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Back Shelf Beauties
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13 Going On 30 13 Going on 30 takes us back to the days when music was good, Michael Jackson was Bad, and I was pushing up my sleeves to look like Don Johnson and the other guys on Miami Vice (every man my age knows this is true, and you know you did it as well). It starts with a Go-Go's song, which earns 13 Going on 30 an automatic, bonus Waffle, then slides into some old school Billy Joel, which only gets more praise. With music like this, you know I'm going to like it. Jennifer Garner stars as Jenna Rink - a 13-year old girl in 1987 who wishes she could be big (sounds familiar, I know). On her thirteenth birthday, young Jenna wishes she can be, "thirty, flirty and thriving," skipping the painful teen years that seem to be lying in front of her. Magically, she wakes up the next day, it's 2004, and she is the 30-year old editor of her favorite magazine, living the fast-paced, glamorous life of a successful New Yorker. While she has everything she thought she would want (hint, hint!), including a studly boyfriend, great job, awesome apartment, and plenty of money, Jenna soon realizes that not everything is as wonderful as it appears (we all go through this at 30). Will the 13-year old inside of her be able to handle the life she has led and cope with the challenges facing her? I feel like the moviemaking gods have looked into my brain and tried to deliver everything I want in a movie. 13 Going on 30 has my favorite music from The Go-Go's, Billy Joel, Rick Springfield and more (Sweet!). It has a fun story (Sweet!), and it has a beautiful leading lady in Jennifer Garner (Super Sweet!). Yes, 13 Going on 30 is a rip-off of Tom Hanks's Big, but it has its own merits and charm (that's what the lawyers will be arguing when they get sued). Writers Cathy Yuspa, Josh Goldsmith and Niels Muller have set out a very interesting situation. Would you, as an idealistic, naïve 13-year old, be proud of who you became as an adult, and what would you do to change it? While most of the movie is dedicated to comedic situations where the 13-year old inside Jenna must face the culture shock of jumping from 1987 to 2004, adult sexuality, new clothes, modern language and technology, having a job, adult freedom, and more, the writers elevate the film beyond the obvious by developing various subplots involving Jenna's business crisis, the renewal of her friendship with the former boy next door, Matt (Mark Ruffalo), the people who have become her friends as an adult and a nice love story. 13 Going on 30 works so well because Garner understands this character and keeps her alive among all of the action. Garner almost always acts like a 13-year old would in these situations and brings that sense of wonder and fear to the performance. Even at the most heartbreaking moments, when some actresses would revert to their usual bag of tricks, Garner makes the character react like a 13-year old girl and uses that emotion to capture our hearts. She interacts well with Ruffalo, who holds his own in scenes where his character's feelings are just as important as Jenna's, and I liked Judy Greer, who plays Jenna's one time nemesis who has become her best friend. Or has she? Greer is one of those actresses that always seems to do good work, but probably won't be a big movie star. If I were producing a TV program, I'd make her the lead and never look back. Director Gary Winick shows good judgment as to when to use the music or let a scene stand on its own, like the climax to Jenna's big job crisis, and I left the film feeling good. That's the best compliment of all. Also, look for Andy Serkis as Jenna's boss. He was Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and gets a chance to do some very hilarious stuff with his own face and body for a change. 13 Going on 30 is like a trip back in time for those of us who lived through the 80's. If your boyfriend dragged you to The Punisher or Kill Bill Vol. 2 last week, it's your turn to drag him to 13 Going on 30. 3 Waffles (Out Of 4) Copyright 2004 - WaffleMovies.com
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