A better title for "Thirteen" would be "Clueless," if it had not already been co-opted by a considerably better film.
This independent drama would like us to believe that it's brutally honest, that it's relevant to today's teens and parents. But the fact is, this type of material has already been done — and pretty recently at that — in 1995's "Kids."
It didn't completely wash then, and it certainly doesn't now. And the overly busy, MTV-inspired direction certainly doesn't help matters. Nor does the tendency for female exploitation (which is a real surprise, considering the director, Catherine Hardwicke, is a woman).
That said, the film does feature some terrific acting. Perhaps the best performance being Evan Rachel Wood's, as Tracy, a model student entering her teen years. But the "model-student" part is about to change in a hurry.
When Tracy arrives in middle school, she finds it a considerably different world. In fact, it seems to be all about popularity, so she finds herself trying to fit in with the "cool crowd" and almost immediately latches on to Evie (Nikki Reed, who co-wrote the screenplay). Evie introduces Tracy to a world of shoplifting, casual drug use and even more casual sex.
Needless to say, this doesn't go over very well with Tracy's mother, Melanie (Holly Hunter, solid as always), who is doing everything to keep her family together. More than anything, Melanie is horrified as she sees the distance growing between her and the daughter she was once close to.
All of this would probably be easier to swallow without co-screenwriter Hardwicke's overbearing direction. The film is full of shaky camera work, quick edits and supposedly arty touches. And again, it's fairly exploitative in its treatment of the material (a good example is Hunter's pointless nude scene).
"Thirteen" is rated R for frequent use of strong sexual profanity, scenes of simulated drug use (marijuana, cocaine, inhalants), crude sexual talk, violence (rough-housing, self-mutilation), a brief sex scene, brief female nudity and brief gore. Running time: 95 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com