13 Going on 30 (2004)

"An unexpected pleasure, a buoyant comedy that will make you feel young again.  Jami Bernard, New York Daily News
"The rare commercial comedy that leaves you entranced by what can happen only in the movies.  Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
"Nearly perfect in its own cotton-candy way.  Peter Debruge, Premiere

Editor's Note After Jenna Rink's 13th birthday party where her friend Lucy plays a cruel prank on her, she promptly makes a wish that she could skip adolescence and be 30. With the help of some wish dust given to her by her unpopular best friend Matty, her wish comes true. She wakes up to find that her 13-year-old self is now inhabiting the body--and life--of a 30-year-old, high-powered, New York magazine editor. Frightened by her new adult life, Jenna (Jennifer Garner) seeks the help of Matty (Mark Ruffalo), but he hasn't spoken to her since high school. Unfortunately, as she uncovers the details of the time she skipped, she learns that perhaps she hasn't made the best decisions. Similar to the 1988 Tom Hanks vehicle BIG, 13 GOING ON 30 benefits from the undeniable appeal of Garner, who amusingly exudes the awkwardness and energy of a teenager. Meanwhile copious '80s pop culture references, an energetic soundtrack, and vibrant colors provide instant, foolproof nostalgia. Director Gary Winick (TADPOLE) has crafted an undeniably fun picture for any age or gender.

	Andy Serkis
	Jennifer Garner
	Judy Greer
	Mark Ruffalo
	Don Burgess - Cinematographer
	Garreth Stover - Production Designer
	Gary Winick - Director
	Josh Goldsmith, et. al. - Writer
	Susan Arnold, et. al. - Producer
	Susan Littenberg - Editor
	Theodore Shapiro, et. al. - Original Music By
	Todd Garner, et. al. - Executive Producer

New York Times
"Any movie that telegraphs its fondness for its cast automatically has something going for it that is rare in contemporary comedy..." 04/23/2004 p.E13

Los Angeles Times
"Garner has moxie to go with her jumping muscles. She also has expert support in her equally attractive costars Mark Ruffalo, as her former neighbor, and Judy Greer, as her current sidekick." 04/23/2004 p.C1

Entertainment Weekly
"Move over, Julia Roberts. Jennifer Garner has a smile that's a big, lush, wide-screen dazzler....13 GOING ON 30 is the rare commercial comedy that leaves you entranced by what can happen only in the movies." 05/01/2004 p.138-9

USA Today
"Talented at physical comedy, Garner has the all-elbows-and-knees feel of an adolescent and effectively conveys a goofy innocence." 05/07/2004 p.9E

Sight and Sound
"A winsome fairy tale about growing up too fast..." 09/01/2004 p.89-90

Uncut
"[I]t has a few shrewdly funny scenes....You'll chuckle..." 09/01/2004 p.128

Rolling Stone
"[S]urprisingly smart and sharp..." 02/23/2006 p.74

James Berardinelli's ReelViews 7 of 10
There's something irresistible about a displaced consciousness story, whether it's an adult occupying the body of a child, a child occupying the body of an adult, or a gender switch. 13 Going on 30 belongs to the same sub-genre as Big, although many of the particulars are different. As films of this sort go, this one is solidly entertaining. It requires that the viewer exhibit a fair amount of willing suspension of disbelief, but buying into the essential premise is more than half the battle. Accept the magic that transports the mind of a 13-year old girl into the future body of her 30-year old self, and little else that director Gary Winick throws out will be difficult to swallow. - James Berardinelli

San Francisco Chronicle 7 of 10
I think 13 Going on 30 blows it at the finish, but most people won't think so. Romantic comedies have certain rules, which surely limited the filmmakers' options. Still, there's something intriguing in this movie's premise that cries out for more serious treatment, if not here, then somewhere else. Just as Fail-Safe was a dramatic version of Dr. Strangelove, a dramatic version of 13 Going on 30' would be welcome. - Mick Lasalle

Chicago Sun-Times 6 of 10
Jennifer Garner is indeed a charmer, but she's the victim of a charmless treatment in 13 Going on 30, another one of those body switch movies (think Big, Vice Versa, Freaky Friday, etc.) in which a child magically occupies an adult body. The director, Gary Winick, came out of Sundance with Tadpole (2003), a movie in which a 16-year-old boy was seduced by a 40-year-old woman, and some of us wondered how well that plot would have worked with a 16-year-old girl and a 40-year-old man. Now Winick finds out, by supplying a 13-year-old girl with a 30-year-old body and a boyfriend who's a professional hockey star. Their big makeout scene goes wrong when she thinks he's "gross," and we fade to black, mercifully, before we find out what happens then. Can you be guilty of statutory rape caused by magical body-switching? - Roger Ebert