13 Going on 30 (also called Suddenly 30 in some countries) is a 2004 American fantasy romantic comedy movie written by Cathy Yuspa and Josh Goldsmith, directed by Gary Winick, and starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo. It was produced by Susan Arnold, Donna Arkoff Roth, and Gina Matthews. The movie follows a 13-year-old girl in 1987 who wakes up to find she is 30 years old and living in 2004 as a fashion editor.

The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised Jennifer Garner’s acting and the movie’s nostalgic setting. It was also appreciated for its funny story and message about self-confidence. The movie was a commercial success, earning $22 million in its first week and becoming one of the year’s most popular DVD rentals. It made over $96 million total at the box office. The movie’s soundtrack reached the top 50 on the US Billboard 200 chart. Jennifer Garner was nominated for awards at the MTV Movie Awards and Teen Choice Awards.

Plot

In 1987 in New Jersey, 13-year-old Jenna Rink wants to be popular. She convinces the Six Chicks, the group of popular students led by "Tom-Tom," to attend her birthday party by doing their homework for them. Jenna's best friend and neighbor, Matty Flamhaff, who secretly loves her, gives her a handmade dollhouse and sprinkles "magic wishing dust" on the roof. The Six Chicks arrive with a group of boys, including Jenna's crush, Chris Grandy. They trick Jenna into thinking Chris will play "seven minutes in heaven" with her while they take the completed homework. When Matty finds her in the closet, Jenna, feeling ashamed, locks herself inside and cries, wishing to be "thirty and flirty and thriving" as the dust falls on her.

The next morning, Jenna wakes up as an adult in a luxurious apartment on Fifth Avenue in 2004. She is dating a man she does not know and has no memory of the 17 years that passed. She learns she now works as an editor for her favorite fashion magazine, Poise, alongside her co-editor and best friend, Lucy Wyman. However, the magazine is losing to its rival, Sparkle, which her editor-in-chief, Richard Kneeland, believes is due to a saboteur. Confused, Jenna finds Matty, now a struggling photographer, in Greenwich Village. He explains that in high school, Jenna became the new leader of the Six Chicks and stopped speaking to him. Jenna also learns that Lucy is Tom-Tom.

As Jenna adjusts to her adult life, she realizes she has changed from her shy, kind teenage self. The adult Jenna copied ideas, became distant from her parents, and had an affair with a coworker's husband. After overhearing Lucy planning to remove her from a presentation about a Poise rebrand, Jenna returns to her childhood home to reunite with her parents before reconciling with Matty and hiring him to help with her presentation. They begin to reconnect, though Matty's fiancée, Wendy, wants him to move to Chicago with her.

Jenna's presentation is successful, but Lucy lies to Matty, claiming Jenna did not use his photos, and gets him to sign them over to her. While looking for Matty to share the good news, Jenna finds Wendy, who reveals their wedding is the next day. Jenna also learns from Kneeland that Lucy became Sparkle's editor-in-chief by using Jenna's presentation. Angry, Jenna confronts Lucy, who reveals that Jenna sabotaged Poise to get a job at Sparkle, though Lucy took the position first.

Jenna rushes to Matty's childhood home, where the wedding is about to begin, but Matty says he already knew the truth. Jenna asks Matty to give their relationship a chance, promising she is not the person she seems. Matty admits he still loves her but refuses, saying too much time has passed. He gives her the dollhouse he kept and confesses he has always loved her. Jenna returns to her childhood home, holds the dollhouse, and cries as a breeze moves some of the magic dust around her.

Jenna wakes up again on her 13th birthday in 1987. When Matty finds her alone in the closet, she hugs and kisses him. Jenna scolds Lucy and her friends, destroys their homework, and forces them to leave her house. With this second chance, Jenna lives the next 17 years differently and eventually marries Matty. The newlyweds move into a suburban home that looks like the dollhouse Matty gave her on her 13th birthday.

Production

In October 2002, director Gary Winick was discussing the possibility of directing 13 Going on 30. Susan Arnold, Donna Arkoff Roth, and Gina Matthews were announced as producers of the film. Jennifer Garner was chosen to play the main character in the movie. To film the movie, Garner took a break from her television show Alias. Other actresses considered for the lead role included Gwyneth Paltrow, Hilary Swank, and Renée Zellweger. Judy Greer was cast as Lucy, Garner’s best friend. Kathy Baker and Phil Reeves were cast as Garner’s mother and father, respectively. Andy Serkis was later selected to play Garner’s boss, and Samuel Ball was cast as Garner’s boyfriend.

