Posted: 04/24/2004

13 Going on 30

(2004)

by Clint Fletcher

As I walked into the dark theater complex praying to myself that this wouldn’t be another disaster, my worst fear had come true… I became surrounded by an army of thirteen year-old girls. Being less prepared than usual, if I had been on my toes I would’ve brought my bottle of Bourbon and a notepad so that I could mark down the record number of “awwws” and “sniffles” from the audience. Teenage bashing aside, I was quite surprised with the way this picture turned out.

13 Going on 30 is a short and sweet way to spend two hours of your life.

Now let’s get the obvious out of the way first, shall we? Is it cliche? Yes. Does it recycle story aspects from other films of its kind? Of course. Is it really aimed toward girls between 13 and 30? Without a doubt. But somewhere within this traditional chick-flick lies a very sweet center-piece. 13 Going on 30 is a lot like a tootsie pop. It takes a while to break the shell and get to the sweet and chewy core, but once you do… you realize all the work was well worth it. I really don’t have to cover the plot again, do I? If you’re reading this review then that means you’re interested in the film and that means you’ve already seen the previews (unless you’re trying to get a date with me, in that case wait in line like everyone else). To be completely honest, this film wasn’t all that funny. Granted, I’m probably the last guy on Earth that this movie is trying to reach as its core audience. If you’re a female you’ll think its funny. If you were a teenager in the 80s you’ll think its funny. If you’re a guy you’ll think its “kinda funny” at best.

So if its not all that humorous and it follows every cliche in the book, what separates this film from all the others? Or more importantly, why should you even go see it? Two words: Jennifer and Garner. I’d like to think that I am a strong-willed guy, and can withstand charm from women if I must, but Ms. Garner (the soon-to-be Mrs. Fletch) has the ability to turn my mind into mush. I’m not talking about her looks either, but rather her acting capabilities. She does a phenomenal job in this picture, and damn it if she doesn’t sweep you away with the depth she puts into her character. You will be so engaged with what’s going on in this girl’s head that you don’t even notice all the bad flaws the film has. In an attempt to motivate males to see this picture as well, think of something like this: have you ever been going about your everyday life until you notice a girl nearby that makes your heart stop? That won’t happen too many times in your lifetime, so when it does you keep focusing on that person, her looks, her personality, everything. If you have experienced that before then answer this question: were you REALLY paying attention to anything else at the time you were noticing this person?

In a nutshell, I really got the feeling that there was a 13 year-old chick trapped inside this woman’s body. And I also felt her pain and fear as she realizes that she’s not ready to enter this part of her life yet. Kudos go out to Mark Ruffalo as well, who turns in a terrific (and yet low-key, what the character calls for) performance as the guy that Garner jilted oh so long ago. Noteworthy scenes include Jenna (Garner) and Matt (Ruffalo) stirring up some fun at a boring business party by showing off their “Thriller” moves that Jackson made famous back in the 80’s. Another scene includes Jenna’s current boyfriend performing a strip-tease to “Ice Ice Baby.” Other scenes are just plain cute once you reach the mainstream of the story, and other scenes just aren’t funny at all. But Garner shines some light on even the most wretched of unfunny scenes. Keep your eye on her, for her facial expressions and little one-liners save the day.

To wrap things up, 13 Going on 30 is the perfect film for a girl to drag her boyfriend to, only to have the boyfriend end up enjoying it himself and keeping it a deep dark secret from his friends until the day he dies. Come on, guys. You know what I’m talking about… It doesn’t matter if you’re big or small, male or female, this movie is sure to warm your heart.

PS: Damn all you critics out there who are comparing this movie to BIG. This is not BIG. Focus on the movie itself, not a comparison. Every film that exists will have a comparison…

Clint Fletcher is a Chicago filmmaker and writer.

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