The Ultimate Chick Flick

I usually react badly to films that shamelessly pander to the chick demographic. "Must Love Dogs," "The Lake House" and "How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days" will never make it to my Netflix queue. I honestly think I'd rather watch "Alien vs. Predator."

However, I am ridiculously excited about the "Sex and the City" movie. I don't even care if it's good. The sight of Carrie & Co., beautiful shoes, the New York City skyline and Big was like a sugar overdose. This must be how my kids feel when they walk into Chuck E. Cheese's and their ears begin smoking from sensory overload. Pizza! Games! Rides!

I admit that SATC was not a perfect TV show. If you've ever written for a living, it's hard to swallow the idea of someone becoming a literary sensation with such awful prose. ("Are men the new handbags?") And when Carrie broke Aiden's heart for the SECOND time, there was a lot of debate in our household about whether the show had jumped the shark.

But my friend H. summed up the show's appeal perfectly. She said it's a modern-day fantasy for suburban moms who dream of being single in a big, glitzy city (and canoodling with Chris Noth). I also give the show credit for showing the darker moments in Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha's lives. Like when Samantha came down with the flu and couldn't get even one of her many lovers to come lend a hand. Miranda's transition from single gal to single mom was painful to watch, but realistic. When Carrie was busted in the midst of an adulterous affair with Big (by his wife), the show did not manipulate the audience into sympathizing. It was ugly.

Plus, each episode had at least one watercooler moment — usually involving Samantha. I'm thinking of the one where she discovers a gray hair downstairs, leading to an unfortunate Clairol incident.

When "Waiting to Exhale" made it to the big screen years ago, I went to a theater to report a story story about the buzz. Gleeful women came out in droves, and the men were scarce. The few who did attend were subdued.

I expect to see the same this weekend.