'13 Going on 30': A Chick Flick for Everyone

Yes, “13 Going on 30” is a romantic film, but it is also about being careful what you wish for. Jenna Rink, played by Jennifer Garner, is so desperate to be cool, that she is willing to change herself. Her best friend, Matt Flamhaff, played by Mark Ruffalo, loves Jenna for who she is and wants her to see that she doesn’t have to be fake.

"13 Going on 30" advertisement

For her thirteenth birthday, Jenna throws a party, hoping to gain popularity. Matt makes her a dream house, like the one she has always wanted, but she is embarrassed by him. The popular girls show up, only to get Jenna to do their homework, then they ditch her.

Jenna realizes her party was a disaster, and wishes to be “thirty, flirty, and thriving.” She gets her wish, and she wakes up in her thirty-year-old body. Jenna struggles to figure out what her life is like, because she is still in her 13-year-old mind, and learns that she “got everything she ever wanted.” Her dreams of being successful and popular came true, and she is an editor of her favorite magazine. 

Jennifer Garner as Jenna Rink

As Jenna learns more about herself through her relationships with others, she realizes that she has become a person she never wanted to be. She is selling out her magazine to the competitor for a better job, has no real friends, and she is no longer close with Matt.

Jenna working for the magazine

Jenna decides to fix everything, from her job to her relationship with Matt, but she can’t turn back time. The magazine goes under, and Matt marries another girl. She becomes desperate, seeing that she didn’t really want the things she wished for. 

After wishing herself back to her 13-year-old body, Jenna is comfortable with being herself. Seizing her second chance, she no longer cares about being popular. Jenna and Matt get married, and the movie ends with them moving into a house which looks just like the dream house he made for her thirteenth birthday.

Jenna and Matt

The movie is sprinkled with 80’s music, great humor, and tear-jerking moments. The actors in the film were fantastic, and Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo were perfect for their parts. The film deserves a 4.5 out of 5, because although the story was great, wishing dust isn’t very realistic.