I’m sitting here with Pootie, drinking a beer, (me, not him) and we are watching 13 going on 30 with Jennifer Garner (Mrs. Ben Affleck). I LOVE this movie. I’ve watched it a hundred times…Pootie is watching it for the first time.
If ya haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. For a couple of reasons.
It’s a very PG movie. But still funny. And yes, this from the girl who thinks that Harlem Nights with Eddie Murphy is a classic. But it’s nice to know that I can sit and watch it with Lola and not scream out EDIT!!! COVER YOUR EYES!!!
It has a great story line. Slight exaggeration – same old same old Freaky Friday TYPE story….Jenna, a girl 13, wakes up and she is 30. She’s not sure what has happened to get to where she is. The music is so 80’s and the way the 13 year old Jenna dresses – yep –so 80’s!!
Ahhhhh the music…
Madonna’s CRAZY FOR YOU…. it’s one of the background songs. (Song was released in 1985 - Vision Quest movie…one of the best movies of the 80’s EVER) How can you hear that song and NOT flashback!!???? Do you remember WHO you were “going with” (dating) in 1985? For me, that was Spring of 9th grade…..Carmel Junior High….Brian, from Virginia. He was my on and off pitter patter for several years. There was a local boy– we went to 9th grade prom together.
Love is a Battlefield – Pat Benatar 1983- the scene in the movie is adorable. Swear – makes me think of my friends back then… slumber parties!!!! I don’t remember us lip syncing to Pat, I’m sure we did. What I do remember is a lot of CHICAGO, TINA TURNER, and LOVERBOY. In 8th grade, there was a large group of us and we found ANY excuse to have sleepovers (I think I’ve mentioned this before). 9th grade, our group was smaller. We called ourselves (this is so silly) THE AWESOME FIVESOME. TAFS for shot. Stupid, I know. What is about girls and sleepovers, lip syncing to GREAT music and dancing around like fools?
There are a couple of lines in the movie that are really good now that I am 40 freaking something….. Jenna talks to her mom about regrets and mistakes….
Beverly (Jenna’s mom): Well, Jenna, I know I made a lot of mistakes, but I don't regret making any of them.
Jenna: How come?
Beverly Rink: Because if I hadn't have made them, I wouldn't have learned how to make things right.
What is about getting older and being wiser? You can hope and pray that the mistakes are benign enough to not hurt anyone, or yourself, but powerful enough to make an impact. To change something that might be coming down a more dangerous path….I think of my mistakes and I think of my kids and I shutter.
[Jenna has invited the most popular girls in school to her 13th birthday party]
Young Matt: I can't believe you invited those clones.
Young Jenna Rink: They're my friends.
Young Matt: The Six Chicks are not your friends, okay?
Young Jenna Rink: Almost. And someday I'm gonna BE a Sixth Chick.
Young Matt: There are six of them, Jenna, that's the whole point. There can't be a seventh Sixth Chick. It's just mathematically impossible. Besides you're way cooler than they are, they're totally unoriginal.
Young Jenna Rink: I don't want to be original, Matty, I want to be cool.
More than anything, I want my kids to be want to be original – not cool. Original and happy…doesn’t that sound nice? Be the “trend setter” not the minion that follows behind. I struggle with the everybody is dong it mentality. I don’t think that my parents ever caved to that excuse, and I don’t want to.
It’s a STUPID movie (as most are) yet it conjures up so much – and each time it’s something different.
The music. The friends. The humor of the 80’s. The silliness of being 13 and then BAMM you’re 30.
I thank the lord that what I wanted THEN (and of my teen years) is NOT what I ended up with. The memories are awesome. The friendships that will last no matter what. The MUSIC. The smart comments from my kids about how we used to dress….the lessons learned….
Matt: You can't just turn back time.
Jenna: Why not?
Sing it with me now…
We are strong. Heart to heart we stand….no promises no demands…
Love is a Battlefield
We are strong….no one can tell us we’re wrong
Searchin’ our hearts for so long, both of us knowing
Love is a Battlefield..
**the movie also offers great songs by the Go-Go’s….and a great Whitney Houston I want to Dance with Somebody- and a great dance scene for Thriller!***
I’ll be sure to take pictures – because I got my idea from PINTEREST!
