I have to hand it to first-time director Catherine Hardwicke for finding an opening for her movie that properly sets the tone for what is to come. The film is about a sweet-faced seventh-grade L.A. girl named Tracy Freeland (played by veteran actress Evan Rachel Wood), who goes through a hellish coming-of-age crisis that involves petty crime, drugs, sex, and self-mutilation.
At Sundance, Hardwicke won a Best Director award for Thirteen, her first directorial effort. She also co-wrote the screenplay with Nikki Reed, a teenager who appears onscreen in one of the movie’s major roles as Evie Zamora, the conniving girl who has a bad influence on Tracy.
I was particularly impressed by the expressive and naturalistic acting styles of Evan Rachel Wood and Nikki Reed. And Holly Hunter, in the role of Tracy’s mom, was fine in her role as well. Also, Thirteen seemed to me a visually imaginative film despite its low budget. The restless camerawork and tweaking of color reflected the psychological state of the young protagonist. I’ve lived in and around L.A. all my life, and to my mind, the movie had an authentic sense of place.
The scene where Tracy wins Evie's friendship takes place on trendy Melrose Avenue. After stealing the purse of a woman who's absorbed in a cellphone conversation, Tracy uses the cash in it to finance a shopping spree in Skechers for herself, Evie, and another girl. Soon Evie takes Tracy down to Venice Beach, where she has her tongue pierced. I thought the most memorable scene was where Tracy gets high and wanders around garishly lit Hollywood Boulevard at night with a trashy-looking guy.
As much as I liked Thirteen, it's far from a perfect film. I give it high marks for theme and setting, but the narrative feels like a series of vignettes strung together. An even more serious weakness, in my opinion, is that the characters—especially Evie—are more like archetypes than recognizable individuals. Still, I found the movie emotionally engaging and thought-provoking.
Part of Tracy's unhappiness arises from her family situation. Her mom and dad are divorced, and her dad sees her only occasionally. Tracy lives with her mother, a recovering alcoholic, and her mom’s boyfriend comes directly from a halfway house to move back in with them. I find the dialogue in the scenes between Tracy and her mom to be very convincing—the girl has learned how to push her good-natured mom’s buttons, and the mother is at her wit's end.
What I like best about Thirteen is that it’s so different from Hollywood films. It’s unsparingly depressing, and it provides no feeling of closure or satisfaction. I think all those are positive attributes. But on the negative side, I found the movie to be almost painfully prosaic—the filmmakers seem more interested in social commentary than storytelling.
The DVD is two-sided with the feature film in a different aspect ratio on each side. There are also a few bonus materials, which I’ve listed below. Those who like the movie will no doubt want to hear the commentary by Catherine Hardwicke, Evan Rachel Wood, Nikki Reed, and Brady Corbet (he plays Tracy’s brother in the film).
- Side A: Full-Screen (1.33:1)
- Side B: Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)
- English 5.1 Dolby Surround
- Spanish Dolby Surround
- French Dolby Surround
- English Subtitles
- Spanish Subtitles
- Audio Commentary by Director and 3 Young Actors
- Deleted Scenes (10) With Optional Directory Commentary
- The Making of Thirteen (6 min.)
- Theatrical Trailer
- DVD Release Date: January 27, 2004
