ESSAYS
STYLING
OTHER MUSINGS
[Essay]
How does the movie Thirteen (2003) use style to affirm
its depiction of unconventional girlhood?
In a twisted, authentic, and often outrageous way, the cult film Thirteen portrays a story of oppositional girlhood. The film follows the young and insecure Tracy Freeland as she embarks on an obsessive and desperate friendship with popular girl Evie Zomora and falls into a path of rebellion involving youth drug usage, underage sexual behaviour, and stealing. The perspective of Melanie ‘Mel’ Freeman (Tracy's mother) is also essential throughout the film. The dress worn by the girls throughout the movie plays a crucial narrative role in signalling their coming-of-age rebellion and misdemeanour or portraying their innocence. From the cutting and re-working of t-shirts to needles, piercings and makeup, the young girls employ fashion as a visual tool to assert their autonomy. By utilising the context of adolescent subculture and the American school system, this essay aims to illuminate how style is used to express resistance and reaffirm the lifestyle choices of these individuals.
Thirteen is undoubtedly an unconventional movie that reverts the expectations of female adolescence, making it a cult film. Cult films embody oppositional taste, ‘in which the distinction from the mainstream is directly associated with political and/or cultural non-conformity’ (Jancovich, 2003, p. 2). Thirteen aligns with this definition for the adolescent subculture it portrays, going against the typical Hollywood high school movie trope that involves male, middle-class lifestyles and heroes (2003), which differ from the lower working-class lifestyle and family presented within Tracys family. The film gained a dedicated and loyal fanbase for presenting an under-represented area of life, with many teenage girls and adults relating to its experience. This was further helped by the film's unique writing experience, with Director Catherine Hardwick involving Evie's actor Nicki Reed (who was at the time 14) to help her write the script and basing it loosely on her life. The personal elements allow the female-led narrative that follows Mel (Tracy's mother), Evie and Tracy to feel raw and sincere, making the often-dramatic scenes feel natural. This allowed it to gain cult status.
Figure 1 - Thirteen (2003) Directed by Catherine [Feature film]. United States: Fox Searchlight Pictures
The film uses clothing to establish a relationship between Tracy and those around her. The film opens with a scene establishing Evie and Tracy's close friendship, where they are inhaling morphine, laughing, and hitting each other, laughing at the strangeness of their lack of feelings. This allows the audience to understand imminently how close these girls will eventually be. After the title card (Figure 1) takes us back four months before, we can see Tracy and her soon-to-be old friend, Noel, walking to their home to start seventh grade. They are both dressed similarly, wearing blue zip-up hoodies and capris. Their hair is tied up in girlish low-pony and space buns. This establishes a child-like innocence and constructs their close friendship with similar social goals. Later, when arriving at school, they express their determination for high grades. In comparison, we see Evie Zamora established, wearing low-rise jeans, a revealing cropped waistcoat and long straight hair, with the schoolboys calling after her. This imminently sets up a discrepancy between Evie and Tracy, with their friendship groups clearly defined by how they dress. This subcultural world of the American school system uses dress to set boundaries from cliques due to their lack of economic and social power (Milner, 2004, p. 4). Tracy is obsessed with this social group due to her lack of control of her home life. Murry Milner, Jr utilises the German sociologist Max Weber’s caste system to label these cliques formed as status groups (2004, p. 22). Evie’s status group has a political and style that is oppositional to mainstream depictions of teenagers as they misbehave, consume drugs and engage in illegal activities; Tracy uses this to climb the social hierarchy.
Figure 2 - Thirteen (2003) Directed by Catherine [Feature film]. United States: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Tracy uses the unspoken dress code to climb the social hierarchy. This is established after one of Evie’s Friends pokes fun at Tracy's socks, asking, “Who let her out of the cabbage patch?”. Motivated by insecurity, Tracy returns and throws away anything she considers babyish. Here, it is clear that Tracy's self-image and esteem are affected by this comment. For many teenagers, their visual appearance is important for their self-esteem, especially during physical changes. A consumer culture profits from this by selling the solutions of teenage insecurity back to them (Quart, 2003, p.5). As a result, with a trip to a clothes seller with her mother, Tracy changes her wardrobe to match that of Evie’s Social Group. After, at lunch, she chases after Evie, and where they analyse each other through their dress and makeup. The first thing that Evie addresses is that she comments on her new shirt, stating it to be cute (figure 2). This signifier of the clothing signals the acceptance to engage in further conversation. The camera then uses a series of cut-up close-up shots of the details of their accessories, outfits, and piercings to signify the girls analysing and comparing each other. Tracy analyses what else she needs to copy and wear to be accepted, and Evie analyses whether Tracy is ‘cool’ enough for her. The low-rise jeans, revealing clothing, and lip gloss are shown in these shots. We can see how material culture mediates their identity and social value (Bernard, 2007, p. 183). Each garment, assessment, and detail plays into their particular status groups, and it is clear how Tracy is willing to change and be accepted in order to navigate the cultural geography of the American school setting, they should dress in a style that communicates their wants and needs, and this is precisely what Tracy does.
