Finally!

I saw Sex And The City this weekend.

(WARNING: Spoilers to follow!)

And I LOVED it.
(And "love" doesn't even seem to do my feelings justice.)

I know there have been mixed reviews – some say it was too long, some thought it was too silly and unbelievable (um, it was a MOVIE) and others claimed it missed the mark.

For me, it was 150 minutes of pure bliss.

Now, you have to understand that I LOVED the series. I never missed an episode, my entire weekend would revolve around sitting down in front of the TV on Sunday nights to catch the girls of NYC. (And shame on you if you even tried to talk to me during those blessedly short 28 minutes!)

FYI, when I heard they were making a movie, I immediately said I wouldn’t see it. I mean, the series was so good; how would they ever replicate that magic?

But one day in March I watched an extended preview of the movie. And I was hooked. I HAD too see this movie. I needed to be reunited with my four amigas.

And I couldn’t imagine seeing the movie with anyone other than my friend Joss. The two of us share a special bond – our infatuation with TJ Maxx, our love of cooking and cuisine, and our unexplainable girl-crush on the SATC foursome. And both of us had managed to shield ourselves from the media to avoid any spoilers.

We went to the 10:20am show on Saturday morning. The best part? We were the ONLY people there; we had the entire theater to ourselves! It was awesome. We laughed. We cried. We laughed when we cried again.

The movie was everything I could have asked for and more.

First of all, every single one of the original characters was cast. I squealed when I saw my beloved Stanford, cranky Magda and even my favorite Candace Bergen, back as the editor of Vogue.

Was the story a little hokey? Maybe.

Were some of the fashion choices over the top? Definitely. (But, oh, that Vivienne Westwood wedding gown – I have never seem something so beautiful!)

Do I have a hard time believing that these women have the money to do what they do? Absolutely. (Really? Samantha was bidding on a diamond ring for $50K? Doubtful.)

But for me, it wasn’t about the big picture (no pun intended). It was all those little details that enabled this long-awaited movie to touch my heart.

It was Charlotte clutching Carrie after she was jilted at the altar, pointing at Big and screaming “No! No!” with such protective vehemence for her friend, that veins were popping out of her neck.

It was Carrie, who after seeing Charlotte’s new baby, says to sweet, sweet, bald new daddy Harry, “I see she has Charlotte’s hair.”

And it was Samantha, who has always been known as being a hard ass with a heart of steel, spoon-feeding Carrie in Mexico to help mend her broken heart.

But by far, the best character in the movie was the new addition of Jennifer Hudson, as Carrie’s assistant Louise, who brings the author back to life from her heartbreak. Hudson is funny and warm, and a perfect addition to the already-stellar cast.

About halfway through the movie, I turned to Joss and said, “I could sit here all afternoon and watch this movie over and over.”

And the silly things? There were plenty. Once – just once – Carrie calls Mr. Big “John” when she enters the apartment. It’s the only time she does it in the entire movie, and it just didn’t feel right. At times Samantha’s wardrobe was a throwback to the 80’s. And Miranda, as always, was uptight and annoying.

When the series ended, I felt empty and hollow inside. Like, the book was unfinished. I was so much a part of the lives of these women, that I wanted to know what happened next.

So I was sad when the two and a half hours were over. I felt like I was saying good-bye to some old friends.

But it was just enough. And exactly what I needed.

And, to quote Mr. Big, “You need something to seal the deal.”

And that’s exactly what this movie did for me. It was the last chapter. I can finally close the book on my favorite foursome.