On May 13, 2003, filming for the movie began in Los Angeles with Revolution Studios. The movie was filmed in Los Angeles, New York City, and South Pasadena, California. Interior scenes were shot in Los Angeles, while exterior scenes were filmed in New York City for 17 days. Main filming took place from May to November 2003. The script was written by Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa and revised by Niels Mueller. Mueller initially lost a writing credit due to a disagreement resolved by the Writers Guild of America.

Mark Ruffalo, who played a co-lead in the movie, nearly left the project during rehearsals for the "Thriller scene" dance because he disliked the rehearsal process and struggled to learn the choreography quickly.

Christa B. Allen, who played 13-year-old Jenna in the movie, later played the same character again as a younger version of Jennifer Garner in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009). In October 2016, it was announced that 13 Going on 30 would be adapted for Broadway with a planned debut in late 2017. However, the Broadway plans did not proceed.

Music

The soundtrack for the movie 13 Going on 30 was released on April 20, 2004, by Hollywood Records. The album includes many songs from the 1980s, such as popular hits by well-known artists like Talking Heads, Billy Joel, Madonna, Pat Benatar, and Whitney Houston. A few songs from modern artists, such as Lillix and Liz Phair, are also included.

• "Head Over Heels" – The Go-Go's
• "Jessie's Girl" – Rick Springfield
• "What the World Needs Now Is Love" – Jackie DeShannon
• "Burning Down the House" – Talking Heads
• "Mad About You" – Belinda Carlisle
• "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" – Whitney Houston
• "What I Like About You" – Lillix
• "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" – Belinda Carlisle
• "Ice Ice Baby" – Vanilla Ice
• "Crazy for You" – Madonna
• "Vienna" – Billy Joel
• "Why Can't I?" – Liz Phair
• "Nothing Compares 2 U" – Sinéad O'Connor
• "Tainted Love" – Soft Cell
• "Love Is a Battlefield" – Pat Benatar
• "Will I Ever Make It Home" – Ingram Hill

• "Thriller" – Michael Jackson
• "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" – Wang Chung
• "Good Day" – Luce

The songs "Breathe" by Michelle Branch and "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls were used in promotional trailers but were not included in the movie or the soundtrack.

• "Prologue" (4:19)
• "Jenna Dream House" (1:13)
• "Transformation" (0:31)
• "Wake Up" (2:03)
• "Naked Guy" (0:36)
• "Off to Work" (0:29)
• "Poise" (0:43)
• "Paper Throw" (0:28)
• "Can I Go?" (1:05)
• "Matt's Apt" (0:46)
• "Fluffy Pillow" (0:49)
• "Au Revoir" (0:44)
• "Good Luck with Fractions" (0:35)
• "Mean Messages" (0:25)
• "Eavesdropping" (0:46)
• "Yearbook Idea" (1:14)
• "Elevator" (0:25)
• "Swings" (1:49)
• "Assemble the Proposal" (0:39)
• "Hang in There" (0:38)
• "Angry Lucy" (0:15)
• "Presentation" (2:30)
• "Sneaking" (0:59)
• "Rain Montage" (1:08)
• "Getting Married Tomorrow" (0:29)
• "Sparkle Bus Overlay" (0:39)
• "Dream House Revisited" (1:28)
• "30 to 13" (0:38)
• "Crazy for You Overlay" (1:09)

Reception

The film opened on April 23, 2004, and earned $22 million in its first weekend at the box office. It debuted at number two, nearly tied with Denzel Washington’s thriller Man on Fire. In its second week, it dropped to number three, earning $9 million. In its third week, it fell to number five, earning $5.5 million. In its fourth week, it took sixth place with an estimated $4.2 million. In its fifth week, it dropped to number seven, earning $2.5 million. In its sixth week, it fell to number nine, earning $1 million. The film earned $57 million at the domestic box office and a total worldwide gross of $96,455,697.

