‘13 Going On 30’ Is A Cute Comedy

That Has Charm To Spare

Several weeks ago I was reading an article about Hollywood’s current penchant for borrowing from the past. Exhibit A in the case was a new movie about a middle-schooler who makes a wish to be older and, presto chango, the next morning awakens in a 30-year-old body run by the same adolescent brain.

Sounds more than a little like Big, the 1988 hit that earned Tom Hanks his first Oscar nomination. However, it’s also the premise behind the new romantic comedy, 13 Going on 30, starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo, and though it may not become as beloved as that Hanks classic, this enjoyable 2004 fantasy has plenty enough charm to spare.

The year is 1987 and young Jenna Rink (played at this point by Christa B. Allen, who does an excellent job) is your typical young girl with all the insecurities of adolescence and all the dreams of the bliss of womanhood. No longer content to spend time only with her neighbor and best friend, Matt (Sean Marquette), she decides to invite all the cool kids to her 13th birthday party. But after the inevitable humiliation that occurs, she locks herself in her closet and wishes she were “Thirty, Flirty and Thriving,” the title of a magazine article she had read with envy earlier in the day. Inexplicably (remember, this is a romantic fantasy, so don’t go expecting any plausible, scientific reasons), her wish comes true and she emerges from her closet in 2004. But as they say, be careful what you wish for... you may get it.

Jenna (now played by Garner), though more than a little discombobulated, starts to become enchanted with this new life when she discovers she’s the managing editor of her favorite magazine, the coolest kid in school is now her best friend (Judy Greer), and she finds out she became the homecoming queen during her high school years.

Her life is almost everything she always imagined, but when she decides to seeks out her best friend Matt (Ruffalo), she is horrified to discover that not only are they are no longer friends, she may not event be the kind of person with which she, or anyone else of character, would like to associate.

Garner, of TV’s Alias, scores big in her first starring role (she had a supporting part in Daredevil last year). She is engaging and winning from the very first moments we see her, as Jenna tries to get a handle on what has happened to her. Admittedly, Garner has the advantage of playing some very broad comedy in these early scenes (including the shock of seeing herself in the mirror for the first time, as well as finding a naked man in her apartment), but as the movie progresses, Garner captivates us not because of the madcap situations, but because she has endeared us to her character and makes us believe she is not only being piloted by a young girl’s intellect, but driven by the dreams and wishes of that idealistic young teenager.

As for the tone of the movie, directed by Gary Winick (Tadpole), 13 Going on 30 is not going to be confused with Thirteen, the harrowing drama about female adolescence and middle-school horrors, but it is still truthful while also being lots of fun. It makes great use of some fun ‘80s references and includes a charming sequence in which a giddy Jenna saves a sinking party by inspiring an impromptu “Thriller” dance (and there are no off-color Michael Jackson jokes, to boot).

Also of great help in the success of this comedy is the talented cast: along with stars Garner and the always-appreciated Ruffalo, there is Judy Greer (Adaptation, What Women Want) as Jenna’s friend, and Andy Serkis (Gollum in Lord of the Rings... and this time he’s not computer generated) as Jenna’s nervous-Nellie magazine boss.

While the movie was release in theaters on April 23, it remains in the top ten (landing at No. 7 last weekend). Rated PG-13 for some brief drug references and some sexual content, 13 Going on 30 is a really cute comedy that will almost undoubtedly win audiences over.