13 Going on 30
13-year-old Jenna (played by Jennifer Garner) is full of longing for the adult world. She dreams of exuding charm, dating her ideal man, and attracting the attention of boys. However, this is just a daydream, as she seems to have little appeal to the boys around her and is even teased by her friends. After an argument with her neighbor, Matt (played by Mark Ruffalo), Jenna becomes completely disillusioned with her dull childhood and desperately wants to grow up. Unexpectedly, Jenna’s dream comes true. The next day, she wakes up as a 30-year-old woman, with a respectable job and a high income. Her life takes a turn for the better. Although Jenna is initially confused, she begins to embrace this newfound "perfect" adult life. However, does entering the adult world really give Jenna everything she ever wanted? At 30, she must face the complexities of adulthood, and it leaves her feeling lost and disappointed. To make matters worse, her beloved Matt is about to marry someone else. Having lost her childhood and her "prince charming," Jenna embarks on a journey of self-discovery, determined to reclaim what she has lost.
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Who can give me a bag of wish powder and tell me what to cherish and what to let go?
2008.12.14 Sunday SunnyWho can give me a bag of wish powder Tell me what I should cherish and what I should let go
Finally finished watching 13 Going on 30. I really envy Jenna.
A person’s present always leads to that particular future self. No one knows if the persistence at that time was right or wrong. Sometimes, the very thing you dream of could be the source and beginning of your mistakes.
That bag of wish powder gave a 13-year-old girl the body and life of a 30-year-old. But in reality, it just gave her the opportunity to break free from herself and her original life path. The 30-year-old life felt like a dream within a closet—vivid and awakening. After waking up, no one would care about the schemes and wars surrounding Poise magazine and Sparkle magazine anymore.
The story is exciting and convincing. But does this mean that a 13-year-old child’s mentality is better able to handle life and its challenges than that of a mature adult? This question is worth pondering and reflecting on.
Today I’m 13, tomorrow I’m 30. No matter what, I believe that after such a magical time-travel journey, anyone would experience that moment of realization.
And I still hope— Who can give me a bag of wish powder And tell me what to cherish and what to let go.
*13 Going On 30* — More Than Just a Coming-of-Age Romance
This weekend, I once again found myself watching a typical American coming-of-age movie — 13 Going On 30 . In the movie, Jenna, with the body of a 13-year-old, has a deep desire to grow up. She wants to be 30, to be as glamorous as the "Six Chicks," and to date Chris. When a chance opportunity makes her actually 30 years old, she is overjoyed, reveling in the freedom and excitement that comes with adulthood. At first, it really seems that way. But gradually, Jenna realizes that her 30-year-old self is far from what she imagined. The estrangement from family, the falseness of friendships, and the absence of love leave her feeling lost and disillusioned. But what can she do? The adult world is complex and full of contradictions—things that a 13-year-old could never understand. The innocent love between her and Matt is actually crushed by her own hands, and in the end, Matt marries Wendy.
But how could a typical Hollywood coming-of-age story disappoint fans of comedy? In the end, the wish powder sends Jenna back to her original 13-year-old self, and history is rewritten. Without any suspense, the prince and princess live happily ever after, and Wendy is left abandoned in some alternate dimension. Jenna is undoubtedly lucky, at least in the movie, because she gets to cherish what she lost. Unfortunately, reality doesn't allow such second chances. Once something is lost, it's lost for good, which teaches us to be more careful with our choices.
As I watched the movie, I thought to myself, "I’m 21 this year. What was I doing when I was 12?" Did I, like Jenna, long to grow up, to be noticed by boys, to be a 'real adult'? I remember stealing my aunt’s high heels and my cousin’s lipstick as if it were yesterday. People are so contradictory. When we were young, we couldn’t wait to grow up, to wear our aunt's nail polish. But now, no longer young, we lament the passing of time, and those days of playing house in mom’s dress feel so far away. In the film, Jenna meets her childhood dream boy, Chris, when she gets into a taxi. I was struck by the scene. Unlike the suave Chris who walks into Jenna’s house at the beginning of the film, 17 years later, Chris has a pot belly and wrinkles on his skin. He is no longer Jenna’s "dream boy," and I couldn’t help but feel the unrelenting passage of time. No matter how attractive the exterior, it can’t escape the wear and tear of time.
