13 Going on 30
2004 · Directed by Gary Winick
Original language: English
- comedy
- fantasy
- romance
The story
After total humiliation at her thirteenth birthday party, Jenna Rink wants to just hide until she's thirty. Thanks to some magic wishing dust, Jenna's prayer has been answered. With a knockout body, a fabulous wardrobe, an athlete boyfriend, a dream job, and superstar friends, this can't be a better life. But soon Jenna realizes that adult life isn’t as easy as she hoped for.
What it’s like
Bright, saturated New York in the early 2000s: glossy magazine-office interiors, pastel party dresses, a glittering Manhattan skyline at dusk and the warm amber of a 1980s childhood bedroom, all shot in clean, polished digital with a sheen of nostalgia. Camera work is bouncy and playful, with quick cuts through fashion shoots, cheerful montages set to upbeat pop, and a bright, buoyant score that never lets the mood sag. The vibe is sweet, breezy and warmly nostalgic, a comfort-watch for a rainy Sunday, a long-haul flight or a night in with a bowl of popcorn. Its pacing is brisk and its tone light, with an emotional arc about a girl who gets the adult life she wished for and slowly learns to value the friendships and honesty she left behind, reconnecting with an old best friend along the way. Language and some innuendo appear, with occasional mild sexual humour and a teenage party scene, but there is no real violence, gore or menace, and the dread is minimal. It suits viewers who want gentle, feel-good romance with a dash of fantasy and a lot of heart.
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