I have such mixed feelings about this movie, but, after seeing it a couple of times, I do think it's worthy of viewers of all ages--just not teens, as it seems to be targeting at times.
The movie can exploit sometimes. For example, the idea of teen girls going wild can seem glamorous to other teens and inspirational for those teens. On the other hand, Thirteen runs the risk of becoming a cautionary bit of propaganda telling parents they better watch their teens, or they'll be next. To tell the truth, Thirteen is all these things. But what makes this movie good is how it captures reality so effectively--in other words, good characters and good plots.
******Spoilers**********
Thirteen starts out in a typical way--the same coming of age story about a girl starting high school who abandons old nerdy friends for new freaky friends. Tracy becomes friends with the popular bad girl, Evie. But Tracy is a complex character, though. Evie may be her corrupter, but the seeds were there. We find out that Tracy has been cutting herself for a long time--before her drug abuse and thieving.
When you think of Tracy and Evie's adventures in drugs, sex, and crime, it's not really that shocking because it is the same struggle that teens have been having since when?! Think about Penny Lane in "Almost Famous." The music has changed, but the song remains the same.
The scenes in Thirteen that make it a good movie, are between Tracy and her mom, Mel (Holly Hunter), who probably had a teenage hood something like her daughter. But Mel loves her daughter even if she is in denial about her. In the end, Mel won't leave Tracy alone in her darkest hours--after her "friend" Evie tells Mel about Tracy's secret life for vengeful purposes.
I like the realism in this movie--down to earth characters with flaws who don't live in a suburban world of white picket fences, two-parent families, and no money worries. For that alone, makes Thirteen a must-see movie.
The movie can exploit sometimes. For example, the idea of teen girls going wild can seem glamorous to other teens and inspirational for those teens. On the other hand, Thirteen runs the risk of becoming a cautionary bit of propaganda telling parents they better watch their teens, or they'll be next. To tell the truth, Thirteen is all these things. But what makes this movie good is how it captures reality so effectively--in other words, good characters and good plots.
******Spoilers**********
Thirteen starts out in a typical way--the same coming of age story about a girl starting high school who abandons old nerdy friends for new freaky friends. Tracy becomes friends with the popular bad girl, Evie. But Tracy is a complex character, though. Evie may be her corrupter, but the seeds were there. We find out that Tracy has been cutting herself for a long time--before her drug abuse and thieving.
When you think of Tracy and Evie's adventures in drugs, sex, and crime, it's not really that shocking because it is the same struggle that teens have been having since when?! Think about Penny Lane in "Almost Famous." The music has changed, but the song remains the same.
The scenes in Thirteen that make it a good movie, are between Tracy and her mom, Mel (Holly Hunter), who probably had a teenage hood something like her daughter. But Mel loves her daughter even if she is in denial about her. In the end, Mel won't leave Tracy alone in her darkest hours--after her "friend" Evie tells Mel about Tracy's secret life for vengeful purposes.
I like the realism in this movie--down to earth characters with flaws who don't live in a suburban world of white picket fences, two-parent families, and no money worries. For that alone, makes Thirteen a must-see movie.