To enter the inner sanctum of the "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" is to give yourself to the laughter, tears and mystique that are borne from decades of friendship stronger than blood.

You already know the Ya-Yas: they are your mother, her sisters and the aunts who weren't officially aunts but who were always there to explain your mother to you. Vivi (Ellen Burstyn/Ashley Judd), Caro (Maggie Smith), Teensy (Fionnula Flanagan) and Neci (Shirley Knight) are a bit wild, mostly crazy, but genuine women who have weathered what life dealt them with wit, charm and each other.

After a Time magazine profile on Sidda Lee (Sandra Bullock), a prominent young New York playwright insinuates that Vivi was not a good mother. Vivi becomes enraged and a cross-country feud begins between the two women that threatens to destroy not only their relationship, but Sidda Lee's plans to marry a man who has waited seven years to meet her at the altar. The feud launches the Ya-Yas on a rescue mission that takes Sidda Lee down a Louisiana path into her mother's past she must travel in order to understand her mother, and herself.

Based on two novels by Rebecca Wells, "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" and "Little Altars Everywhere," the movie lacks some of the depth only the books can provide. But it captures the spirit of the Ya-Yas, making you cry at their heartache one moment followed by sharp wit that has you laughing out loud.

Divine Secrets takes you through 60-odd years of friendship between the four women, from the 1930s to today, while maintaining the spunk and integrity of the characters throughout the decades. Each Ya-Ya is portrayed by three actresses to span their lives from girlhood to older adulthood, a feat pulled together seamlessly through a succinct script and well-paced editing.

Yes, "Divine Secrets" is a chick flick, but there were plenty of men laughing in the theater. Perhaps they also see the humanity the Ya-Yas represent, and can appreciate it in the women they know.

If you love movies like "Steel Magnolias," "Bridget Jones' Diary" and "Shag," then you'll love the "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood." You'll leave yelling "YA-YA!"

"Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" opens at theaters everywhere on Fri., June 7.