Thirteen has not only been critised for being too cliched, but it has also been critised for being 'too sweeping', however the film deserves absolutly no critism whatsoever. The film is about 13 year old Tracy, a once model pupil who falls from grace when she be-friends Evie. This film is brutally honest, often graphic (scenes depicting Tracy self-harming are haunting), and is possibly the best film I have ever come across in my life. If the story line is not your personal cup of tea, see it alone for the acting skills. Evan Rachel Wood plays Tracy with serious talent, and Holly Hunter gives the audience a sypathetic and realistic performance as her mother, never sure about what is happening to her daughter. The most shocking aspect of this film is that it is semi-biographical by the co-author and co-star of Thirteen, 18 year old Nikki Reed, who gives a fantastic performance as manipulative Evie. In many ways this makes the film more realistic... having been 13 not so long ago myself (i am 17 now) she has helped write one of the most truthful representations of 'teen culture'. Not always this extreme, it is painfully accurate. This film is a wake up call to all parents who excersise too much freedom, take note...
