Thirteen/Banger Sisters DVD

THIRTEEN: HIRTEEN is Catherine Hardwicke's explosive portrait of teenage girls at their very worst. Mean, manipulative, conniving, and utterly out of control, these skinny, sexy, drug-addicted, 13-year-old time bombs are nothing short of terrifying. Hardwicke's movie is brilliant in its ability to portray this phenomenon, which comes off as very real. The skillful photography from cinematographer Elliot Davis communicates the most complicated themes of the film: insecurity, confusion, wanting to be liked and accepted, and feeling like it's time to grow up fast. In an early scene, protagonist Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood), a shy girl and good student, approaches Evie (Nikki Reed), the school's ultra-popular bad girl, and the two size up each other's clothing, jewelry, hair, shoes, socks, and decide to go on a shopping spree. From there Tracy spirals downward, copying Evie's every move in an aggressive game of daring each other to take increasingly dangerous risks--stealing, getting piercings, experimenting with sex, drinking and taking drugs, and much more. All the while Tracy's mom (Holly Hunter) who is a bohemian ex-alcoholic trying to be open-minded and supportive about her daughter's rebellion, slowly loses her authority and her ability to cope with these volatile teens. A booming, excellent soundtrack punctuates the hyper, desperate, manic mood of the girls' behavior, and catalyzes the adrenaline rush that is THIRTEEN. THE BANGER SISTERS: Suzette (Goldie Hawn) and Vinnie (Susan Sarandon) were groupies in their heyday, partying with the likes of Frank Zappa (who dubs them the Banger Sisters), Jim Morrison, and virtually every other rock star and roadie that passed through Los Angeles. Twenty years later, Suzette is a bartender who finds herself too old to stay in the Los Angeles rock scene. Distraught, she heads to Phoenix in search of her former best friend, picking up neurotic and quirky Harry (Geoffrey Rush) at a gas station along the way. But when Suzette arrives in Phoenix, she is surprised to find that her once wild friend may as well be a different person. Married to a lawyer with political aspirations and the mother of two teenage daughters, Vinnie is now LaVinia, a refined, cultured pillar of the community. With Suzette back in town, LaVinia is confronted with her past and finds that she must make peace with it to fully embrace her true self. Hawn and Sarandon are well cast, and Rush is a scene-stealer as a wounded man who finds new inspiration in Suzette. Writer Bob Dolman makes his directorial debut with THE BANGER SISTERS.

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