Thirteen

Context

Thirteen is a coming of age story that is directed by Catherine Hardwick that was released in 2003. The film is based on teenage Tracy who gets involved in many forms of social misbehaviour after meeting an influential Evie. Tracy goes through many challenges that young people often face as she navigates her way from childhood to young adolescence. This film deals with a range of complex themes but some key themes that stood out to me were peer pressure and self-destructive behaviour. The film Thirteen may help you avoid making stupid decisions and help you grow as a person.

(@CatherineHardwicke, Thirteen 2003)

Peer Pressure

In the film Thirteen, a theme that is introduced when Tracy and Evie start hanging out is peer pressure. Tracy craves the attention of Evie so when she finally receives it she goes to all lengths to maintain it. As Evie often engaged in risky behaviour such as drug use, Tracy also began to adopt the image of a rebellious teen and participating in similar dangerous activities. The audience watches as Tracy completely changes herself in her style, attitude and aura to be accepted by Evie. Even once the girls are finally friends, Tracy has to keep up an act under peer pressure as Evie is not friends with Tracy but rather her fake persona.

The psychological theme of peer pressure is very common amongst teens. This film shows us how easily young people can be influenced by others, especially peers, to engage in risky behaviours including experimenting with drugs, shoplifting and reckless driving. Peer pressure is so influential to teenagers as it is rooted into our brains and gives us feelings of being different and excluded. These feelings become so overwhelming that many teenagers give into peer pressure as they want to fit in and have fun with others. However peer pressure can lead to a downward spiral of sadness as you cannot express who you truly are and are stuck partaking in things you don’t enjoy. This is also shown in the film as Tracy succumbs to the negative influences and begins to feel lost when Evie is not around.

Self-destructive behaviour

As previously mentioned the two girls descend into self-destructive behaviour such as shoplifting, self harm and manipulation. This self-destructive behaviour becomes a key theme as the girls begin to depend on these coping mechanisms on a daily basis. As both girls are growing up, they are going through difficult challenges and overwhelming emotions. Not knowing how to cope with the buildup of pressure and feelings, the girls indulge in dangerous acts to feel better.

This film sheds light on how teenagers may resort to harmful coping mechanisms when going through difficult situations. The psychological theme of self-destructive behaviour is becoming more common in our modern society as more and more young people start to self-sabotage their relationships, put themselves in dangerous situations and self-harm. This self-destructive behaviour is not a healthy coping mechanism and does not help you feel better about the original situation. If you find yourself to be engaging with self-destructive behaviour, it is best to seek help.

I thought this film was pretty relatable as a teen in our modern society as it includes the raw and unflinching portrayal of vulnerabilities of teenagers as they grapple with the transition to leave their childhood. Yet I found this film to be very eye opening as I had never struggled deeply with the transition and did not realise other teens may be indulging in such risky behaviours. Thirteen had a tragic story with amazing cinematography which helped emphasise the themes of peer pressure and self-destructive behaviours. However I think if anyone can directly relate to the characters due to their struggles with self destructive behaviours, it is best to reach out for help.

How did you interpret this themes in the film?