One of the best romantic comedies of the 2000s is leaving Amazon Prime, giving fans just days to stream it.
Released in April 2004, 13 Going on 30 sees Jennifer Garner as nerdy teenager Jenna Rink who, unhappy with her social status, makes a birthday wish to be ‘thirty and flirty and thriving.‘
Thanks to the magic dust on a dollhouse she receives as a gift from her BFF Matty Flamhaff, her wish comes true but she is stuck with her teenage brain in an adult body.
With the film unavailable on most streaming platforms, romcom fans can catch it before it is removed from Amazon Prime’s catalogue. If you haven’t had the pleasure of watching the body-swap comedy, here are three reasons to catch it before it’s gone.
It features an A-list cast
(Image: Melinda Sue Gordon/Columbia Tri Star/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)
Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers) stars opposite Garner. Moviegoers will know Ruffalo as the Hulk, but the early 2000s frequently saw the actor as a romantic leading man, which is his role here. The cast also includes Hollywood heavy hitters, including Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings) and Judy Greer (Halloween).
In celebration of its 20th anniversary in April 2024, the lead stars thrilled fans with a collaborative Instagram post reminiscing about the coming-of-age story. Ruffalo shared that he still gets recognised for the film while Garner recalled meeting a fan whose baby was named ‘Jenna’ after the movie’s lead character.
Fans in the post’s comments showered the stars with appreciation, including American TV personality Snooki, who wrote: “Crying! I just introduced my daughter to this movie last week and she asks to watch it every night now, she’s asking where to buy the dust.”
It’s more grown-up than it seems
(Image: WireImage)
Although the plot premise involves a somewhat childish motif of magical dust, its message runs deeper.
Jenna’s life as a thriving 30-something has all the markers of success: an envied job as the co-editor of a fashion magazine and an impressive New York City apartment. The protagonist’s achievements are overshadowed by her lack of real friendships, infidelity and unlikeable behaviour. At its core, the film centres on Jenna’s journey towards realising the importance of human connection.
Film fans have lauded the film for its approach to mature themes. One viewer on Reddit wrote: “13 Going on 30 is probably the best romantic comedy of the 2000s and the thing I love about the movie is how silly the premise is. The writers deal with the plot as the movie goes on in a very mature manner. Jenna learns that there’s real consequences that she just can’t fix in her 30s.”
Another replied: “You perfectly summarised why I love this movie more as an adult. Sure it’s really goofy and the song choices are bangers, but it deals with really mature themes such as feelings of abandonment.”
It is still so fashionable
The Y2K comedy has received positive reviews and has been praised for its fashion in magazines such as Vogue, Marie Claire, and PopSugar. The Versace mini-dress worn by Jenna in a popular scene where she dances to Michael Jackson’s hit song “Thriller” is referenced by fans every Halloween. Popstar Ariana Grande also paid tribute to the movie by wearing the iconic smock on The Voice in 2021.
Two decades on, over 100k fans on Letterboxd have reviewed the comedy, with one user commenting: “Cinema peaked here the rest of you can go home.”
13 Going on 30 is available to stream on Prime Video until October 3.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
