Thirteen (2003)

"Thirteen" - Junior High Girls, Adult Drama
by Homer Yen
(c) 2003

Life at my particular small-town Junior High school was never the pressure cooker of acceptance and identity. Or, maybe I was just unaware of that aspect. Or more likely, that aspect was unaware of mundane me. But, if someone were desperate enough for that kind of attention, how far would someone go? Would they resort to stealing to impress their friends? Would they resort to sticking their nose in the face of authority to showcase their arrogance?

However far you might actually go, you could multiply that distance by 10 and still not even be half as far as where Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood) winds up as her life spirals woefully out of control. Tracy's coming-of-age experience is tremendously stressful. Her life is complicated most by her loving mom, Melanie (Holly Hunter), recently divorced and recovering alcoholic. Melanie does her best to protect and care for Tracy, but the equation is incomplete without the father, without money, without respect. She is also set back by the pressures of fitting into her new school. Although she has some friends, they aren't cool enough and she looks to trade up. The resentment that churns within her is like a bubbling volcano just prior to its eruption.

Thus "Thirteen" is actually a frightening and disturbing film about how a nice girl begins to go bad, very bad. Her road to perdition is heavily influenced by the wildly popular Evie (Nikki Reed), who wears skin-tight clothing, has the allure to attract stronger and older boys, and has a brazen personality. Deep down, she is a manipulative troublemaker of the worst kind.

In a desperate effort to get Evie's attention, Tracy steals a purse and shares the spoils with her. They become friends although it is the wicked Evie that slowly drags Tracy into her hedonistic world of sex, lies, and drugs. Our impressionable teen undergoes a creepy transformation from potential honor student to porn-star-in-the-making. The kind of activities that they engage in would make any loving parent shudder. They smoke pot, are openly promiscuous, share a heated girl-girl kiss, and reject authority. As such, this movie merits its "R" rating and comes across as a challenge that slaps parents in the face. It's the kind of aggressive public-service announcement that might ask, "It's 10pm. Do you f*****g know where your children are?"

The dramatic elements undoubtedly affect you as you wonder if Tracy can save herself. We certainly feel sorry for her and cringe at her actions. Wood shows good maturity at such a young age, and reminds us a little bit of Kirsten Dunst. Holly Hunter also delivers a nice performance as the frazzled mom with the impossible task of juggling all those balls at once, looking as if she would breakdown if just one of those balls dropped. And, while we may not believe that 13-year olds may succumb to these kinds of pressures presented onscreen, it has been reported that Nikki Reed, provided the basis for the screenplay through her own experiences. Reed, in real life, was the good girl. And she wrote her daily thoughts into a diary, which now has become this gritty movie.

Despite being about teenage girls, this is a decidedly adult drama. The performances are crisp. The subject material is disturbing. The tone is uncompromisingly tragic. You may not emerge from the theatre feeling entertained, but it will earn your respect.

Grade: B
S:        3 out of 3
L:        3 out of 3
V:        2 out of 3

==========
X-RAMR-ID: 35712
X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 1196455
X-RT-TitleID: 1124997
X-RT-AuthorID: 1370
X-RT-RatingText: B