THIRTEEN

B y CATHERINE HARDWICKE ( 2 0 0 3 )
Module 5: Young People in a Global Era
- 2014/2015Pre-viewing tasks
1. Discuss with your partner the cartoons below.

2. Complete the following definition of adolescence with the words from the box:
adultho
od

identi
ty

abstra
ct

puberty

physiologic
al

society

transitio
nal

developm
ent

Adolescence - Period of life from _____________to ______________(roughly ages 12 20) characterized by

marked ______________changes, _______________of sexual feelings, efforts toward the construction of
______________, and a progression from concrete to _____________ thought. Adolescence is sometimes
viewed as a ______________ state, during which youths begin to separate themselves from their parents but
still lack a clearly defined role in _____________. It is generally regarded as an emotionally intense and often
stressful period.
(in Britannica Concise Encyclopedia)

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/adolescence#ixzz1EEmk5tUT (Adapted from www.climatecrisis.net)

While-viewing task:

1. Put the pictures below in the correct order, according to the sequence of the film.

THE CORRECT SEQUENCE IS:

Post-viewing tasks
1. Oder the paragraphs according to the film sequence:
Seeing the harmful impact Evie is having on their lives, Melanie takes Evie back to live with
her foster mother Brooke. Tracy seems to agree with this, after which Evie betrays her at school.
Melanie also hopes that Tracy will go live with her father, but she is unhappy at this thought.
Thirteen-year--old Tracy Louise Freeland writes poetry and is an honor student. Her divorced
mother Melanie is a recovering alcoholic and high school dropout who struggles as a hairdresser
to support her two children. At school Tracy is teased by some girls about her clothes.
After being warned she may fail seventh grade, Tracy comes home after school to find Evie,
Brooke, and Melanie waiting for her. When the women confront Tracy about the girls' drug use and
stealing, Tracy angrily blames Evie. Brooke says Tracy was the bad influence.
Tracy is then invited by Evie Zamora, one of the most popular girls at school, to go shopping
on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Although Evie gives her a disconnected telephone number, Tracy
takes a city bus to Melrose Avenue anyway, where she finds Evie and a friend shoplifting (stealing)
at a trendy clothing store. Tracy steals a woman's money and the girls go shopping. After this
incident, Tracy and Evie become best friends and Evie moves in with the Freelands.

Both mother and daughter weep on the kitchen floor as Melanie kisses her daughter's heavily
cut arm. Although Tracy tearfully pleads with Melanie to let go of her, Melanie holds on tight, and
the two eventually fall asleep holding each other. The next morning Tracy wakes up with a start.
The film ends with Tracy spinning alone on a park merry-go-round, screaming.
Tracy transforms into a new person as she neglects her old friends, becomes more impulsive
and cares less about her schoolwork. Although Melanie is somewhat aware of what is happening
with Tracy and Evie, she is unable to stop them. However, after the early thrills, Tracy's newfound
popularity does not make her happy.
In http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_(film) (abridged and modified)

2. Tracy is a typical teenage girl in many aspects. What does she value in her life?
Choose by ticking () the items in the list below:

a. Having a successful career in the future

b. Having trendy clothes
c. Doing volunteer work in the

f.
g.
h.
i.
j.

Being polite and friendly

Being financially independent
Getting very good marks
Strong family ties
Having a lot of extracurricular
activities

community
d. Having popular friends
e. Having a good education

3. Film quiz
1.

Choose the correct item.

Before she met Evie, Tracy used to
a)
b)
c)

3.

How old are Tracy and Evie?

a)
b)
c)

5.

7.

9.

a)
b)
c)

6.

a designers shop
shopping centre
a sneakers shop

What part of her body does Tracy get pierced at

the tattoo shop?
a)
b)
c)

8.

she bought drugs for her

she shoplifted a pair of jeans
she stole a womans wallet

Where do the girls go shopping with the stolen

money?

her belly button

her tongue
her eyebrow

This film is autobiographical. Its based on

her cousin brooke

her stepmother
her mother

What does Tracy call Brooke when shes

blaming Evies problems on her?
a)
b)
c)

4.

drug addict
alcoholic
gambler

Evie used to live in a foster home with

a)
b)
c)

What did Tracy do to hang out with Evie?

a)
b)
c)

they are 14
they are 13
they are 18

Mels boyfriend is a recovering

a)
b)
c)

2.

be a top student
have learning difficulties
behave badly at school

a)
b)
c)

Evan Rachel Wood s (Tracy) experiences.

Jenicka Careys (Astrid) experiences.
Nikki Reeds (Evie Zamora) experiences.

10. Do the girls remain friends at the end of the

film?

Dracula
Frankenstein
Boogeyman

a)
b)

Yes
No

4. In this film the characters deal with some rather serious issues. What are they?
Choose by ticking () the items in the list below:
Teen pregnancy
Drug abuse
Alcoholism
Under age sexual behaviour
Eating disorders
Depression and stress
Self-mutilation
Low self-esteem
Bullying
Suicide

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.

k. Cyber-bullying
l.
m.
n.
o.
p.
q.
r.
s.

Addicted parents
Divorce
Gambling
Abuse of prescription medication
Peer-pressure
Dating violence
Child abuse
Domestic violence

t. Petty crime /shoplifting

u. Single parenting
5. Write a comment on the film in about 80 words.
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