Reading, Writing, Arithmetic #38: Thirteen (2003) by Catherine Hardwicke at FemmeFilmFest

Catherine Hardwicke made one the most emotive, honest motion pictures in 2003 with Thirteen. The screenplay was co-written with 14 year-old Nikki Reed, who plays Evie, taking candid details from her own life. An incredible achievement. In the lead as 13 year-old Tracy, Evan Rachel Wood broke-out onto the movie scene is raw fashion. Holly Hunter, as her mother, Melanie, is also excellent – and Academy Award nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

Hardwicke’s punchy, grainy depiction of teenhood is like nothing else. With the hand-held camera and unfiltered dialogue, Thirteen is a provocative and essential addition to the so-called teen movie. The film throws in drugs, depression, peer pressure, shoplifting, physical abuse, self harm – while still remaining down-to-Earth and somehow relatable. Although the joys of shopping in Hollywood is lost on a guy like me.

Truth is, I owe a huge gratitude to Catherine Hardwicke. One day I will tell her thank you directly, hoping she perhaps understands most of the many inspiring levels that Thirteen ingrained in me. Let me start with the music. The first time I saw Thirteen, I was introduced to three music artists that will stay with me til the end.

The enigmatic Clinic jolted through many lonely dark days; Liz Phair serenaded me when I required that arm around my shoulder; The Like managed to blend the upbeat with the melancholy – which was perfect in a way. These three songs and the ensuing fanship of the providers would form a life-long friendship with my own temperamental psyche.

Wait, Catherine, wait. I’m not done. Following a broken heart in 2004 I threw myself into writing. The screenplay I concocted during that Olympic summer, Low Down Heaven, was essentially a mother-daughter relationship. A story so deeply aggressive and poignant, pretty much launched in adrenaline by one single scene from Thirteen.

I watched the scene earlier today, as Tracy falls apart under the exposure of her scars – physical and mental. Her mother, Melanie, desperately clawing for that ultimate embrace. And I, a 42 year-old man, cried. That penultimate scene from Thirteen is one of the all-time greats. Evan Rachel Wood and Holly Hunter simply turn inside out, so an extraordinary a moment (which felt like my own earlier life in indescribable ways) that this is not even acting as you see it. The screen is just not big enough for the power of that fragile bond.