I think the fact that Thirteen was co-written by an actual teenager mostly sums up everything that works about it for me, as well as everything that doesn't.
On the positive side, it all certainly has the ring of ugly truth to it. I haven't been thirteen years old in almost two decades, and, even when I was, I spent most of that time playing GameCube. But when I watched this movie, I, too, was taken back to that period of angst, isolation, and conformity (drugs and sex didn't really factor in, but you probably could've guessed that), simply because it's inescapable at that age. And the presentation's so raw that it's easy to see why it hit a nerve with so many people.
I'd be lying, though, if I said that I didn't also find the whole thing a bit... much? I dunno, maybe I just feel this way because I'm now in my 30s, but the endless barrage of misery, rebellion, and yelling grew a bit tedious and excessive to me after a while, in a Degrassi kinda way. And the shaky cinematography and gritty filter didn't exactly help matters.
Still, I guess that over-the-top messiness is part of the idea. And even if it's not necessarily my thing, I can definitely appreciate the bravery and honesty on display, as well as the powerhouse performances from Holly Hunter (who absolutely deserved her nomination) and Evan Rachel Wood.
Grade: B
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