Thirteen is a drama movie, specifically a coming of age film that follows two main characters, Tracy and Evie. Tracy is initially a "goody two-shoes" type of character, friendly, sweet, innocent, and a star student. Evie on the other hand is the rebellious outgoing school mate who becomes friends with Tracy. Once the two collide and become friends, Tracy begins to adopt all of Evie's habits such as cutting school, smoking, partying, hanging with older men, disobeying her mom and completely transforming into Evie. The two eventually continue hang out but towards the end, Tracy learns that Evie isn't really her friend and instead learns that her true and authentic sweet self is the way she was meant to be since it's her authentic self. This film is the classic take on encouraging teenagers to not fall into peer pressure and once you do, the consequences will follow until you find your way back to your authentic self.
C.A.M.S (camera angles, movements, shots)
close up angle: The movie shows a whirlwind of emotions so close up angles are typically used to portray the emotions that Tracy and Evie go through.
long shots: The movie is set in a scenic California to emphasize the newfound chaos and party Tracy and Evie go through so walking shots are commons.
two shots: The movie is centered around the two main characters Tracy and Evie so two shots are important to show consistency in their dynamic.
C.L.A.M.P.S (costumes, lighting, acting, makeup, props, setting)
costumes: The costuming used in the film was very strategic. At the beginning of the film, Tracy's wardrobe was normal and light, wardrobe fit for a 13-14 year old girl. Once Tracy met Evie, her wardrobe changed drastically. Costuming for Tracy became darker, less modest and more revealing, completely mimicking Evie's costuming. Evie's costuming was consistent with dark, revealing, more scandalous clothing to convey her rebellious and "grown up" appeal.
lighting: The lighting in the film was primarily blue and eerie. This was used to show that the experience Tracy and Evie went through was a lot to handle and was emotional.
makeup: The makeup used in this film was centered around intense eyeliner and bold lip shades. Tracy and Evie typically used makeup to look older.
props: cigarettes, alcohol bottles, makeup are all props used in the movies to further convey the growing up too fast pathway that follow Tracy and Evie
setting: The movie in generally set in Los Angeles, California. Other significant settings include Long Beach California, the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, Tracy's house, and school
editing: when conducting my research on the film, the camera used to film the movie was a lower than cinema quality camera. This was done on purpose to give the movie a more personal and documentary style feel. This goes hand in hand with the editing because the producers purposely kept editing to a minimal to make the film not feel so over produced. The movie was also edited with a consistent blue-gray hue. This was done purposely to have the audience feel the "blue" emotions along with the characters.
- Common elements of a drama, coming of age film is a young central protagonist, typically a teenager. The protagonist must overcome some plight to reach maturity and blossom to their next life phase. These issues range from internal yet universal issues such as relationships, virginity, depression, anxiety, etc. The most common trope is the journey to self discovery. Typically there are characters surrounding our main protagonist who influence the plot dramatically by either deterring or influencing our protagonist. Thirteen aligns with these elements by showcasing our adolescent protagonist, Tracy who is 13. Tracy's plight is breaking away from the harm of peer pressure. Tracy was a sweet, social, driven young girl who got involved with Evie, a rebellious, outgoing, young girl who clearly had to grow up too fast. Evie is used to a life of partying until sunrise, sleeping with older men, stealing, doing drugs, and skipping school. A naive Tracy desperate to have change in her life falls in line with Evie and picks up these activities. She then must go through the motions of peer pressure and rediscover who she truly is once again.
- I appreciate that this coming of age film effectively handles an important issue that can be applied to other teens. Peer pressure is something teens are bound to encounter at some point in their lives, also a key element of coming of age films. Another aspect of peer pressure is that it seems appealing when it is being presented to you. By showing the motions and reality associated, teens can learn to make wiser decisions. I also like the way that the movie really shows Tracy's need to discover herself again at the end. The movie purposely focuses on her journey through being rebellious in the majority then has reality crash down on Tracy towards the end, this emphasizes how much internal healing and maturing Tracy really has.
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