Review of Thirteen (1988) by Lea L — 09 Apr 2009

Thirteen - It's happening so fast..

At the edge of adolescence, Tracy is a smart straight-A student--if not a little naive (it seems...she smokes and she cuts to alleviate the emotional pain she suffers from having a broken home and hating her mom's boyfriend, Brady.) When she befriends Evie, the most popular and beautiful girl in school, Evie leads Tracy down a path of sex, drugs and petty crime (like stealing money from purses and from stores). As Tracy transforms herself and her identity, her world becomes a boiling, emotional cauldron fueled by new tensions between her and her mother--as well as, teachers and old friends..

Thirteen is a movie that just grasps you. It is very realistic, powerful, moving and that many people can relate to..

Holly Hunter was outstanding with her role as Mel.. Evan Rachel Wood did a perfect job of conveying the slow inner-destruction of Tracy.. Nikki Reed (who co-wrote this movie) was great as the manipulative attitude of Evie..

The three female leads carry the weight of this movie on their shoulders, but are helped by the supporting characters; Brady Corbet as Tracy's older brother, Jeremy Sisto as Mel's addict boyfriend, and Deborah Kara Unger as Evie's aunt..

Catherine Hardwicke did an amazing job at putting this movie together and gets great performances out of everyone on screen..

The final scene in the movie with Wood and Hunter is one of the most powerful scenes I've ever seen. I definitely recommend this movie to anyone..