"thirteen" (2003) - Movie Review

Being accepted in a system carves our way of behaving. Be it good or bad, rejected does not feel good and accepted does not feel bad. This starts early on the age and the perfect first environment which marks as a miniature structure of any system, the school. It is true that it may not reflect every small aspect of the world, but as such it has so many people growing up to be left in adding on to the system. It is good to teach good things as a mass but whatever it is been taught and preached, when the individual thinking comes in, it is an individual and it is entirely upon them. Does it holds true for two girls popping theirs heads out of the child hood and entering in to the world of teens? It is murky but wrong feels wrong and it is sound and clear. And all the things these two does adds on the paranoia to parents.

Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood) is a seventh grade kid, living with her recovering alcoholic mother Mel (Holly Hunter) and her elder brother Mason (Brady Corbet). She is helping her mom in her hair dressing work while coping with her studies. In school, out of the blues she gets really broken up when she is been commented bad about her socks. In order to get back with them, she changes her way of dressing and shows off all glamorous and flashy. We expect a strange fight but to survive in this field, it is better to mingle along with an upcoming wannabe. Evie Zamora (Nikki Reed) is the popular girl and instantly accepts Tracy, because of her appearance. Evie is the toughened up spoiled kid in all way possible. She is a product of rejection. Tracy is so much in getting accepted that she steps right away in doing all the things which scares and frightens the audience. It is all trouble and slow deterioration of how the minimal awareness, peer pressure and being accepted makes one to take the path at a tender age.

The film gives the feel of sickening in every instance of it. More than being pathetic at the girls, we get angry. I guess the childish cute goes away when they behave as a wrong adult and that is how they will be treated as well. They do not know the depth of abyss they are getting into. They push the envelope a little more and after a while those little becomes a habit of competition. It is horrific to see some one consistently damaging and in the process hurting every people they love giving excruciating pain. But this is the age of innocence being packed up nicely in the suitcase and sent out for a long long vacation. It never returns unless they think for themselves or at the time of death. Tracy has kissed those right away when she yells at her mom for the socks she got teased for. This is where no one knows how to handle a teenage. Everything is coded because this is where everything is new and curious. Some where when the boys get to wear long pants and girls get to choose their shoes it makes them feel powerful. They do not see those as passing clouds. That appearance is a mask hiding the truth behind it.

Is this how a thirteen year old boy or girl gets on all wrong foot? Definitely one cannot generalize the effect of it, but it is in every way true that the paths of temptations go on a conveyor belt in front of those growing up kids. Mel as the mother does what she has to do but this is the age wherein freedom is tried out and risks are taken. She does not know whether one another small interrogation session will drive her Tracy further away from her. Or may be asking more questions about her friend Evie will make her do the worst possible things she can imagine? But at some point of time, when it is evident that it is getting out of her hand, she needs to do the unthinkable even if she appears to be the satan for Tracy.

The film is disturbing because the way it’s been presented is shocking. It is in all possible way looks real. What I liked about “thirteen” is that it knows the limit of exposure. It shows only the things we want to and leave some of the cruel stuffs to imagine (but even those are chilling to the bones). And it would have happen definitely the way it is thought and they keep it filming in our thoughts rather than screen. So does the movie resolves into an ending of redemption for Tracy and Evie? Evie is not sure because her actions run more than getting even with Tracy and is vicious. And the way she is being left upon and coming back at Tracy is scarier than ever. We hope Evie finds a new life and a nice caring mother she is longing in a new place. But this is the story about Tracy. And when Mel holds her, she says “Stop” but gets closer to Mel. What she says does not exactly mean whether she wants or not. Yes, she is thirteen.