Plot
In 1987, nerdy 13-year-old Jenna Rink yearns to be popular, so she persuades the Six Chicks, her school's ruling clique led by Tom-Tom, to attend her 13th birthday party by doing their homework for them. Jenna's best friend and next-door neighbor, Matty Flamhaff, secretly in love with her, gives her a dollhouse he made himself and sprinkles the roof with "magic wishing dust."
The Six Chicks arrive with a group of boys, including Jenna's crush, Chris Grandy, and deceive the naive Jenna into believing he is going to play "seven minutes in heaven" with her while they leave with the completed homework. When Matty discovers what happened, a humiliated Jenna barricades herself and tearfully wishes to be "30 and flirty and thriving" as the wishing dust sprinkles on her.
The following morning, Jenna is shocked to find herself in a luxurious Fifth Avenue apartment as an adult in 2004, dating a young man she does not recognize and with no memory of the intervening 17 years. Upon further investigation, she learns that she now works as an editor for her favorite fashion magazine, Poise, alongside co-editor and best friend, Lucy Wyman, who is also grown up. However, the magazine is falling behind its arch-rival Sparkle, which her editor-in-chief, Richard Kneeland, believes is the work of a saboteur.
A confused Jenna locates Matty, now a struggling photographer, in Greenwich Village in the hopes of learning what happened. She discovered that she had become the new head of the Six Chicks, and that she stopped speaking to Matty and that he is no longer her friend; she also learns that Lucy is Tom-Tom.
In her new adult life, Jenna spends time with and advises teenagers, and she saves a dull office party by leading the guests, including Matty, in an impromptu "Thriller" line dance. She also meets Matty's fiancée, Wendy. However, Jenna gradually learns that her adult self had plagiarized ideas, became estranged from her parents, and cheated with a co-worker's husband. Furthermore, she overhears Lucy plotting to remove her from her presentation on a rebranding for Poise.
Jenna returns to her childhood home in New Jersey to reunite with her parents before reconciling with Matty and hiring him to help with her presentation. They gradually fall for each other throughout, even though Wendy is eager for Matty to move to Chicago.
Jenna's presentation proves successful, but Lucy lies to Matty, claiming that Jenna did not use his photos but has him sign them over. While looking for Matty to deliver the good news, Jenna finds Wendy, who reveals that her wedding to him is the next day. Moreover, she learns from Kneeland that Lucy became Sparkle's new editor-in-chief by using Jenna's presentation. Outraged, she confronts Lucy, who scornfully reveals that Jenna sabotaged Poise in exchange for a position at Sparkle, though Lucy took the job first.
Jenna rushes to Matty's childhood home, where the wedding is about to take place, to reveal what happened; Matty explains that he already knew of Lucy's deception and has never trusted her since childhood. Jenna tries to convince Matty to give their relationship a chance, saying that she "is not the awful person" that she knows that she was. Matty acknowledges his feelings for her, but responds that he cannot get back together with her now, because too many years have passed. ("I have realized these past few days that -- you can't just turn back time. I moved on. You moved on. We've gone down different paths for so long. We made choices. I chose Wendy. We care about each other, you know.") Still caring about Jenna, Matty gives her the dollhouse, which he has kept despite their estrangement. A sobbing Jenna tells Matty that she loves him and that he's her best friend; Matty responds by confessing that he has always loved her. A tearful Jenna leaves with the dollhouse; she goes next door, and she looks closely at the dollhouse, as she realizes what she has lost when she lost Matty. She closes her tear-filled eyes as a breeze swirls some remnants of the wishing dust around her without her knowledge.
Opening her eyes, Jenna reawakens from the wishing dust to find herself back in 1987 on her 13th birthday, where no time has passed. When Matty finds her huddled alone in the closet, she happily embraces and kisses him. Realizing that Lucy is not a true friend, Jenna confronts her and destroys the homework she worked on for the Six Chicks.
With this second chance, Jenna lives the subsequent 17 years differently, and she eventually goes on to become happily married to Matty. The newlywed couple then moves into a suburban house resembling the dollhouse.
