13 imitates Big
but comes up short
The body-switch premise was done to perfection in Penny Marshall’s Big
when young David Moscow turned into Tom Hanks. Even in an adult’s body, the
character of Josh looked at the world with a 13-year-old’s sense of wonderment
and innocence. Hanks’ performance and Marshall’s deft direction turned this
potentially cloying subject matter into a poignant film.
Now comes 13 Going on 30, with a plot that mirrors Big’s. Like
every other teen outsider, young Jenna Rink (Christa Allen) wants to run with
the cool crowd, but her braces, less-than-stylish clothing, and studious ways
guarantee that she’ll always be on the outside looking in. Obsessed with being
a fashion plate, she’s oblivious to the advances of her neighbor Matt (Jack
Salvatore Jr.), a young man so enamored of Jenna that he makes her a model dream
house for her 13th birthday and gives her a packet of “wishing dust.” When her
birthday party turns into a disaster, Jenna wishes to be an adult — and wakes
up in a tony Manhattan apartment in the body of Jennifer Garner.
The adult Jenna is the managing editor of a fashion publication and, by reputation,
a veritable bitch on wheels. After her transformation, she takes a fresh approach
to life. Not only does her teenage perspective rescue her career, it also salvages
her relationship with Matt (played as an adult by Mark Ruffalo). Although Ruffalo
is genuinely likable and natural, Garner is in over her head. She’s stiff and
lacks subtlety.
But what proves most frustrating about 13 is that it contains intriguing
plot threads that could have offered a fresh spin on the material. For example,
the film never fully explains why Jenna’s relationship with her parents soured
or why she became best friends with her high-school rival. Jenna’s budding friendship
with a group of teens in her building is another missed opportunity. Although
13 contains a satisfying twist or two at the end, it’s too little, too (CK)
late.
Tarantino’s greatest achievement; Thurman’s defining
role
The Bride (Uma Thurman) is back with more vengeance in the second and final
installment of Quentin Tarantino’s stripped-down tale of revenge. This time
Tarantino relaxes the pace by reducing the swordplay and focusing more on characterization
and dialogue. With two down and three to go on her hit list, the Bride continues
her quest to find Bill (David Carradine), but first she must eliminate Budd
(Michael Madsen), Bill’s younger, dopey brother, and Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah),
the deadly one-eyed assassin seen briefly in Vol. 1. The chronology is
a matter of movie convention.
Vol. 2 fills in many of the plot details that were withheld before.
We see and learn more about the massacre at the wedding rehearsal that propels
the story, and the true nature of her strange relationship with Bill comes to
light. The Bride’s name is also finally revealed. Her confrontation with both
Budd and Elle is the film’s grandest set piece, and this section contains some
of the most powerful scenes ever directed by Tarantino. There is one particular
moment in her battle with Elle that will cause the most jaded moviegoer to gasp.
Hannah has been bland in many roles, but her portrayal of the villainous Elle
is absolutely riveting.
And then it derails a bit. After a three hour-plus build up, including last
year’s edition, it’s difficult not to feel let down by the softer climax. Still
there is so much to recommend, Tarantino’s faltering is not completely fatal.
His annoying pop culture dialogue that marred Pulp Fiction appears to
be a thing of the past, and Kill Bill, in its entirety, still seems shorter
than Jackie Brown. The greatest asset, of course, is Thurman. She is
quite simply a screen goddess, and this could be her defining role. You may
never see a more appealing natural-born killer.
Tarantino, however, remains the master of movie pastiche, and Kill Bill
is an amalgam of Japanese samurai and Chinese martial arts films, with a dose
of spaghetti westerns thrown in. For the latter he cheats by layering the soundtrack
with the music of the master composer of the genre, Ennio Morricone, but I guess
that is a minor point. Now we can see Kill Bill as one grand epic, and
it may be Tarantino’s greatest achievement to date. (MS)
What other critics are saying. . .
The Alamo [PG-13] Santa’s coming, and you better watch out. Tells the
story of the 1836 standoff between a group of Texans, including Davy Crockett
and Jim Bowie, and the Mexican army, led by General Santa Ana.ShowPlace
West
Connie and Carla [PG-13] After they witness a mob mix-up, two girls
go deep undercover, posing as drag queens on the dinner theater-cabaret circuit.
Parkway Pointe
The Dreamers [NC-17] A young American studying in Paris in 1968 strikes
up a friendship with a French brother and sister. Set against the background
of the ’68 Paris student riots. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Parkway Pointe
Art
Ella Enchanted [PG] Ella is a young woman who was given the “gift”
of obedience by a fairy named Lucinda. After her mother dies, Ella is cared
for by her thoughtless, greedy father who remarries a loathsome woman. A variation
on the Cinderalla theme based on Gail Carson Levine’s award-winning novel. Parkway
Pointe
Hellboy [PG-13] A demon, rescued during infancy from the Nazis, becomes
a defender against the forces of evil. ShowPlace West
Home on the Range [PG] When an eviction notice is posted on the Patch
of Heaven dairy farm, the cows decide to raise money by collecting a bounty
on a notorious yodeling cattle rustler. ShowPlace
West
Jersey Girl [PG-13] A music industry executive struggles to raise his
young daughter on his own. Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace East
Johnson Family Vacation [PG-13] A family takes a road trip from hell,
with the inevitable wrong turns, car problems and trouble with the law. Stars
Cedric the Entertainer.Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace
East
The Ladykillers [R] A professor assembles a group of thieves for a
casino heist. After they hole up in a sweet old woman’s home, they find that
she’s the biggest threat to their plans. Stars Tom Hanks.Parkway Pointe
Man on Fire [R]A former Marine [Denzel Washington] swears vengeance
on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to
protect. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
The Passion of the Christ [R] Mel Gibson’s version of the last 12 hours
of Jesus Christ’s life. “The sacrifice Gibson’s Jesus makes is purely physical.
The violence to which he is subjected is portrayed to the point of being gratuitous
and manipulative.” (Chuck Koplinski, Illinois Times)Parkway Pointe
The Prince and Me [PG] Fairy tale about a college student who meets
a prince in Wisconsin. Parkway Pointe
The Punisher [R] Based on a bad-ass Marvel Comics hero, FBI agent Frank
Castle takes it upon himself to rid America of crime after his wife and family
are killed. “Laudably exposes the dark core of the human heart.” (Peter Travers,
Rolling Stone) ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed [PG] The gang must contend with a
masked villain who unleashes scary monsters in an attempt to take over Coolsville.
ShowPlace West
Walking Tall [PG-13] A former member of U.S. Army Special Forces (Dwayne
“The Rock” Johnson) returns to his small Washington State home to revive his
family’s lumber business. The town’s overrun with corruption; the ex-soldier
fixes things with a two-by-four. ShowPlace East
The Whole Ten Yards [PG-13]Jimmy the Tulip’s (Bruce Willis) springs into action when the wife of his old pal Oz (Matthew Perry) is kidnapped by a Hungarian mob. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
This article appears in Apr 22-28, 2004.
