13 Going on 30 (2004) * * *

Directed by:  Gary Winick

Starring:  Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Andy Serkis, Kathy Baker, Christa B. Allen, Sean Marquette

13 Going on 30 does not cover new ground.    It is Big starring Jennifer Garner instead of Tom Hanks, but it has heart and a warm, charming performance by Garner.     If you're expecting logic, tune the channel to something else, like a Donald Trump rally.  

As the movie begins in the mid-1980's, Jenna Rink (played as a teen by Christa B. Allen) is a teen desperate to join the school's most exclusive clique of snobby girls.     Initiation includes playing a nasty prank on her friend Matt, who adores her and builds her a dollhouse with "magical" fairy dust sprinkled on top.     She cruelly dismisses Matt, feels bad about it, and wishes to be 30.     Then, Jenna wakes up in present-day Manhattan as a 30-year old fashion editor for her favorite magazine and living in a large apartment.    She apparently has a boyfriend who plays for the New York Rangers, but is put off by him walking around the apartment wrapped in a towel.     "Gross" is a term she aptly uses to describe anything that goes beyond kissing.

Jenna has no idea how she got there, since she was just 13 yesterday, but the leader of the clique Lucy (Greer) is now her best friend and co-worker.      Her magazine is facing a steep decline in readership, but she has the brightness and freshness of a 13-year old mind on her side, which allows her to track down her former friend Matt (Ruffalo).     Matt is 30 in both age and spirit, engaged, and a bit leery of being hurt again by Jenna despite the years that have passed between them.    (At least for Matt).

Do Jenna and Matt have romantic feelings for each other?    Yes, but the movie wisely sidesteps any hanky panky and confusing questions about whether Matt is truly having sex with an underage girl.   He is not, technically, but still...    Ruffalo is not a pushover for Garner's obvious charms.    He makes her work at it, which is refreshing in itself.    It's not like he was waiting around for 17 years for Jenna to come to her senses.    Ruffalo is as versatile an actor as there is.    Here he shows the chops to be a leading man in a romantic comedy.  

What I enjoyed about 13 Going on 30 is how Jenna learns to play the part of a 30-year old while being a scared 13 year old inside.    She misses her parents and the scene where she reconciles with them causes some misty eyes.    The movie is full of nice emotional touches like that.    It plumbs its plot for its intelligence and emotional truths rather than aiming for sitcom level humor.     13 Going on 30 maintains a warm, sweet tone throughout, fighting off any temptation to go in other more obvious, but less satisfying directions.