them? Their looking for an apartment but Carrie is surprised when he buys the penthouse. What were they looking for then? The apartment they didn't like looked like something Carrie could afford. Carrie decides to plan a simple wedding but then turns into to an overblow wedding and Big is surprised. Why is that a surprise? That's Carrie.  Even if Carrie went with the simple not Carrie style wedding she was still a person who was into over the top. Their marriage was going to  full of that. Whether Miranda and Steve stayed together or not I at least knew they loved each other. That Charlotte and Harry loved each other. Samantha and Smith loved each other. I still can't figure out why Carrie and Big are together or why they want to be.   

[jnymph]

In regards to both movies:

 

Were they over the top cheesy?  Yes

Did they require a lot of suspension of belief?  Yes

Were the characters true to the TV series ?  No

 

Did I love and watch both of the movies approx. a million times?  YES!

[Maherjunkie]

I can't figure out what he sees in HER.

[andromeda331]

I can't figure out what he sees in HER.

 

What does he see in her? I'd really love to know. I can see why a guy would

want to date her. She's fun and a fun person to go to clubs and things with.

At first but then she does a lot of things that would cause a normal guy to

bolt. She stalks his ex. Follows him and his mother, flips out over everything

and analyzes every word he says. Also always trying to get the relationship

to go faster. It would be one thing if they dated and then broke up. Carrie

realizes her mistakes in her dating and grows. Then sometime later runs

into her and sees how she's changed.

[Maherjunkie]

That never happens.  And there were far hotter women in New York.

[andromeda331]

That never happens. 

 

 

No, it doesn't.

 

And there were far hotter women in New York.

That's also part of the wondering what Big sees in Carrie. What made her so special?

Did he love her? Or did he like that he had someone he could keep going back to

if things went bad in the relationship he was currently in? Or was he hoping she'd

be different? What did he want?

[Mu Shu]

Things I hated about movie #1-

 

Charlotte.    Her screeching and pants pooping.   The stupid exaggerated faces she makes.

 

The wedding dress.   Actually, there was no way Carrie could refuse to wear it.    That wouldn't go over well with her bosses at Vogue and Vivienne Westwood.   As much as Carrie sucked in the movie, her hand was forced regarding the dress.  Only the breakup got her out of having to wear it.

 

Jennifer Hudson's over rated ass chewing scenery and caterwauling over the closing credits.

 

The PH apartment.   Big was well off, but his previous apartments weren't that luxe looking.  I think it was way out of his ballpark.   The tiny closet was a stupid plot device, since it would have been upgraded long ago, and likely was never that tiny.

 

Carrie would never chose Mexico as a honeymoon destination.   She's a city girl through and through.

 

The stupid humping dog.   Just fucking stupid.   The whole Samantha character was reduced to a gag.

 

The rape of Carrie's apartment.   That wasn't Carrie style.   Her apartment was always a sanctuary to reflect in, and reflected her quirky style.   The hideous blue paint job and chintz looked like a showroom no one ever actually chooses to live in.

 

The idiotic fashion show meant to show off SJP's  great bod, yet  highlighted her odd lack of sex appeal.   Of course, Samantha has to hump a door frame.  In front of a child. 

 

Things I liked-

 

Miranda is better dressed and styled than she was for most of the series.   I think they had to dumb down Cynthia Nixon's beauty to sell SJP as the "hot one".

 

Though Carrie dressed up like an asylum escapee,  I loved the scene where she goes out late to meet Miranda on new Year's eve and the beautiful version of "Auld Lang Syne" playing over the scene (Unlike the horrid Hudson caterwauling later).   Beautifully framed and shot.  Two old friends comforting each other.

 

Miranda and Steve reconciling on the Brooklyn bridge.   I get teary eyed every time.  

 

The second movie?    All trash, from beginning to end.   Why the hell would a man who designs custom wood furniture (Handmade, niche business)  be in a desert country to promote his business?    There's no wood there!      

 

The Samantha assassination is complete in this movie.     I get so much second hand embarrassment watching any single scene she's in.   Kim Cattrall is game, and spent years of turning bad material from shit to almost gold, but they completely buried her here. 

[Inquisitionist]

The wedding dress.   Actually, there was no way Carrie could refuse to wear it.    That wouldn't go over well with her bosses at Vogue and Vivienne Westwood.

 

I think she could have finessed this if she didn't want to wear the dress.  I think she loved it and actually did want to wear it, which is fine, but I disliked her using that as an excuse for sneakily ratcheting up the guest list from the 40 or whatever Big was initially expecting to, what, 200 by the end of it?  People don't get to invite themselves to your wedding because of the dress you're wearing.  Send them a copy of the magazine.  ;-)

Edited August 22, 2015 by Inquisitionist

[chitowngirl]

I thought she was styled better in the dress for photo shoot than for the wedding. Her hair and makeup were too severe. And the less said about the bird on her head...

[Maherjunkie]

I still can't get over the bird.

[Inquisitionist]

I thought she was styled better in the dress for photo shoot than for the wedding. Her hair and makeup were too severe. And the less said about the bird on her head...

 

Is this Carrie wearing the same dress in the photo shoot?  I'd agree that she looks much better here.