On Rotten Tomatoes, 13 Going on 30 has an approval rating of 65% based on reviews from 179 critics, with an average rating of 6.20/10. The site’s critics consensus states, “Although the plot has flaws, 13 Going on 30 will touch the hearts of viewers due in large part to Jennifer Garner’s strong performance.” On Metacritic, the film has a score of 57% based on reviews from 35 critics, indicating “mixed or average” reviews. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of A−, on a scale of A to F.

Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a highly positive review with a grade of “A−,” writing, “13 Going on 30 is a rare commercial comedy that leaves viewers captivated by the magic of movies.” He praised Jennifer Garner’s performance, noting, “She removes all signs of adult behavior, such as irony or manipulation, and instead shows a sincere, enthusiastic childlike quality that is very appealing.” Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, “The film uses Jenna’s confusion for comedic effect. Garner, who is a talented comedian, makes Jenna’s surprise and innocence both funny and occasionally touching.” Joe Leydon of Variety praised her performance, writing, “Garner fully commits to the role, showing Jenna’s happiness and excitement through small, expressive movements.” He also praised director Gary Winick for “adding fresh ideas to the script’s common themes and highlighting emotional truths in the story.” Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe wrote, “The film is designed for women who enjoy dreams of perfect homes, jobs, and relationships.” He also noted, “The best parts involve the childhood scenes. (The young actors playing Jenna, Matt, and Lucy are excellent.) Those moments feel both painful and humorously real.”

Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, commenting, “This romantic comedy is meant to be a gentle warning about the importance of self-confidence. The humor works well with the film’s message of self-empowerment and avoids being overly sentimental in a scene where the adult Jenna returns to her childhood home. Amusing, charming, and nostalgic, 13 Going on 30 should appeal to many moviegoers.” Mick Martin and Marsha Porter’s 2005 DVD and Video Guide called it a “shameless copy of Tom Hanks’ classic Big,” adding that it was “weak but predictable and made better by Jennifer Garner’s performance.”

Elvis Mitchell of The New York Times wrote, “The performances give the film more life than the story does; it often feels like something already chewed up and spit out. The message of the plot is that being simple and unsophisticated is the key to success, even in a fashion magazine that attracts readers with bold, sexy images. The movie would have been more interesting if it had explored the idea of pretending to be someone else in fashion spreads. Instead, it focuses on outdated, nostalgic elements.” Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it 2 out of 4 stars, writing, “You accept the magic because it is part of the movie’s world. What I couldn’t accept was the setting of the magazine office, and the awkward scenes where professional adults seem unaware they are interacting with a 13-year-old mind.” Andrea Gronvall of the Chicago Reader wrote, “The formula works, largely because of star Jennifer Garner, who is so bright that theaters should sell sunscreen. Beneath the humor and the message—self-love is important for true love—there is a heartfelt sadness about choices not made.” Jorge Morales of The Village Voice commented, “The older version of me wanted to dislike the film, but the younger part of me thought it was great.” Nell Minow of Common Sense Media rated it four stars out of five, calling it “a touching, funny romantic comedy by Jennifer Garner.”

The film received several nominations at the Teen Choice Awards, including one for Jennifer Garner. The musical performance of Garner and Ruffalo was nominated for an MTV Movie Award.

Home media

The DVD was released again in 2006 with the added title The Fun and Flirty Edition. It included unique packaging and extra features. The Blu-ray version of 13 Going on 30 was released on January 20, 2009.

Remake

In March 2026, a new version of the Netflix movie was announced. The remake will be written by Hannah Marks and Flora Greeson. Brett Haley will direct the film. Emily Bader and Logan Lerman will star in the movie. Additionally, Garner will serve as an executive producer.

Stage adaptation

On September 28, 2023, a UK stage version of the film was announced. The show had public workshop performances at Battersea Arts Centre in London before beginning a full production in the summer of 2025. The stage production was written by movie writers Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa. The music was created by composer/lyricists Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner. Casting for the workshops was announced on October 12, 2023. Lucie Jones played Jenna Rink, Jamie Muscato played Matt Flamhaff, and Grace Mouat played Lucy Wyman. Andy Fickman was set to direct the show.

On October 29, 2024, it was announced that the stage adaptation would have its world premiere at the Manchester Opera House from September 21 to October 12, 2025. The show’s producers include ROYO, Revolution Studios, Wendy Federman, and Phil Kenny.