13 Going on 30 ** (2004, Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Kathy Baker) – Classic Movie Review 2616

Director Gary Winick’s 2004 movie stars the appealing young Jennifer Garner, who is tough and feisty in her TV show Alias, but here she hasn’t really got the right stuff for girly romcom.

In Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa’s screenplay, wishing dust (yea, right!) turns Garner from a 13-year-old kid to the 30-year-old adult sophisticate and success she’d really like to be. But, it turns out she’s also grown to to be a monster and has abandoned the sweet boy (Mark Ruffalo) who adores her. Can she put her life on the right track?

It’s got a good heart, and there are some funny bits and a few sweet moments in 13 Going on 30 but, alas, few enchanting ones. Garner and Ruffalo are pleasant, capable presences, but Britain’s Andy Serkis seems way off track as Garner’s magazine boss. Christa B Allen and Sean Marquette play the young selves of Garner and Ruffalo.

Also in the cast are Judy Greer, Kathy Baker, Phil Reeves, Samuel Ball and Marcia DeBonis.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2616

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