Despite boasting a trailer that looked like it had been whipped up by an actual thirteen-year old, 13 Going on 30 (2004) is a romantic comedy that manages pull off the impressive feat of appealing to both of the age demographics mentioned in its title. Directed by Gary Winick ( Tadpole ), the film delivers a solid message about staying true to one's self, but does not neglect to throw in giddily fun sequences (e.g. an improvised dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller") along the way.
Body-swap comedies, ranging from Like Father, Like Son (1987), Vice Versa (1988), and – most famously – Big (1988) made a splash in the 1980s, then all but disappeared in the following decade. These movies, however, dealt primarily with male adolescent insecurities. In 13 Going On 30, female fears and desires are explored, though ultimately film is less concerned with the protagonist's adolescent self than with how the decisions made at that dreaded stage in life can shape the people that we become.
The film opens in 1987, with gawky thirteen-year old Jenna smiling awkwardly for her middle school photo. Like most girls her age, she is desperate to fit in, even if that means kowtowing to the popular girls, led by the snooty blonde Tom-Tom. In the process of trying to win them over, Jenna goes so far as to insult her best friend, a chubby boy named Matty who harbors a not-so-secret crush on her.
For her birthday, Matty has designed a special dollhouse in Jenna's honor, which he presents to her with a packet of magic wishing dust. However, when the popular girls arrive at the party, Jenna, afraid of being perceived as uncool, quickly stuffs it in the closet. She then makes fun of Matty in front of the girls, but winds up being humiliated herself when they leave her alone and blindfolded in a closet, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the school hunk. Hurt and angered by this rejection, Jenna voices her wish that her adolescent troubles would end, that she could be the glamorous thirty-year old woman who has it all (the "it all" being dictated by her favorite fashion magazine, Poise). At that very moment, some of the wishing dust accidentally spills onto her.
When Jenna opens her eyes, she can scarcely believe them. It seems her wish has come true; when she looks in the mirror, she finds a stunning thirty-year old (Jennifer Garner) standing before her. With a great apartment, a cute boyfriend, and a high-powered job as an editor at Poise, Jenna's dreams appear to have come true. However, when she learns that the person she has had to become to fulfill these fantasies is a far cry from the sweet, good-natured adolescent she has left behind, Jenna begins to reconsider the decisions she made in her youth. She seeks out Matty, who has grown into a handsome photographer (the always-good Mark Ruffalo, radiating laidback charm), and begins righting her many wrongs.
This may sound like the path to a cookie-cutter, storybook ending, but instead 13 Going On 30 delivers a harsher, more realistic message. As much as Jenna tries to undo her misdeeds, she is ultimately powerless to stop some significant events. In this respect, the film does not shy away from delivering a strong message about taking responsibility for one's actions.
In the very end, however, this is not an Ingmar Bergman film; we do eventually get our happy ending. But unlike those in so many recent romantic comedies, this one feels like it has been earned.
Copyright © Beth Gilligan 2002-2005
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