A lot of movies have focused on kids in adult bodies, and the attempt to glaze over the awkward years of our lives. 13 Going On 30 stands out among these films, not because it's far superior, but because it has an endearing quality that surpasses some of the more unbelievable moments.
Jenna Rink is an unhappy 13-year-old girl who wishes she were older, past puberty and enjoying a perfect life. After a birthday gift of magic wishing dust goes awry, Jenna wakes up as the 30-year-old editor of a major women's magazine.
Jenna learns that while her life is seemingly perfect, she has become a person she doesn't like and has even alienated herself from her former best friend, Matt, played by Mark Ruffalo. To find out where she went wrong in life, Jenna seeks out Matt, and together they both discover what they lost along the way.
Jennifer Garner, playing 30-year-old Jenna, appears awkward on screen, making her sudden transition from 13 to 30 almost believable. While her wide-eyed naïveté is endearing, it's also slightly annoying. However, Garner does bring a very honest quality to the role, and you start to remember yourself at 13 ... What was I thinking with those bangs?!
Ruffalo makes an adorable best friend/love interest. He brings a genuine caring and friendship to the role that isn't often seen in men who play the "best friend who's in love with the girl but she doesn't see him like that until she suddenly does" character.
This movie approached time jumping a little differently than others. Rather than having to learn how to do things that a 13 year old might not know how to do, like walk in high heels, curl your hair and drive, 13 Going On 30 sidesteps those issues. Instead, Garner's character simply attaches a 13-year-old perspective to her actions.
The thing about this movie that struck me as odd was that Garner's character seemed more free and comfortable with herself as a 13 year old than any actual 13 year old ever is.
When Jenna is 13, she says she doesn't want to be different, she just wants to be popular. However, 30-year-old Jenna is willing to do things like recreate the exact choreography of Micheal Jackson's "Thriller" in the middle of a party.
The elements of an '80s child are all still present, making anyone who has any memories of the neon spandex-clad generation smile. Little details, like the always-cool Lisa Frank folders, remind the audience that, to some people, the '80s were a more innocent time.
One of the funniest aspects of the movie is Garner's New York Rangers boyfriend, who thinks more with his skates than with his wit.
No matter who it is, where it is, or how little you've had to drink, watching a man strip to Vanilla Ice's classic song "Ice Ice Baby" is always funny.
Unfortunately, many of the movie's funniest jokes are given away in the commercials and trailers, though the movie still has a wealth of smiles. There was one thing in the movie that annoyed me the whole time, however. Apparently, a 13 year old's approach to a 30 year old's wardrobe is to find everything that doesn't match and put it together, and that includes wearing Pick Up Stix in your hair.
Nevertheless, 13 Going On 30 was cute and happy, and it made me sentimental. While I would have preferred to watch the movie in pajamas on the couch with all my friends, it's still worth seeing in the theaters. Come on, Jennifer Garner saying "Everyone Wang Chung tonight" is good stuff!
