13 Going on 30 (2004)

Plan: On her thirteenth birthday, Jenna faces the age-old movie question: She should stick it out with her bubble gum best friend, possibly to her socially detriment, or shuck any signs of a personality in favour of popularity? Tough one. So tough, in fact, that Jenna wishes that she were 30, so she could bipass the decision. Thanks to some wishing dust, she wakes up 17 years later to a prosperous life as a magazine editor in New York. She also gets to look like Jennifer Garner. In her freaked out state, she seeks out Matt (Mark Ruffalo), who is no longer her best friend. Jenna chose those cool kids, and now she has the chance to see the results of her juvenile reasoning.

How shocking is it that I deliberately chose this movie? Actually, considering the Ruffalo part, I suppose it's not. That, and I had no desire to see Shall We Dance, no matter what I think of Susan Sarandon.

In any case, I watched this movie not once, but twice, to confirm my feelings about it. I was 100% in the right mood for it the first time, so I thought it might just be a fluke. It wasn't.

This is downright one of the best girl movies I have ever seen. I got all uppity when it first came out, saying things to the commercials like, "Didn't they already do this with Big?" Yes, they did, but it's the same enough and different enough to really work.

I have also never thought that highly of Garner. I know, she's all big and awardy now, but I never really got into Alias, I never caught Significant Others when it was on, and all that Daredevil/Elektra fetishist crap turns my stomach. There was one thought, however, that struck me all the way through this movie - She's a star.

There's no denying it, no pretending it will go away. Garner's a star. She's sweet, charming, sensitive, and shy. I cared about Jenna. I believed Garner was a teen trapped in a grown up's body. I thought I was going to be annoyed by everyone dancing to thriller, but Garner made it kitchy and funny. It worked.

And while the chemistry wasn't quite there, I loved her with Ruffalo. Because it was a magical movie land, fat young Matt grew up to be a hottie with an un-ironic CBGB's t-shirt, and all the cool kids were big ol' losers whose lives ended right after graduation. Serious, Ruffalo has the kind of leading man qualities that you don't shake a stick at. He's been in some seriously questionable movies, and he always manages to rise above. I've had my eye on him and his sexy, serious, sarcastic, sweet routine since the three seconds he was in Ride with the Devil, and I'm so glad I'm no longer the only one.

While Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa's story couldn't have been more obvious, they had a refreshing take on the whole lost love thing. The two were the team behind What Women Want, another obvious and hilarious chick flick. It's great when you can take some old and still work it like they do. They don't make it new again, but how much do you really ask from girl movies anyway?

Although, one word to the not-so-wise: no one needs that long of a set-up. I get it - she's 13. I was 13 when I needed this much exposition. Actually, I was about 6, which is why you should cut it much, much shorter.

I credit the making it work, however, (and better than What Women Want) to director Gary Winick, who brought us 2002's under received Tadpole, which was a movie largely about Sigourney Weaver's sex appeal for males of all ages. Not kidding. And how Bebe Neuwirth should be in everything. It was also a great coming of age tale, and I do have a soft spot for those.

While I wouldn't go as far as Owen G (Entertainment Weekly) and proclaim this little gem one of 2004's 10 best, I would keep it on the list for a runner up. A-