Figure 3 - Thirteen (2003) Directed by Catherine [Feature film]. United States: Fox Searchlight Pictures
As their friendship deepens, so does their mutual influence on each other's style choices, symbolising a convergence of identity and rebellion. Their adoption of safety pins to creatively alter Mason's shirts (figure 3) reflects their ingenuity and alignment with the punk fashion movement, known for rejecting mainstream norms and DIY ethos (Bernard, 2007, p.259). This act is a visual manifestation of their defiance against societal expectations and their assertion of agency in crafting their identities. Additionally, Mel, Tracy's mother, inadvertently reinforces this narrative by altering a pair of expensive jeans for Tracy, endorsing her daughter's exploration of alternative fashion and expression. These instances accentuate the intricate dynamics at play in adolescent identity and the role of fashion as a tool for self-expression and defiance. Tracy and Evie's fashion choices reflect their evolving sense of self and resistance to societal constraints. Through their collaborative efforts in reimagining clothing, they assert their autonomy and challenge traditional notions of femininity and conformity. Overall, these moments propel the narrative forward and offer deeper insights into the characters' motivations, desires, and struggles as they navigate the complexities of adolescence.
This act shows the selfish nature of the girls. Their disregard for others' belongings and attachments is confirmed as Mel exclaims that it was Mason's favourite shirt, which they ignore. This goes against the typical notions of femininity, creating an alternative discourse for girls in their adolescence. They portray an unconventional femininity, one that is selfish, loud, and reckless. Most importantly, we cannot ignore that the girls have their agency within this movie, which they reflect within their dress. These teens are not naive or dumb. They are aware of the drug taking, the risks, and the stealing. Unlike other Hollywood teenage depictions, this movie does not mistake innocence and naivety for cluelessness. These girls have agency and pursue the situations they get themselves in. Tracy actively pursues and impresses Evie and is complicit in her metamorphosis and downward spiral. Together, these girls embody a type of girlhood not usually depicted in Hollywood movies. There is no awkward first kiss, no nervousness, and limited questioning of their actions. This subcultural adolescence is still one that can be found in many middle and high schools and shows a twisted coming-of-age story, which is affirmed by the girls' style.
Returning to the opening scene, the use of drugs and illegal substances throughout this movie confirms Tracy's spiral into an unhealthy lifestyle. As Tracy does not come from a wealthy background, she resorts to stealing a purse for money and the approval of the popular girls. The status comes from clothing and money within these status groups, which Is difficult if you do not already come from an environment of cash (Milner, 2004, p. 57). The desperation for style and money can be seen, therefore, as to why these girls' devil is not selling drugs and stealing. In Pictures of Girlhood, it is argued that ‘The film Thirteen can claim ‘authenticity’. It can claim to be a wake-up call, but it also uncritical look at the ‘out of control’ and criminal structures that contribute to the environments that produce these girls’ (Hentges, 2006, p.190). This brings in arguments of class and intergenerational trauma that is presented from Evie's family troubles and traces turbulent, although unconditionally loving, relationship with her mother. Although daunting and perhaps terrifying for parents and some girls to see, it still claims to show an authentic, real deception of the relationship of drugs expressing rebellion. The drugs act as an accessory to the girl's lifestyle, using it to fit into groups and to show how they are resistant to the ‘good-girl’ narrative they should be fitting into.
Figure 4- Thirteen (2003) Directed by Catherine [Feature film]. United States: Fox Searchlight Pictures
In Thirteen, piercings serve as a potent symbol of oppositional taste, reflecting the characters' defiance against mainstream cultural norms and their quest for identity and autonomy. Tracy and her friends' decision to pierce their bodies is a deliberate act of rebellion, challenging traditional notions of femininity and propriety. By adorning themselves with piercings, they assert control over their bodies and assert their individuality in a society that often seeks to constrain and commodify them. (Kathlyn, Whittington, 2002, p. 11) Moreover, piercings in the film are not merely decorative; they carry significant cultural and symbolic weight, representing a departure from conventional beauty standards and a rejection of societal expectations. Through their piercings, the characters in Thirteen carve out spaces of resistance and self-expression, challenging dominant cultural narratives and asserting their right to self-determination. For Tracy and Evie, piercings serve as a form of empowerment, allowing the characters to reclaim agency over their bodies and defy societal pressures to conform. In doing so, piercings symbolise the characters' oppositional taste and refusal to be defined by external beauty standards or acceptances. Yet, the piercings serve as a cry for attention; as Currie McGhee explains, ‘A person with visible tattoos or piercings is likely to receive comments from people about their body art. For people who crave attention, these comments, whether positive or negative, could lead them to get more tattoos and piercings to generate more attention (2012, p.4). These girls crave negative or positive validation to heal their insecurity and deep emotions. However, to the girls, they represent a form of cultural resistance. This signalling a desire to break free from the constraints of mainstream culture and forge their path towards self-discovery and authenticity should be drawn into question. Are the girls liberating themselves, or are they harming themselves?
Throughout the movie, the girls' clothing and attire serve as visual cues that symbolise their engagement in sexual behaviours. Wearing revealing underwear, pullers, low-rise jeans or having too much skin exposed, they expose themselves to danger that we, the viewers, should be uncomfortable to see. In a pivotal scene between Tracy and her mother as she discovers her piercings causes Tracy to have an outburst, in which she exclaims ‘no bra, no panties’ multiple times (figure 4). The awkwardness and uncomfortableness of the scene are rearmed with close-ups of the anger on Tracy's face and the horror on Mel’s, aiming to reflect the audience's reaction. Here, the Lolita concept is employed to facilitate understanding of the girls' roles. Diverging off from the character employed from the original 1955 book by Nabokov, the idea of Lolita ‘has been transformed into a oneiric representation in the service of fashion and cinema, too often vulgarises in stereotypes reflecting contemporary society attention to excessive youthfulness’ (Pivetta, 2017, p. 6). Tracy aims to sell her sexual agency by being an outrageous fantasy – or, more correctly, a nightmare. But this is something that is shown that she pursues. She is aware of her own and men's tantalisation of her and uses this to heal her insecurities, much like the Lolita archetype. Her agency deconstructs typical mainstream depictions of girlhood, and her outrageous and promiscuous clothing style is used to accomplish this.
Figure 5 - Thirteen (2003) [Poster]. United States: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Moreover, Piercings are also employed as a visual language
to convey the girls' sexualities, serving as outward symbols of their
burgeoning desires, autonomy, and rebellion. Tracy and her friends' decision to
pierce various parts of their bodies is not only an act of self-expression but
also a means of signalling their sexual agency and exploration. Piercings,
particularly in intimate areas such as the navel, tongue, or nipple, become
markers of sexual maturity and experimentation. This challenges societal taboos
and expectations surrounding female sexuality, reclaiming the taboos of female
sexuality (Moeslein-Teising, Thomson-Salo, 2013, p.224). The film's poster is the clearest example of this (figure 5). The girls are depicted showing
their tongue piercings, already established as innately sexual, with their
tongues poking out. Through their pierced bodies, the characters assert
ownership over their sexual identities. This rejects the notion that female
desire should be repressed or hidden but ignores the fact they do not have the
age to consent to sexual activities or getting piercings. By depicting the
girl's clothing as a reflection of their sexual agency and ignored
vulnerability, the film exposes the intersections of gender, power, and socialisation
that shape their appearances and choices.
Figure 6 - Thirteen (2003) Directed by Catherine [Feature film]. United States: Fox Searchlight Pictures
During Tracy's intervention, shown in Figure 6, Evie is dressed differently than her usual jeans and crop top. It is in a way that is more reminiscent of Tracy at the beginning of the movie. She wears capris and a modest Burgundy hoodie over a white tank. Her hair is worn as a low pony, and she has no makeup. This presents Evie in a more ‘innocent’ manner. When confronted by Brooke, Evie’s cousin and guardian, Mel and Evie, the room is coated in a pale blue, devoid of colour, that confirms the dread and sadness about to occur. As it turns out, the two adults found the girl's stash of money, drugs and stolen goods, and Evie blamed Tracy for everything. There is no denying that Evie is wrong for throwing Tracy under the bus and blaming her. Undoubtedly, Tracy has become a bad influence, as shown by Child-like plaits, but the dark top and skinny jeans are like the status group of the popular girls. In this scene, Tracy's secret of self-harm is revealed as a devilish play by Brooke to ‘prove’ Tracy's evil influence. Although, already revealed earlier to the audience, in this daunting and terrifying scene, we can see how her mother still loves her. This shifts from the typical close-mindedness shown in Hollywood movies by parents (Bulham, 2013, p.70), as her mother accepts and conforms to her daughter. This presents an oppositional discourse where the mother does not hugely punish the girl for doing wrong but instead shows love as a message to others about the correct treatment. Tracy's intention draws away from the typical friendship discourse presented in the media and instead focuses on unconditional parental love. This has the impact of showing the realism of parenthood and adolescence.