As I watched the film, what I thought about the most were my childhood memories. Almost everything in the movie transformed into familiar scenes: rainbow-colored candies, which were actually Bubblestar and Cheetos ; Matt, who was like the friend I used to play house with on the rooftop; the middle-of-the-night nightmares when I would climb into my parents' bed, not Jenna but me; and the photo my dad took of me blowing out the candles on my birthday cake… So many precious childhood memories. I wish I could relive them again, which is why I refuse to grow up and avoid thinking about the complex relationships in the adult world.
Heh, is it true that when people start getting older, they become nostalgic?
Am I already old?
I don’t know—
Maybe.
Unfortunately, you can't see 30, nor can you go back to 13.
If Jennifer Garner hadn’t played the role with such exaggerated expressions and over-the-top energy, I would have liked the movie even more. In fact, this is a pretty cliché commercial film, but its nature doesn’t take away from its beauty and the emotions it brought me.
I really liked that little chubby boy from Jenna’s childhood. What a thoughtful and caring little lover he was! He would carefully prepare birthday gifts for you, sing you a birthday song, and hold your hand to face everything you hated. So what if he was a bit chubby? He was still just a child. As a side note, such beautiful emotions in China would definitely be disqualified under the label of "early romance" by the censors. I wonder how long the ban on early romance will last, no matter how absurd it is. It’s not a bad thing to experience the hurt earlier, and no one has the right to take away the sweet and happy moments that should be enjoyed early on. Whether plants or animals, the best growth comes from following the natural course, and mistakes should be made sooner rather than later. As the movie says, after making mistakes, you will know what is right.
Every girl, when she’s a teenager, might fall for a handsome, elegant boy. No one would choose the chubby kid, even though he might be more aligned with you. If he confessed to you, you’d probably say you’ve always considered him a good friend. But maybe years later, the handsome boy becomes a creepy uncle, while the chubby kid remains the one who truly connects with you, always there by your side, regardless of whether he ever loses weight or turns into a "prince charming." If it were you, what would you choose?
Years later, when you're with the person who's been through thick and thin with you, would you still care about his weight, his little belly, or the freckles on his face? Maybe you'd even complain that he's too thin, wishing you could hold him close.
The sad part is that when you have to make a choice, you can’t see the future and can’t go back to the past.
If I had met such a thoughtful and cute little lover when I was 13, the 30-year-old me would surely tell my younger self: Hold tight to that little chubby hand and never let go.
When you grow up, all the money and fame in the world can never compare to the warmth of his palm.
A 13-year-old soul, a 30-year-old body.
A girl who was bullied in her childhood, influenced by others and her own vanity, abandoned her true self and became a selfish, sharp-tongued, yet wealthy and beautiful white-collar worker. But all of this was only a day’s journey from the 13-year-old she once was. Beneath her perfect 30-year-old appearance lies the innocent soul of a 13-year-old. The deceit and scheming of the adult world are so repulsive to the eyes of the young girl. But she gradually comes to realize that the 30-year-old version of her is, in fact, a woman she despises. She didn’t appreciate the perfect birthday gift that her childhood friend Matt made for her with love. When Matt takes out that Barbie house again and gives it to the grown-up Jenna, who wouldn't be moved to tears? Everything has passed, but Jenna didn’t cherish what she valued most in her heart. Perhaps, only after experiencing loss in adulthood, will one truly appreciate the beauty of the present. The soul of a 13-year-old is beautiful, and so is the body of a 30-year-old. It is the combination of this soul and this body that is the most beautiful.
Girls shouldn't grow up.
When we were kids, we longed to grow up, not realizing that every age comes with its own joys and sorrows. Someone once asked: If you had the chance to turn back time, what age would you choose to return to? I really liked Gina’s mom’s answer: "Live in the present." No one’s life is free from mistakes, and some mistakes can only be understood by experiencing them. Later, at 30, Gina had grown up, but she still faced many challenges—evil coworkers, a career setback, and the boy she loved almost marrying someone else... Thankfully, in the end, everything started to get better.