PG13
Stars: Evan Rachel Wood, Nikki Reed, Holly Hunter, Jeremy Sisto, Brady Corbet, Deborah Kara Unger, Kip Pardue
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Screenwriters: Catherine Hardwicke, Nikki Reed
Thirteen year old Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood) starts out as a good student with a mom (Holly Hunter) who loves her. After meeting the popular, pretty Evie (Nikki Reed, who also co-wrote the script), Tracy attempts to fit in by changing everything about herself from the way she dresses to the way she interacts with her family. She soon joins Evie on a rampage with sex, drugs, body piercings and shoplifting sprees as the highlights of their day.
This is down and dirty storytelling of teenage abandon on the dark side. Ms. Wood does a believable job with her turnaround from good girl to beast, as does Ms. Reed who eggs her on. For the life of me I can’t imagine why Holly Hunter needs to appear nude in this PG13 film that really ought to have been rated R.
Lotta says: Adults may find it harder to take than kids. For kids, this one should come with a warning: “Don’t try this at home.”
DVD Features: Commentary by director/co-writer Catherine Hardwicke, co-writer/actor Nikki Reed, and actors Evan Rachel Wood and Brady Corbet; trailers, 10 deleted scenes, making-of featurette
Video Format: Widescreen and Full Screen
Audio Tracks: English, French, Spanish
Number of Discs: 1 Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Reviewed: Jan. 30, 2004