It can be argued that this movie may also act as a critique of the effect of heroin chic in fashion and mainstream culture on the youth. Taking place after the peak of the 1990s Heroin chic culture, the effect lasted for years and caused a moral panic for fear of corrupting the youth (Rosser, 2010). The drugs, comments on body image, and comments on the lack of eating and calories being present throughout the movie are reminiscent of the culture of heroin chic. The style of the girls in this movie is reminiscent of this. After initially stating that she wouldn’t settle for anything less than an A, she now must retake 7th grade. We rarely see movies have the protagonist worse off than how they end up at the being, especially in a coming-of-age story. Although this movie still has the typical ethic of individualism of Hollywood, coming of age (Bulham. 2013, p.70), the desperate need to be accepted by a higher-status group at school leads to her failure. Her clothing became a marker of her transformation and downward spiral as she became everything her clothing represented.
Figure 7 - Thirteen (2003) Directed by Catherine [Feature film]. United States: Fox Searchlight Pictures
The final scene shows Tracy wearing a flowy purple shirt (figure 7) and blue jeans. She is in a park, on a roundabout, spinning around and around. She shouts afterwards, screaming in a way that embodies a potentially slightly cringe, teenage angst and frustration. This represents the adolescent feeling out of control (Hentges, 2005, p. 68). Tracy's outward representation here finally reveals the inward emotions and confusion that she is experiencing. Our journey with Tracy is over, but she has just turned thirteen, and her journey into adulthood may not get any better. Ultimately, it is up to her agency to change.
As a final summary, thirteen boldly defies usual Hollywood adolescent narratives. It portrays the subculture of teenage girlhood in a gripping, authentic, and shocking manner, which subverts the typical ideas of a Hollywood high school hero, as there is no ‘hero’ within this film. Following Evie, Tracy and Mel, the film delves into Tracy's transformation and how her style reflects this. The film's portrayal of this journey portrays an oppositional girlhood that audiences find relating themselves to. The subculture presented in the adolescent context centres around the school due to their social power within their status groups. Initially, style is used to communicate her ideals to Evie's clique and Tracy's desperate attempt to climb into status groups. This is affirmed by Evie and Tracy's choice of style to express their inner desires. Most importantly, this movie subverts the traditional role of the high school girl of being naive and clueless as these girls resist that trope. These girls have agency; whether they use that in a good or bad manner is highly debatable. Tracy actively pursues and cunningly uses this resistance by embracing their changing bodies, pursuing drugs, and stealing clothes; she is not an innocent girl who is unaware of the mess she is pulled into, differing from usually Hollywood ‘damsel’ types. Comparisons can be drawn from the cultural impact of Hollywood chic, perhaps showing why these girls are considered popular anyway. It also acts as a warning for the girls who idealise this aesthetic. This depiction of rebellion seeks to shed light on the complexities of the young girls and presents an unconventional picture of female adolescence.
Bibliography
Bulhum, R. (2013) Cinematic Sociology: Social Life in Film California: AGE Publications, Inc
Barnard, M (2007) Fashion Theory: A Reader, London: Taylor & Francis
Currie-McGhee, L.K (2012) Tattoo Body Piercings and TeensSan Diego: ReferencePoint Press
Gay, K. Whitening, C. (2002) Body Marks: Tattooing, Piercing, and Scarification. Ed; Illustrated, Twenty-First Century Books
Hentges, S. (2005) Pictures of Girlhood: Modern Females Adolescence North Carolina: McFarland & Co
Huq, R. (2006) Beyond Subculture: Pop, Youth and Identity in a Postcolonial World, London: Taylor & Francis Group
Jancovich, M (2003) Defining Cult Movies: The Cultural Politics of Oppositional Taste. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Milner, M. (2004) Freaks, Geeks and Cool Kids: American Teenagers, Schools, and the Culture of Consumption New York: Routledge
Moeslein-Teising, I. Thomson-Salo, F. (2013) The Female Body: Inside and Outside, Oxford: Taylor & Francis Group
Pivetta, G. (2017) Lolita: A Style Icon, the myth of youth in Fashion 24 ORE Cultura
Quart, A (2003) Branded: The Buying and selling of teenagers New York: Basic Books
Rosser, E (2010) Heroin Chic: The Fashion Phenomenon, Inquiry, vol. 2, no. 12.
Filmography
Thirteen (2003) Directed by Catherine [Feature film]. United States: Fox Searchlight Pictures