Eric D. Snider
Thirteen
Movie Review
"Thirteen"
Review by Eric D. Snider
Grade: C
Rating: R
Released: Friday, August 22, 2003
Directed by:
Cast:
Evan Rachel Wood's performance in "Thirteen" is far better than "Thirteen" is. She plays a middle school student named Tracy who is in the painful stage between childhood and adolescence, just learning how to be a woman and doing it all wrong, particularly due to having the wrong person mentoring her. Wood, who is 14, is absolutely fearless in her portrayal of pubescent angst, piercing the film with emotion that is absolutely convincing.
The film, alas, is not as good. Directed by first-timer Catherine Harwicke, it casts about for solid footing and is unable to locate it. The setting is L.A., where society's skewed view of how women ought to be is visible on every billboard and signpost, and that theme is examined very briefly as a factor of Tracy's behavior. Much greater attention, however, is paid to Tracy's friend Evie (Nikki Reed, who co-wrote the screenplay, incredibly), a rootless, amoral "bad girl" who soon has Tracy acting, thinking and dressing just like her. Sex, drugs and stealing are all part of Evie and Tracy's lifestyle, as Tracy's mother Melanie (Holly Hunter, playing yet another put-upon single mom) looks on in distress.
All of this is well and good, but what's the point? If it's a story about the dangerous influence of evil friends -- "Tracy was playing with Barbies before Evie came along!" Melanie yells during a catfight royale with Evie's useless foster parent -- then why the overriding emphasis on Tracy's emotions? The implication starts to be that Tracy would have gone this way anyway, or at least that this is fairly typical rite-of-passage stuff for young girls -- in which case, what purpose does Evie serve in the movie at all? Characters who function only as catalysts don't generally warrant this much screen time.
In the end, I suspect we've been given an accurate representation of the brattiness, rebellion and overwhelming emotion that comes with being a 13-year-old girl. The question is what we, or any of the characters, have learned about it. We've been through an ordeal -- and one thrillingly acted by Wood -- but why?
Grade: C
Rated R, a lot of harsh profanity, some nudity, some strong sexuality, some blood
1 hr., 40 min.
Copyright © Eric D. Snider.
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This item has 6 comments
January 26, 2007 at 7:28 pm
You seem to not even understand what the movie is about. A. There is a HUGE emphasis on the supermodels and billboards of "ideal women" plastered throughout the movie that influence Tracy greatly.
Evie is there because all teens who go down that path need someone to teach them how. Evie is there to teach Tracy how to do things and how to be things. Are you saying Tracy should have had no friends and taught herself and brought herself down this path? The movie is meant to be real, which, as a teenage girl I can say it is one hundred percent.
If you paid attention, there are MANY lessons. For teenagers, for parents, for teachers, etc..., but you won't see that if you don't understand the point of the movie. Which you clearly did not even attempt.
The reason so much attention is placed on Evie is because Evie is also one of the main people in the movie, along with Tracy and Melanie.
January 29, 2007 at 4:18 pm
The above comment is AWESOME.
"The reason so much attention is placed on Evie is because Evie is one of the main people in the movie..."
WTH? Funny stuff.
March 22, 2007 at 9:10 pm
i think the movie is true to life, mabye not the "normal" thing that happens to teenagers but shows the extremes that some girls go through when there life and finding themselves get too much.
You havent really looked into what the movie is about.
October 10, 2007 at 12:58 pm
I agree, 100%, this movie was a [swear word] [swear word]house. It made me lose a lot of my faith in humanity. It didn't convey any of the "lessons" Andrea K. speaks of, it simply glamorizes this kind of stupid [swear word] behavior. Both of them should have died in the end, to relieve society of having [swear word] like Evie and Tracy have to share the earth with competent human beings.
October 29, 2007 at 6:22 pm
The very first comment has pretty much said things for me!!!!
Review is correct in some ways, evan rachel wood has given the most talented performace i have ever seen of someone her age! a wonderous actress!
I believe the director successfully tackled and displayed realistic portryals of pubescent life for teenage girls!! i also believe she casted fabulously!!
The editing was superb because it built up tension and you suddenly felt traceys (evan rachel wood's) emotions and you suddenly felt what it is or what it was life to be someone of that age!
i am currently 17 and have not experienced the things the character tracey has! partly because i am not a girl!
It was overall a good movie and how the characters developed throughout the course was truly believable!!!
November 24, 2007 at 7:13 pm
as myself watching this movie it was very tense but yet very good because it is showing what most teenagers do. not many though start doing what tracy and evie do at the age of thirteen most start maybe in highschool. i experienced things that they have gone through so i can very much relate to it. over all the movie showed me that gettin involved with those type of drugs and other things can really destroy the person you are and you may need to get some serious help if you cant stop.