13 Going on 30

LINKS
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections


13 Going on 30 shares a Biblical theme found in Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.� It hits you later, of course, being distracted by the painful visual reminder of being a teenager in the 80’s. The movie gives only a few belly-laughs not already spoiled by the trailers, but it emerges as a lighthearted romantic comedy with a powerful message.

“And be not conformed to this world…� – After getting her wish to be one of the glamorous thirty-year olds in her magazines, Jenna Rink (Jennifer Garner) finds that she has changed. The caring, unsure, wish-I-was-popular 13 year old has been replaced by a self-loving powerhouse whose sole purpose in life is to climb higher up the ladder of success – no matter who she has to step on to get there. One full day at the office reveals that Jenna has isolated herself from family, stolen ideas from people, fired others unnecessarily, and is despised by most people in her life. Where did the sweet Jenna go? She finally touches base with Matt Flamhaff (Mark Ruffalo), her best friend from childhood, and learns about the 17 years she missed. She had been conformed to this world by pursuing the holy grail of everyone’s teen years, popularity and power. Her dream of becoming “thirty and flirty� was realized at the expense of those closest to her.

“…but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…� -- With Matt’s help, Jenna undergoes a transformation back to the kind of person she used to be. By living her new life like a 13 year old, Jenna brings others in touch with something lost: childlike innocence. She makes friends with the young girls at her apartment complex. She suggests board games to her boyfriend instead of sex. She goes on walks, swings at the park, and eats Razzles with Matt. She goes back home to see her parents and even crawls into bed with them. While these activities might seem absurd to a 30 year old, Jenna allows the innocence of childhood to influence her adult life. Christ said, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.� (Luke 18:17) Childlike faith and hope is often required for renewal. For the magazine’s redesign, Jenna’s pitches that they should put life back into the magazine by highlighting women who are happy, strong, smart, and vibrant. She encourages her coworkers to feel something they’ve forgotten by remembering what used to be good. That’s basically the motto of Colossians 3:2, “Set your mind on things above…� and Philippians 4:8, “…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.�

“…that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.� – Now it’s bold to assume what the perfect will of God is, but there are a few things in this movie that I’m absolutely sure are God’s will. First, love one another. Matt demonstrated to Jenna that love transcends hurt. Despite his heart being dashed to pieces, Matt willingly helps Jenna cope with her trauma and later (not to spoil the ending), keeps his promises to those in his life. Jenna demonstrates love to Matt by encouraging him in his photography, helping him to feel joy again, and respecting his decisions. After her friend Lucy turns against her, Jenna loves her enemy by refraining from hurtful words at an opportune moment. Christ constantly encouraged people to love one another and cited this principal as the second greatest commandment. Second, make regular changes for the better. A lifetime of mistakes cannot be fixed in a week, and Jenna grapples with that reality. The moment she tries to do right, something she did wrong in the past throws a wrench into her life. During a pivotal discussion, Jenna’s mother states that if she had never made any mistakes, she wouldn’t know how to make things right. Surprisingly (and a little unbelievably for a 13 year old), Jenna accepts this as part of her new reality and presses on to make things right. Phil. 3:13-14 states, “…but one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal…� Third, don’t put stock in today. Jenna’s reality at age 13 differs greatly from her reality at age 30. The hottest guy in school is now a cab driver. The geek next door is now a talented photographer. Money and fame don’t pay like she had thought they would. The value of friendship cannot be quantified. Like Jenna, we tend to get stuck in the moment, not realizing that we will have a different perspective five, ten, twenty years from now. Look up. Look ahead. Live today in a way that will make you proud tomorrow and for eternity. Look to the things of God which bring long term peace and blessing. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.� (2Cor. 4:18) Our lives are a breath, a whisper, and “poof� and we’re gone.

It’s not easy to fight the media, the marketing gurus who tell us what we want, negative cultural influences, and the hate in our own back yard. But, it can be done and the mind can be renewed. Like this movie proved, even if you can’t change the past, you can always start today.

LINKS
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections