Thirteen

Veteran production designer Catherine Hardwicke made her debut as a director in this harrowing coming of age tale set in Los Angeles based on the life of co-writer and actress Nikki Reed. The film will send down chills to anybody with a teenage daughter and a sigh of relief to those who don't live in a big city. Evan Rachel Wood gives a raw and powerful performance along with Reed and Holly Hunter as her mother. The film is not easy to watch but a great character study and cautionary moral tale. Writer Nikki Reed turned her traumatic past into gold by not only writing her story but also being able to play the evil friend that almost ruined her life. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.