'Thirteen' Director and Cast Tackle the Teen Experience
By Vanessa Sibbald
Fri, Jun 13, 2003, 05:06 PM PT


HOLLYWOOD (Zap2it.com) - "We thought we could write a teen comedy, but it
didn't turn out that way," "Thirteen" director Catherine Hardwicke joked
Thursday night (June 12) with writing partner and film star Nikki Reed at
the Los Angeles IFP Film Festival's presentation of the film.

The film was followed by a question and answer session with Hardwicke,
who won Sundance's director's award for her gritty take on adolescence,
actors Evan Rachel Wood, Holly Hunter, Jeremy Sisto and Reed, who
co-wrote the script for the film with the director who she's known since
Hardwicke dated her dad when she was 5-years-old.

"I noticed changes she was going through," Hardwicke said, explaining how
she proposed that they write something together as a way to help the
teen.

The night was a big of a family affair, with Reed's brother asking his
sister a question about how the script, which was written in six days,
changed her life, and Wood's mom singing praises to her daughter's movie
mom; "It just amazed me to watch your performance," she told Hunter.

Hardwicke, in turn, praised her daughter.

"If we hadn't found Evan, I don't think we could have made the movie,"
Hardwicke said, adding that Wood was only 14-yeard-old at the time they
shot the film.

Clearly embarrassed by the applause that followed the director's
comments, Wood later told Zap2it that she enjoyed rewatching the film.

"It's gets better and better every time, I keep noticing all these little
details I missed. It's still really hard to watch so I still get goose
bumps and shake every time," she said.

While some audience members may find the depiction of teenage experience
harrowing, Reed was confident that most viewers share experiences with
the characters, who shoplift, get body piercings, experiment with sex and
drugs and experience the general angst of being a teen.

"I'm sure five women could stand up and say, 'That's my exact
experience," she told the crowd.

"The reason why we made this film is to show how it really is," added
Wood. "I mean I've known 11-year-olds with the same story. It's getting
younger and younger."

Budgeted at $1.5 million, "Thirteen" opens in a limited release on Aug.
20. The Los Angeles IFP Film Festival Runs through June 21, for more
information visit the festival's website at www.LAFilmFest.com.
_______________________

Check out my Nikki Reed Fan club @
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NikkiReed/

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