MovieChat Forums > Thirteen (2003) Discussion > Movie certainly not reflective of my lif...

Movie certainly not reflective of my life as a teen, nor my peers.


No cutting, no sex, no smoking, no drugs of any kind unless it's coffee.

I'm surprised there are people who have led such terrible lives in first-world nations. While my parents have been too hard at times and showed little love (I was not physically abused in any way) they are not too neglectful and uncaring.


I suppose all the terrible adults I see in the world had similar upbringing as Nikki. They really are effed up. Adolescence can F you up and that is the time when RIGHT support and coaching is needed.


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I can sadly identity with this movie. It came out after I was 13 myself, and was given to me by a girl in my high school class because I used to be depressed and act out in anger and self destruction.

I started drinking and smoking at 13, and there were definitely Evie Zamoras all over my school when I was a kid.. They even dressed like the girls in the movie, some came from well respected families who never suspected that their dear children could do any wrong, while the worst ones came from broken homes witg addict parents who had partners come and go every month. I'm from Norway, Europe - and the stuff depicted in the movie is still true to this day. It's even been used as a scare tactic for kids who are in that age group.

Some call this movie a cliché and overrated, but for many it's their life. Tracy is clearly resentful at her parents, her dad for abandoning her, and her mother Melanie for being a pushover and letting her crackhead boyfriend back into their lives. I recommend watching the 10-year anniversary clip on YouTube by Nikki Reed and Evan Rachel Woods.

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There were definitely people in my class having sex, doing drugs, and stealing when I was thirteen. I wasn't exposed to any of those things directly. What I did see firsthand, however, was when my best friend at thirteen cut herself...and quite deeply I might add. Cutting, unfortunately, was a big part of my friends' lives at that age. The only reason I was not a cutter was because I had surgery almost every year in my adolescence and cutting myself was too much of a trigger. My joke among my friends was "Why cut myself when I can pay a surgeon to do it for me?"

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Good for you, you goody two shoes prude Christian girl

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She had a messed up life but good to see her happy now. It is one of my fave movies but it is hard to watch.

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That’s my central problem with The Godfather

No mafia, no hitmen, no consigliare, no cannoli

Can’t relate.

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Things were pretty bad for me when I was 13, there was serious abuse and dysfunction at home and bullying at school and I was displaying all the signs of massive clinical depression, not that anyone cared.

However, I took refuge in sci-fi and "Star Trek" instead of sex and drugs!

I'm no longer embarrassed about it. Sure, I was unhealthily obsessed, but I think it was a positive thing in the long run. Instead of developing self-destructive habits, my brain was full of hope for the future, science, logic, and pointless trivia. A kid could do worse.

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Never be embarrassed by that story. It is very inspiring. Sorry to hear you had a rough time at 13 but I think you should be proud of the way you got through it. Scifi is fascinating stuff and much healthier outlet than sex, drugs, streets.

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It took me a very long time to realize that, but I think that really is true.

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Keep your head up my man, it is impressive that you were able to handle your childhood situation this way.

Is your name by any chance Richard Evans?

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No, but I'm not going to post my real name on this forum. There's some real crazies here.

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Is your name by any chance Mike Stoklasa?

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No.

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In junior and high school, we were shown films about drug abuse, and it wasn't candy coated. That scared me from drugs, in addition , at my first big school some of my peers were teen moms. Therefore, I knew how risky unprotected sex was. At 15, I developed asthma, therefore no cigarette smoking. Plus I had a decent family. Mom also thought me hoe to drink alcohol in moderation.

I was lucky but sadly many young people, then and now face unhealthy family lives and other emotional issues. That is sad young people are encouraged to " own" their flaws today's instead of finding solutions that won't mess up their lives.

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