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By
WAYNE KLEIN
Every film has to have its
gimmick. When it gets recycled a million times,
it's time to close the coffin on that gimmick and
move on. Luckily, there's still a bit of life in
the little kid in an adult's body. Why does it
still work so well? It has more to do with the
fish out of water aspect and the fact that we've
all felt out of place at one time or another.
What saves "13 Going on 30" from a becoming a dull
retreat of "Big" is a wonderful, nicely tailored
performance by Jennifer Garner ("Alias") as a 13
year who wishes to be 30. When Jenna's (Christa B.
Allen) birthday party turns from triumph to
nightmare, she kicks out her best friend Matt
(Sean Marquette), slams the door to her closet and
cries herself to sleep. The magic dust that Matt
gave her as part of his gift falls from the top
shelf settling on her just as she wishes to be 30.
The next morning Jenna (Garner) wakes up in a
strange bed with a strange man but, more
importantly, she's an adult. She doesn't quite
understand what's happened. Within the blink of an
eye she goes from being a 8th grader to the
co-editor of her favorite fashion magazine. It
seems particularly strange when she discovers that
her best friend Matt is no longer in her life and
everyone generally regards her as a supreme bitch.
She's confused and not sure she's happy. She also
misses Matt (Mark Ruffalo). She looks him up in
Greenwich Village and discovers he's a talented
photographer who hasn't seen her since her temper
tantrum 17 years before. Gradually, she discovers
what she really wants is what she has denied
herself: Matt and a life where she didn't turn out
to be a nasty person.
There are many treats in this DVD shopping bag. We
get 18 deleted and extended scenes, an unfunny
blooper reel, two vintage music videos and two
solid featurettes. The best of the two features
interviews with Garner and her co-stars discussing
what they were like at 13, with old photos to
illustrate how geeky they were. We also get a
couple of interesting commentary tracks by the
director and producers Susan Arnold and Donna
Arkoff Roth. Interestingly, both are daughters of
famous film people. Arnold is the daughter of
B-movie director Jack Arnold ("Creature from the
Black Lagoon," "The Incredible Shrinking Man" and
"It Came From Outer Space") and Roth is the
daughter of Z-movie producer Samuel Z. Arkoff ("I
Was A Teenager Caveman," "The Fall of The House of
Usher" and "Bucket of Blood").
A very funny comedy of errors, "13" excels
primarily due to Garner and Ruffalo's strong
performances and the able support of Judy Greer
and Andy Serkis. Ironically, "13" has the same
weaknesses as "Big" did with a story that's a
little too familiar and pat in its conclusion.
Still, it's a fun entertainment that will keep you
chuckling. |
