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13 Going on 30 Special Edition Customer Reviews (13 - 15 of 91 Reviews)

Great 80's flashback!
This is great for all of you who grew up in the 80's era, like myself. The music in the movie is fun, the story is fun and entertaining. I liked it way more than I thought I would the first time I watched it. Sweet cute movie!

Go on to see this underappreciated movie
I hadn't seen this movie until a friend brought it over during our very impromptu 'girls night off'. It was so much more than I had expected and so much better too!

Impatient to grow up in 1987, 13 year old Jenna Rink (Jennifer Garner) ultimately gets her wish. She then wakes up to discover that she is THE Jenna Rink---rich and connected magazine editor of 'Poise' magazine.

In addition to being the same magazine that she had poured over as a kid, Jenna goes wild to learn that she is personal friend with Madonna of all people and owns a super cool loft packed with awesome clothes and has a very hunky professional athlete boyfriend! She's convinced that life cannot get any better.

Upon further examination however, Jenna discovers material riches don't cover for emotional absence. Her successes came at the cost of abandoning family and friends The people who are around Jenna regularly tell her what they think she wants to hear and aren't actually her friends.

Garner does a good job with the scripting material that she had to work with--the scripting holes are not her own fault. However, people at the magazine...etc don't seem to question why this allegedly high-powered and together power player is suddenly so spacey. If New York's publishing environment remains very cutthroat and the fictional magazine in this film was well-established, the company should have noticed something.

The most solid character is the 'adult' Matt Flamhaff (Mark Ruffalo) Jenna's childhood friend who is no where near as financially rich, but is emotionally happier having never forgot who he was or what he believed in.

According to the film back story, Matt and Jenna had been friends, but drifted away. However (in one of the alternate realities ala 'Back to the Future') there is a very happy ending for the both of them.


CAN YOU HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO?
FIRST THOUGHTS: Jenna learns that there is truly NO PLACE LIKE HOME, but is it too late? Can Jenna have her cake and eat it too and if she does, what will happen to her?

IN A NUTSHELL: COOL AGE APPROPRIATE FILM THAT DEALS WITH REAL ISSUES

Well done age appropriate comedy that underscores the universal frustration and impatience that teenage girls are known for. However, this movie's theme is about doing something about it, and to that end the film takes Jenna on a magical mystery time voyage which lands her right where she thinks she wants to be ---- 30 - COOOOOOL & HOT!

But is that exactly what she wanted?

THANKFULLY THERE'S MORE ---- IT'S ABOUT SELF-AWARENESS

There is a price to pay for this jump to age thirty, and as the movie progresses, Jenna becomes more aware of that and more importantly; MORE 'SELF-AWARE' IN THIS LEARNING PROCESS! Exactly what Jenna discovers in this process is what the film is all about.

Needless to say, this is a well done fantasy that literally every girl has probably contemplated at one time or another in one way or another. This film brings that universal theme all together so that it does seem to resonate in similar but personal ways for different viewers.

-----*- THE CAST

Jennifer Garner - Jenna Rink
Mark Ruffalo - Matt Flamhaff
Judy Greer - Lucy Wyman
Andy Serkis - Richard Kneeland
Kathy Baker - Beverly Rink
Phil Reeves - Wayne Rink
Samuel Ball - Alex Carlson
Marcia de Bonis - Arlene
Christa B. Allen - Young Jenna Rink
Sean Marquette - Young Matt Flamhaff
Kiersten Warren - Trish Sackett
Gina Mantegna - Gina

-----*- THE FILMMAKERS

Gary Winick - Director [ also Directed the NEW -"Charlotte's Web" - 2006]
Josh Goldsmith - Screenwriter [also wrote - "What Women Want"]
Cathy Yuspa - Screenwriter [also wrote - "What Women Want"]


ABOUT THE DVD: GOOD VIDEO/AUDIO QUALITY AND WIDESCREEN TOO!

There were featurettes about the making of the film, but they were much leaner than I would have liked since this, after all, is a fantasy film for girls.

BOTTOM LINE: DEFINITELY WORTH SEEING - RESONATES STRONGLY AMONG TEENS: ESPECIALLY GIRLS

Much in the same tone as "The Wizard of Oz","13 GOING ON 30" takes the thoughts and ideas of a disgruntled young girl, and plays them out in full fantasy form, with somewhat the same outcome. "13 GOING ON 30" is definitely one of the better teen flicks out there, and it nicely melds fantasy with a girls viewpoint into a somewhat familiar though original story.

IN GOOD TASTE WITHOUT PATRONIZING OR CONDESCENDING TO TEENS OR PARENTS

For parents, this is both an enlightening film, and a kind of time-capsule that is executed with surprisingly good tastes. An ideal film for parents to see with teens without the cringing discomfort that some films yield when viewed with the whole family.

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