Dirk V
Reviewer

      After watching “Thirteen”, this reviewer could only sit in bewilderment. It was not because I was disappointed in the film. Instead, I was amazed by the film’s realism, and I was shocked by the destructiveness of these teenagers. Not only does the film capture teen angst and their need for acceptance and desire to be cool, but it does so in such a dramatic way as to give the audience an understanding of what it is like to grow up in today’s world.
 
      The film follows the exploits of a 13-year-old girl named Tracy, played by Evan Rachel Wood. When she begins Junior High, she is a bright student with great potential. She then begins to spend time with the “hot” girl in school—Evie, played by the author of the film, Nikki Reed. After spending time with Evie, Tracy begins to skip school, drink, do drugs, and have sexual encounters with boys. Her new destructive behavior leads her into dangerous situations, and pushes her family away from her.
 
      Tracy’s descent from goodness is what drives the film. Her emotional struggles give “Thirteen” the edginess that separates it from other films of its type. It allows the audience to get inside her confused mind. We can see and follow her thoughts, even if we may not be able to understand them.
 
      While the plot description above sounds like an after-school special, the film is wonderfully put together. It benefits from a great script, and the cinematography is eerily perfect for the film. It gives it a near-documentary feel.
 
      The acting is also spectacular. Wood gives an excellent performance as Tracy. She does a great job showing the range of emotions teenagers can go through in a short span of time. She also makes it easy to believe the troubles these girls are facing are real, and not just in a film. Reed is great playing a manipulative, sexed-up teenager. During the course of the film you dislike her character, then you sympathize with her, and then you loathe her. The film also benefits from a strong performance by Holly Hunter as Tracy’s mom. Hunter is spectacular as the loving mother confused by her daughter’s erratic behavior.
 
      While I have a hard time relating to all of the difficulties faced by the teens in this film, I still found it compelling. Most people who watch it will be able to relate to the emotions these teenagers go through, although maybe not in such dramatic circumstances. Irrational behavior, the desire to be popular, rebelling against parents, and bad decision-making are a part of growing up that we all experience. All parents should watch this film. If they do not get frightened away by the girls actions, parents will gain a better understanding of their own children and the problems they may face.