Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Best for Ages: 13+
Ages 3 - 7: Red
Ages 8 - 12: Red
Ages 13 - 17: Green
Violence Amount: Green
Violence Portrayal: Green
Fear: Green
Illegal / Harmful: Green
Language: Green
Nudity: Yellow
Sex: Yellow
Review:
All teenagers want to be grown up and Jenna Rink (Jennifer
Garner) is no different. She is desperate to be popular.
It's her 13th birthday and she has invited the "6 chicks"
(most popular girls) to her party. They play a game called
7 minutes in the closet and trick Jenna into being "it"
and expecting her dream boy to join her. They all leave
and her best friend Matt lets her out only to be met with
extreme anger. Jenna wishes to be 30, flirty and fabulous.
The next morning she wakes up and she is almost 30. She's
gorgeous and a successful magazine editor, but she slowly
finds out that she is no longer a nice person. She doesn't
spend time with her parents and she is ruthless in business.
She looks up her old friend Matt to try and figure out what
happened to her. Jenna begins to change her life with her
new perspective and Matt's help. The plot is very similar
to the Tom Hanks movie Big. Hanks aged overnight, but his
friends did not. In this movie, 17 years have actually gone
by and Jenna has no memory of them. Jennifer Garner does
a terrific job playing a 13-year-old in a 30-year-old body.
Her walk and facial expressions are precious. She also befriends
a group of 13-year-olds in her apartment building. There
is some sexual content and a brief drug reference. As a
30-year-old, Jenna does drink and wear sexy clothes. We
also see her boyfriend in his underwear. All in all, this
is a very entertaining movie. Jenna gains confidence in
herself and her ideas. She returns to being 13 having learned
not to rush things and value that which is really important
in her life. Parents can have good discussions after this
movie about living life now. You can't always rush time
wishing for things you will have in later life. Believe
in yourself for who you are and happiness and good friendships
will follow.
Linda
Thomas is a native Minnesotan. She graduated from
the University of Minnesota with a double major
in sociology and psychology. Married with a family,
she has remained in the Minneapolis area.
Linda has been a lover of movies since she
was a small child. This love of film eventually
brought her to the point in life where she is
now, a film critic. She was featured on WCCO
radio for three years on the “Dark in the
Morning” show with Dark Star.
In December of 2001, Linda became the film
critic for the syndicated “Ruth Koscielak
Show”.
Linda sees over 150 movies a year and has
had the opportunity to interview a number of
directors and actors when they are in town.
She has also appeared on a public access show
called the "Cinema Judge" and has
ventured into writing for "Cinestar"
magazine in September 2002. The Twin Cities
movie magazine is available, for free, at most
local Blockbuster's and local movie cheaters.
As one of the few female reviewers in the Twin
Cities area, she brings a unique point of view
to her reviews. Linda has raised two children,
a boy and a girl, and knows what they like in
movies and what is appropriate. Hopefully, her
reviews will help your family in choosing where
to next spend your movie-going dollar.
Linda
Thomas is a native Minnesotan. She graduated from
the University of Minnesota with a double major
in sociology and psychology. Married with a family,
she has remained in the Minneapolis area.
