This fiercely realistic, truthful movie is one of this year's scariest offerings. Forget "House of 1,000 Corpses," "Freddy vs. Jason," and "Jeepers Creeper 2," none of those movies have anything on the horror that emerges in "Thirteen." The angst of being a teen, wearing the trendiest clothes, hanging with the popular kids, and fitting in to the mold of junior high school is put under a magnifying glass and dissected in detail in Catherine Hardwicke’s rookie directorial effort, “Thirteen.”
Granted not all 13 year olds go through this dramatic of a metamorphosis (there'd be more moms in therapy and more teens behind bars if this was the norm). Teens rebel, ignore, and experiment to differing degrees and while I'm certainly not a psychologist, I am hopeful that the central characters in "Thirteen" are representative of the far end of the rebellion scale.
Evan Rachel Wood stars as Tracy, a coltish young girl searching for a sense of identity. Tracy’s transitioning from playing with Barbie Dolls and stuffed animals, to discovering her sexuality and individuality. On the opposite end of the popular scale is Evie (Nikki Reed), the epitome of hip. With body piercings, low-slung jeans, and model good looks, one look from her gorgeous eyes causes blossoming male hormones to rage and females to drool in envy. Evie sizes up Tracy, finds her wanting, and ignores her. Tracy, desperate for acceptance, steals a purse while on a shopping spree and voila, she’s ‘in.’
Friendship with Evie and her group leads Tracy to remake herself. Make-up, new hairstyle and revealing clothes are just the outward signals of a far more dangerous transformation. The once promising student becomes a poster child for rebellion and in the process slowly shreds the close bond she had with her family. Suddenly Evie isn’t just the head of popular clique, she’s the powerhouse behind Tracy’s downward spiral that as adults, we recognize leads to self-destruction and self-loathing. What you’re left with is Evie in a power struggle with Tracy, a girl chronologically the same age, but emotionally still struggling with her budding femininity. What you’re also left with is a child robbed of her innocence and the repercussions of making too many life-altering choices at such a young age.
Holly Hunter co-stars as Tracy’s recovering addict mother, a hard-working woman who sees Tracy’s transformation but not soon enough. As an active member of a recovery group, Tracy’s mother’s impotence leaves one feeling disappointed and frustrated in her inability to react to what’s so clearly evident. In the film’s most compelling scene, the struggle between mother and child comes full circle, with both women recognizing themselves in each other.
First time feature film director Catherine Hardwicke delivers a frenetic, dizzying redemption tale. Although not a classic coming of age story, we do see these characters evolve. The one notable exception is Evie, who never acknowledges her own role in ripping Tracy’s family apart. The film easily could have solved all the problems and tied everything up with a ‘Hollywood’ bow, however Hardwicke and co-writer Nikki Reed chose the ballsy path instead.
“Thirteen” is an amazing, captivating film. Tackling a realistic subject matter, “Thirteen” lures its audience by enticing them with the desire to witness a cautionary tale. The film then snares its audience by conveying a truly powerful message, delivered by a remarkable cast.
GRADE: A-
"Thirteen" was directed by Catherine Hardwicke (full cast and crew list) and is rated R for drug use, self-destructive violence, language and sexuality, all involving young teens.