Production
In October 2002, director Gary Winick was in negotiations to direct 13 Going on 30. [4] It was also announced that Susan Arnold and Donna Arkoff Roth were producing the project with the writers' manager, Gina Matthews. [5] [4] Actress Jennifer Garner was cast for the movie's lead role. In order to film the picture, Garner shot it while on break from filming her television series Alias . [5] Gwyneth Paltrow, Hilary Swank, and Renée Zellweger were all considered for the lead role. [6] Judy Greer was cast to play Lucy, Garner's best friend; Kathy Baker and Phil Reeves were cast as Garner's mother and father, respectively. [7] Later, Andy Serkis was selected to play Garner's boss; while Samuel Ball was announced as Garner's boyfriend. [8]
On May 13, 2003, it was reported that filming for the movie was underway in Los Angeles with Revolution Studios. [7] It was filmed in Los Angeles, New York City, and South Pasadena, California. [9] [10] Interior shots were filmed in Los Angeles. The crew moved to New York City, where they shot exteriors for 17 days. [11] Principal photography took place from May to November 2003. Written by Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, the script was "polished" by Niels Mueller (who lost an initial writing credit in a subsequent dispute arbitrated by the Writers Guild of America). [12]
Christa B. Allen, who portrayed 13-year-old Jenna, later "reprised" her role as a younger version of Jennifer Garner by portraying the teenager version of Jenny Perotti in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past . [13] In October 2016, it was announced 13 Going on 30 was going to be adapted for Broadway with an estimated debut in late 2017, but plans did not move forward. [14]
Reception
Box office
The film opened on April 23, 2004, with an initial box office take of $22 million in its first weekend, debuting at number two, almost tied with Denzel Washington's thriller Man on Fire . [16] In its second week, it dropped to number three, earning $9 million. [17] In its third week, it fell to number five, earning $5.5 million. [18] In its fourth week, it took sixth place with an estimated $4.2 million. [19] In its fifth week, it fell to number seven, with an estimated $2.5 million. [20] In its sixth week, the film fell to number 9, earning $1 million. [21] It ended with $57 million at the domestic box office, and at total worldwide gross of $96,455,697. [1]
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 65% based on reviews from 179 critics, with an average rating of 6.20/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Although the plot leaves a lot to be desired, 13 Going on 30 will tug at your inner teenager's heartstrings thanks in large part to a dazzling performance from Jennifer Garner." [22] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 57% based on reviews from 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [23] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade A−, on a scale of A to F. [24]
Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a highly positive review with a grade of "A−", writing, "13 Going on 30 is the rare commercial comedy that leaves you entranced by what can happen only in the movies." Gleiberman also praised Garner's performance, writing: "She cuts out all traces of adult consciousness, of irony and flirtation and manipulation, reducing herself to a keen, goggle-eyed earnestness that's utterly beguiling." [25] Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote: "The possibilities of Jenna's confusion are exploited for full comic effect. Garner, who turns out to be a charming, abandoned comedian, makes Jenna's incredulousness and innocence very funny and occasionally even touching." [26] Joe Leydon of Variety also praised her performance, writing "Garner throws herself so fully and effectively into the role that in a few key scenes, she vividly conveys Jenna's high spirits and giddy pleasure through the graceful curling of her toes." Leydon praised director Gary Winick for "bringing a fresh spin to most of the script's cliches and emphasizing nuggets of emotional truth provided by Goldsmith and Yuspa." [27] Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe wrote that "The film is tailor-made for women who openly lust for dream houses, dream jobs, and dream hubbies." He also wrote that "the best stuff involves the childhood preamble. (The young actors playing Jenna, Matt, and Lucy are terrific.) Those moments feel painfully, comically true." [28]
Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, commenting, "This romantic comedy is intended as a cautionary fairy tale. The silly humor works with the film's gentle message of self-empowerment and avoids sappiness in a tender interlude where the adult Jenna returns to her childhood home. Amusing, charming, and pleasantly nostalgic, 13 Going on 30 should fall easily onto moviegoers' wish lists." [29] Mick Martin and Marsha Porter's 2005 DVD and Video Guide called it a "shameless rip-off of the Tom Hanks' classic Big ", adding that it was "weak, but predictable and is sparked by the excellent performance of Jennifer Garner". [30] [31]
Elvis Mitchell of The New York Times wrote: "The performances give the film more flavor and life than the situation does; it often feels like pre-chewed Bubble Yum. The message of the plot is that a lack of sophistication is the key to success, even in a fashion magazine that attracts readers through sexy exhibitionism. The movie would have shown some daring savvy if it had played more with the role-playing aspect of fashion spreads. Instead, it is content to eat its retro snack cake and have it, too." [32] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it 2 out of 4 and wrote: "You buy the magic because it comes with the territory. What I couldn't buy was the world of the magazine office, and the awkward scenes in which high-powered professionals don't seem to notice that they're dealing with a 13-year-old mind." [33] Andrea Gronvall of the Chicago Reader wrote that "The formula works, thanks in large part to star Jennifer Garner, who's so radiant theaters should be stocking sunblock. Underlying the shenanigans and the pop-psychology moral—self-love is a prerequisite for true love—there's a touching wistfulness about roads not taken." [34] Jorge Morales of The Village Voice commented: "The thirty something in me was all, gag me with a spoon, but the kid in me was like, this film's rad to the max." [35] Nell Minow of Common Sense Media rated four stars out of five saying "Touching, hilarious Jennifer Garner rom-com." [36]
