Starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo
Directed by Gary Winick
Some people have compared this film to “Big” with Tom Hanks. I see the similarities- kid gets thrust into adult’s body and has to quickly learn how to be an adult. But this film goes somewhere different. This film almost follows the direction of “The Christmas Carol” and other films (Family Man, Mr. Destiny, etc.) that examine the one possible future of the main character.
The film starts in 1987 and introduces us to typical 13 year old Jenna who can’t wait to grow up. After wishing to be an adult, she awakens 17 years later, still with the mind of a 13 year old, but in a 30 year old body, Jennifer Garner’s body for that matter.
As she slowly figures out what kind of person she is, who her future friends are, how she treats people as editor of “Poise” magazine . . . she doesn’t like what she has become. She seeks out her old friend Matt to try to sort everything out. But Matt is engaged to another woman. So Jenna continues to learn the responsibilities of a 30 year old in 2004, attempts to redeem some of her past (future?) mistakes, all while trying to save her magazine from getting demolished by the competition.
The film pulls it off. Sure we’ve seen some of these elements before, but “13 Going On 30” has enough new material to keep it afloat. And although Jennifer Garner is no Tom Hanks, she plays the part of a 13 year old convincingly. And the 80’s references are a lot of fun.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Elementry kids? No.
Teenagers? Yes, but it depends on their maturity. Although there is no sex or nudity in the film, Jenna’s 30 year old life style isn’t that of Mary Poppins. She discovers that she’s been sleeping with a Texas Ranger baseball player, she apparently has had affairs with others in the office, and her wardrobe reveals a little of this lifestyle. But, the great thing about this film is that it shows the emptiness of this lifestyle- an emptiness that even a 13 year old looks at and understands. Something that apparently, the 30 year old Jenna hadn’t learned yet.
I think this would be a great film to watch and discuss with certain teenagers. I’d ask them what Jenna discovered about herself that she didn’t like. Then I’d ask what choices Jenna made that probably brought her to that point. And maybe, why the 13 year old Jenna was able to decide that she didn’t want to turn out like that.
The film is good fun. Check out www.screenit.com before you decide to show it to your teenagers.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
