I remember watching this with my friend, and to tell you the truth - it's not that bad! Sure, it's corny and cheesey and whatever, but the actresses were a hell of a lot better than those morons that acted in the movie!! At least these actresses made their friendship seem natural rather than forced and awkward like the actresses in the movie! This, to me, is a classic (genuine), it reminds me of when I was at school, and is a hell of a lot funnier and interesting than the film! In my opinion, if Ann M. Martin wanted to make a movie, than she should have done so at the time the TV series was being made! She should have used the same actresses that she had used for the TV series! To me, the characters described in the book were portrayed more realistically by the actresses in the TV series than in the awful movie!! I just regret the fact that the actresses in the TV series seem to have faded into oblivion whereas, the awful actresses in the movie have actually found more work!!! There is no justice in America!!! And by the way, if people criticise this series for being "unrealistic" then they should realise that the movie could hardly be described as "realistic". Besides the TV series was aimed at young teens, so it's hardly going to show sex, violence and bad language is it?!?! People have to put this into perspective, and when it is put into a young teen's perspective, it works out as a great TV series!!
