That woman — as most "Sex and the City" fans know — is Carrie Bradshaw.

The heroine of the ground-breaking HBO sitcom spoke for millions of single women around the world. And while the program's fans were heartbroken when it came to an end in 2004, they rejoiced in the knowledge that, in the end, Carrie (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) didn't settle for anything less than butterflies — she got her Mr. Big.

As the release of "Sex and the City: The Movie" nears — the film hits movie theaters everywhere on Friday — Central Jersey fans of all ages reflect on the impact the show had on their lives and what they hope will happen to Carrie and her beloved friends, Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon), Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) and Charlotte York (Rutgers' Mason Gross School of the Arts graduate Kristin Davis).

Beth Cofone said "Sex and the City" struck a profound chord with her.

"I related to Carrie," said the 53-year-old Bridgewater resident. "I related to her difficulty in establishing long-term relationships and kind of her always yearning for that one man that she couldn't get."

Cofone, a former paralegal and budding author, believes the show broke new ground as far as how women view sex and relationships.

"It really gave women who were single a feeling that it is OK to not have a husband, not to be engaged, to enjoy life, to go out, have fun, enjoy your sexuality and not feel like there's something wrong with you and not feel guilty about it," she said. "Even though you want to find a man or a husband or whatever — you can enjoy the ride."

While that notion may be foreign to Bernice Aks of East Brunswick, it is one she embraces.

"I come from a different time," the spry 80-year-old said. "I was born in 1928. And the freedom that the women (on the show) have and the decisions that they come to . . . the doors are open for them."

The great divide

Cofone said "Sex and the City" was also unique in that it shined a light on the rift that can sometimes arise between single and married women. She refers to a first-season episode called "The Baby Shower" in which the four women visit a former party girl now married, pregnant and living in suburbia.

"That was my favorite episode," said Cofone. "It was so real about what it feels like to be a single woman in a world where you just always seem to meet married women who judge you. . . It made me feel so much better about being single and not feeling like there was something wrong with me and that I was a freak because everybody around me was married."

But for a show called "Sex and the City" — which featured plenty of sex scenes, many of them courtesy of liberated Samantha — it wasn't the risque storylines that kept fans loyally returning week after week. And it's not what will be packing them into theaters.

"I just really liked the friendship between the women and how they treated each other," said attorney Wanda DeJesus, 29, of Perth Amboy. "Even though the show was called "Sex and the City,' that was the part that really pulled me — the friendship."

Attorney John Caminiti, 46, of Plainfield agreed. "I thought the characters were very well-written, very honest," he said. "I liked that the characters were very dimensional."

Having it all?

In addition, the women's pursuit of having it all — a career, a family and great sex — also attracted viewers.

"(Miranda) was very good in keeping her life, her job, her career, and not letting marriage and all that spoil that," said Harriett Reilly, 75, of Piscataway. "I thought that was a good idea."

Cofone believes that a big part of the show's popularity — and the excitement surrounding the long-awaited movie — can be attributed to things not always turning out so rosy for these four women. For example, Charlotte's fairy-tale first marriage ended in divorce and she had difficulty conceiving, Samantha was diagnosed with breast cancer, Carrie broke up with boyfriend after boyfriend, and Miranda got pregnant at a time when she and her boyfriend, Steve Brady (David Eigenberg), were not together.

"It was their angst, their inability to find (love)," Cofone said of the characters, "and their ability to bond with each other that made the show so successful."

Reilly still enjoys watching reruns on television.

"(The show) probably helped me, too, for certain reasons," Reilly, 75, admitted. "My husband, when he was younger, looked like Mr. Big. So it was like, "Ok, why don't I keep watching this?' It was just a good program and I enjoyed it."

But that's not to say that the show's titillation didn't attract viewers, too. Caminiti admits that it was a third-season episode, "Easy Come, Easy Go," which partly revolved around an issue Samantha had with a lover, that turned him into a loyal viewer.

"Somebody said, "You have to see this series,' " he recalled. "(When I saw it) I just couldn't believe what I was watching."

Aks said it shouldn't be surprising that the show has a loyal base of older fans.

"People forget," she said. "Everying is young, young, young. And they're always amazed that we know this or we know that. . . We look at "Sex and the City' and we go, "Whoop de doo!' " And some fans are saying "whoop de doo" over scenes from the movie indicating that Carrie is finally going to marry Mr. Big.

"I hope they get married," said Reilly.

"Mr. Big was just the ultimate guy because he was. . . the one who really just did it for her, and she didn't want to settle for (boyfriend) Aidan or for any other man that was just going to not really excite her to that point," Cofone said. "He was Mr. Big in terms of how he made her crazy with passion, and that's really where he was "big.' "

But there are others who either don't believe Carrie and Big will tie the knot — like Caminiti — or don't think it is a good idea.

"That's silly," said Aks of the possibility of Carrie and Big walking down the aisle. "Because he's not the kind that would have gotten married. He just wanted to screw around with every babe he could get his hands on. Why she hungered after him in the series I don't understand. She could have gotten guys. Aidan was a wonderful guy. He was sweet and he was good. But she didn't want to marry him, because in the back of her mind, presumably, was Big."

DeJesus doesn't have strong feelings either way and will be pleased as long as the movie's storyline is strong.

"I know lots of girls said the show stressed it was good to be single," she said, "and that they betrayed that at the end (of the show) when they all ended up in couples. But I don't feel that way. . . I don't necessarily see why any of them should be single just to be single."

The full view

Regardless of what ultimately happens to Charlotte, Carrie, Samantha and Miranda in the film, Caminiti thinks some people in the audience will be shocked by the unexpurgated language and sex scenes, both of which have been cut from the episodes currently airing on cable and local broadcast networks.

"People who actually see the film who have only seen it on TBS — I think they're going to be shocked at Samantha's character," he said. "They're going to say, 'Wow, I can't believe she did that.' "

And as excited as these "Sex and the City" fans are about the new movie, they are hard-pressed to find another show that comes close to replacing it.

"I don't think there's been another show that's targeted women in their 20s through to their 40s and are looking for mature love relationships," Cofone said. "I can't think of one show that's ever been there for women since."