Movie Review: 13 Going on 30

13 Going on 30

This bit of fluff movie has been touted as the movie that will do for Jennifer Garner what Pretty Woman did for Julia Roberts. I'm not sure it's all that, but Garner is good and with a very obvious comedic flair.

In 13 Going on 30, young Jenna Rink wishes on the occasion of her 13th birthday that she could be "thirty, flirty, and thriving." Her next door neighbor and best friend, Matt Flamhoff, doesn't understand why Jenna is so unhappy. He tries to jolly her out of wanting to be part of the "in" group at school and to date the best looking boy around. Jenna isn't buying it. Luckily for Jenna, when she's accidentally sprinkled with wishing powder, she wakes up to find her wish has come true.

The grown up Jenna (Jennifer Garner) is both beautiful and successful. She's also very, very confused to find herself so suddenly an adult. With her last memory being from her long ago birthday party, she searches for the one person she thinks she can count on, and that's her friend Matt (Mark Ruffalo). But despite all of her wishes having been granted, Jenna isn't as happy as she thought she'd be. It doesn't take her long to realize that there's more to life and happiness than she once thought.

13 Going on 30 is one of those movies with a lot of lessons incorporated into the script: Love yourself as you are. Money doesn't buy happiness even if it does buy a lot of shoes. Don't take for granted the people who care for you most. The story is predictable, and though the script is at times very creative, it's only occasionally amusing (as many tween-age girls as there were in the audience, I only heard a few scattered laughs a couple of times). On the whole, 13 Going on 30 is...sweet. It's not bad. And Jennifer Garner does, indeed, have a very real future in movies. But it's still largely another version of Big. And Big did it first and did it better.

FAMILY SUITABILTY: 13 Going on 30 is rated PG 13. There's little to find objectionable for kids of about 10 and up (though there is one stripping scene - which never goes past tighty whities - that could be somewhat iffy for some), and I suppose the object lessons are well meaning. Kids - okay, girls - who really wish they were grown up will almost certainly like the movie better than those of us who are already adults. But there are some moments of real nostalgia for those of us who remember the 80's fondly, so all is not lost of you're the one who has to take those girls to the show.