[chitowngirl]

Yes, that's the Vivienne Westwood.

[txhorns79]

Quote

The second movie?    All trash, from beginning to end.   Why the hell would a man who designs custom wood furniture (Handmade, niche business)  be in a desert country to promote his business?    There's no wood there!      

I think Aiden said he was there to find things to pair with his furniture, like carpets or the like, as a means of expanding his business. 

Having said that, the second movie was complete garbage.  It seemed like there was no real plot, and the women provided huge amounts of ammunition for people who believe the stereotype of the "ugly American" who shows up in a foreign country making demands and behaving like a jerk.  Samantha was made into a cartoon, and essentially became that woman she rejected back in the frenemies episode who was so out there that she thought nothing of giving oral sex in a crowded public place.   I suppose we also did get to learn that Carrie was kind of an immature shrew in her marriage with Big.           

[AndySmith]

Quote

Why the hell would a man who designs custom wood furniture (Handmade, niche business)  be in a desert country to promote his business?    There's no wood there!   

As someone from that part of the world, he would be there because it's a good business opportunity.

[txhorns79]

Quote

This was true especially with the second movie. I thought the Big Gay Wedding was the most ridiculous and ostentatious example of that. I didn't have a problem with the conspicuous consumption in Abu Dhabi, because that's pretty accurate -- lavish spending anywhere you turn. But the wedding was just ludicrous. Plus I didn't like that Stanford ended up with Anthony. I always liked him with Marcus much better.

I didn't understand that wedding at all.  I remember from an early episode in the series, there was at least a suggestion that Stanford's family had money, but I kept wondering who was paying for he and Anthony's wedding?  Presumably having Liza Minnelli appear and perform would have cost several hundred thousand dollars, if not into the millions, and that doesn't even get into the cost of the event itself. 

I also kind of wondered why the women didn't just see if they could transfer to a less expensive room at the hotel when their host stopped paying for their expensive suite.  It seemed like they had multiple options between: "We have to leave the country immediately and we have to pay $22,000.00 a night for this suite."   

Edited March 6, 2017 by txhorns79

[psychoticstate]

I loved the first movie but I agree that Big's cold feet was more plot device and lazy writing than staying true to his character.  The storyline would have been better served if maybe he had a friend or acquaintance who was going through a divorce or split who told him horror stories or mentioned financial ruin or something like that.   Or even just not have the wedding be a part of things in the beginning and have them split up over something else.  They can then marry in the end. 

One of my favorite scenes in #1 was Charlotte's excited scream at the breakfast table while reading the paper and seeing Carrie's wedding announcement. It's just so Charlotte - - the idealistic traditionalist who is genuinely thrilled for her friend. 

[txhorns79]

Quote

The storyline would have been better served if maybe he had a friend or acquaintance who was going through a divorce or split who told him horror stories or mentioned financial ruin or something like that.  

Eh, I thought the cold feet thing was silly as well, but what potential divorce horror stories would really scare Big off marriage at this point?  He's already been divorced twice, one of which occurred, in part, because he was having an affair with Carrie.  I mean, he's already had a situation where his wife had to get her tooth replaced after she fell while chasing a post-coital Carrie.  That's pretty bad.       

[Mrs. Hanson]

I started to watch the sequel over the weekend and thought:  "Wow this is not too bad!"  Then.......yikes.  Both movies were CLEARLY vehicles for SJP to not only look good but make the others (namely KC and KD) look bad.  CN is spared.  The first movie:  going to Mexico to watch your friend mope.....I will pass.  So Big was a little late.....I never bought that cold feet scenario, if he was going to cancel he would have canceled the week before.

The second movie?  Started out okay  - the whole gay wedding thing was like.....really?  Do you want to drive the stereotypes in even further??  I made it until the singing scene of "I Am Woman" then had to give up.  

I felt Bad for KC as she is such a great actress.  

Carrie was a shrew in her marriage, losing her shit over a tv.  And the couple in the beginning, nagging and judging over being childless?  SHUT THE HELL UP.  I have two kids, love them to bits but people who are childless I want to say:  "I ENVY YOU!  SO MUCH MORE TIME AND MONEY!!!"  lol!  I would NEVER talk like that. "So you are going to end up....alone?"  Evil people.

[Melancholy]

Carrie so clearly married Big for his money. Now, I think Carrie honestly adored Big for himself. Big's self very much being wrapped up in how he was a limo riding corporate golden boy millionaire. But she made the decision to marry directly to ensure financial security and said as much. There were no plans of children. Carrie didn't even have a moment where she waxed sentimental about how she wanted to exchange those vows and that's what was bringing her to the alter  Ala Miranda. It was quite literally, "Big's an asshole. I need to be married so I can financially punish him if he's an asshole to me." There were echoes from the series that Carrie wanted to marry Big because he's the love of her life but Carrie consistently lost sweetness, authenticity, spontaneity as she aged and became increasingly defined by bitterness and a desperation to be taken care of in lavish ways. 

I didn't clock it but I also feel like the movies were more Carrie-centric than the series. In the series, it felt like Carrie got the more dramatic stories but she only got a little more screen time than her co-stars. The movies felt like vastly more Carrie screentime compared to the other women.