Everything you need to know about “Thirteen” you can learn from the film’s rating from the Motion Picture Association of America. “Thirteen” is rated R for (and I’ve never seen this combination before) “drug use, self-destructive violence, language and sexuality — all involving young teens.”
The film takes a piercing, wrenching look at what it feels like for a girl, as the Madonna song goes. It feels that much more realistic because it was shot with hand-held digital video over just 26 days, creating the raw vitality of a documentary.
And every word feels achingly accurate in the script, co-written by director Catherine Hardwicke and the film’s co-star, Nikki Reed — who was, at the time, a 13-year-old girl herself.
Reed, in her first film role, and Evan Rachel Wood, who already proved herself talented beyond her years on the ABC drama “Once and Again,” both give startling performances. Both were about 13 when they shot the film, which helps. More importantly, though, both actresses possess the very strength and confidence that their characters lack.
Transformation of a teen
Tracy (Wood) was a good girl who wore her hair in pigtails, played with dolls and did her homework before she met Evie (Reed), the hottest girl at Los Angeles’ Portola Middle School.
Tracy envies — then becomes bewitched by — the way Evie wields power as she struts about the campus in low-cut jeans that show off her belly button ring. In no time, she copies Evie’s provocative style and rebellious attitude and joins the popular clique.
As her transformation takes place, her mother, Mel (Holly Hunter), barely notices. She’s struggling to stay sober and support Tracy and her son, Mason (Brady Corbet), while working from home as a hairdresser.
By the time Melanie figures out something is wrong with her daughter, Tracy seems beyond redemption — not that Melanie knows how to begin helping her. She’s behaved all along as Tracy’s friend, and when she finally makes an attempt at parenting, her frustration unfolds in a tantrum on the kitchen floor.
No preaching
“Thirteen” could have been an after-school special gone horribly awry with its imagery of teen girls drinking, smoking, doing drugs and experimenting with sex — and that’s just in one afternoon. But the film aims to instruct rather than preach. It also doesn’t seem interested in shocking for shock’s sake, the apparent purpose of the similarly themed “Kids” from 1995.
Hardwicke — who previously worked as a production designer on dozens of films, including “Vanilla Sky,” “Laurel Canyon” and “Three Kings” — earned the best dramatic directing prize at the Sundance Film Festival for this, her writing and directing debut.
One dynamic she really seems to understand is the intensity of girls’ friendships during this time; finding a new best friend is almost like falling in love, the feeling is so intoxicating and all-consuming. Evie and Tracy influence each other, feed off each other, almost become each other, but are so immature, angry and confused that they don’t know how to nurture their relationship.
Their bond may seem to come and go too quickly, but hormones make this a volatile time, so that’s realistic, too. The emotional impact of “Thirteen,” however, will be far more lasting.