ll Jenna Rink wants is to be popular. She's just about to turn 13, and a humiliating experience in front of the cool kids has left her wishing she could just skip the awkward teenage years.

  When her friend Matt gives her some wishing dust for her birthday, she wishes to be all grown up. The next morning she wakes up as a 30-year-old woman - with a live-in boyfriend. The only problem is, she's still 13 inside, and when she sees her boyfriend emerge from a shower with no clothes on, she freaks out and quickly covers her eyes.

  It turns out Jenna's a successful New York City magazine editor. Arriving at the office, she's told, "Eminem's on the phone, he wants a decision now." Jenna's a big Michael Jackson fan, but she's never heard of the rapper and thinks she's being asked about candy. She suggests, "Plain." When that doesn't go over well, she tries, "Peanut?" Jenna decides it's time to find Mark and figure out what happened.
actors
Jennifer Garner
Mark Ruffalo
Judy Greer
Kathy Baker
Phil Reeves
Andy Serkis
Samuel Ball

director
Gary Winick

location
Los Angeles
New York

outtake
Renée Zellweger was first considered for the role, but she was already signed to do another film.

  Jennifer Garner, who struck it big on TV's Alias, plays the lead role. "It's like a female Big," she told Entertainment Weekly. In 1988's Big, Tom Hanks plays a boy who wishes he was older, and turns into an adult overnight. But his surroundings stay the same and all his friends are still children. In 13 Going On 30, Jenna is propelled 17 years into the future.  A 13-year-old girl in an adult's body, she finds that she's still most comfortable with other kids.

  When casting for the film was in its early stages, Garner was a relative unknown, even though she'd played small roles in several feature films, including Pearl Harbor. Alias arrived on small screens in September 2001 and was an instant hit. Garner won rave reviews for her portrayal of Agent Sydney Bristow and was named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People.

  Suddenly, Garner was in high demand. During breaks from Alias, she found time to film a small role in Catch Me if You Can with Leonardo DiCaprio and a co-starring role as Elektra opposite Ben Affleck in Daredevil. There's even talk now about bringing Elektra back for her own film. Meanwhile, Garner's
personal life is coming up roses as well - since her split from husband Scott Foley, she's hooked up with hunky Michael Vartan - her Alias co-star.

  13 Going On 30's director, Gary Winick, has nothing but praise for the star of his new film. Although she plays a serious character on her TV series, he told Entertainment Weekly that Garner is adept at making the switch to comedy. "She's a comic genius," he claims, "right up there with Lucille Ball."

- Alexandra Heilbron