13 Going on 30 is a light, comedy-romance from 2004, but it is also a meaningful movie. It’s about a 13-year-old girl named Jenna Rick, who wishes to skip the awkward years of being a teenager and wake up as a 30-year-old. When her wish all of a sudden magically comes true, she finds herself living as an adult in New York, with a glamorous job at a fashion magazine and a stylish apartment.
Although this lifestyle sounds like something she has always dreamed about, Jenna realizes this isn’t a life she understands, because it is full of responsibilities and problems she did not expect. It portrays that growing up is not just about having freedom or fancy things, but it is also about having accountability, managing relationships and appreciating the moments you have now.
As a 30-year-old, Jenna navigates through her new life, she struggles to fit in at her office, encounters colleagues who are competitive and tricky, and discovers that some of her teen mistakes have had long-lasting consequences. Throughout the movie, Jenna also reconnects with her childhood best friend, Matt, and learns the importance of honesty, kindness, and staying true to yourself.
This movie really shows that growing up looks easy and carefree, but only from a distance. Once people are actually adults, they realize how much they miss the simplicity and the benefits of being young.
Watching this movie, it made me realize how much high-school students, especially seniors, connect with Jenna. With graduation only a couple months away and time flying by, there is so much pressure for us to have everything “figured out”, whether it’s college, a career or what kind of adult we want to be. Just like Jenna, a lot of teenagers think that adulthood will fix everything on its own, because that’s when you will have everything figured out already.
What I like most about this movie is that it really shows that growing up brings new challenges, and sometimes teens don’t realize how special these adolescent years are. During the last couple months of high school, students are so busy focusing on the next chapter and what’s going to come after graduation, but instead they should be enjoying these last moments of high school. We should appreciate all the traditions, friends, sports, and late night memories that we will only get to experience once in our life.
In the end, 13 Going on 30 is more than a fun, nostalgic movie. It’s a clever story, involving some magic and reality combined, but it is also about friendship and self-discovery.
It’s a reminder that we shouldn’t try to fast-forward through life. Everything is going to happen when the time is right, and appreciating what you have now will be what you are grateful for later.
