A Lifetime of Happiness: Movies, TV, and Video Games

13 Going on 30 (2004)

February 01, 2023 Steve Bennet-Martin, Stephen Martin-Bennet Season 1 Episode 156
A Lifetime of Happiness: Movies, TV, and Video Games
13 Going on 30 (2004)
Show Notes Transcript

The Steve's discuss the 2004 romantic comedy, 13 Going on 30, as they kick off a month full of their favorite rom-coms!

  • Why does 13 Going on 30 make us happy
  • Breaking into cliques you shouldn't be
  • Breaking your best friends heart
  • Stephen gushes about the Thriller dance
  • Did you ever want to fast forward time?
  • Did you ever want a 'do-over'?
  • Is Wendy a villain?
  • And more!

Ending- Any music or audio clips were borrowed from the original source material.

Support the show
Steve:

Hello, returning Happys and new listeners. This is Steve Bennet-Martin.

Stephen:

And this is Stephen Martin-Bennet, and welcome to a a

Steve:

Lifetime of Happiness. The podcast, we're gonna take you on our journey through some of the movies, shows, and other bits of pop culture that are helping to keep us happy, while hopefully bring a smile to your face along the way. And we're

Stephen:

spending the month of February falling in love all over again as we discuss some of our favorite manic comedies, starting with 13, going on

Steve:

31 of your favorites. Yes. But before we get into that, I love what's been making you happy? Well,

Stephen:

this past week I started a brand new job and it's going well. It's going very well, and the people that I work with are wonderful. Everyone is so kind. Everyone's happy to be there. And I am. very pleased. And optimistic about the future. What a

Steve:

nice change.

Stephen:

I did not say that. What about you, Darlene? What's been making you happy?

I'm

Steve:

still flying off of the natural high that I got going away to St. Augustine with you for the weekend? Last weekend? Yes. That

Stephen:

was a wonderful trip and it wasn't just,

Steve:

Nope. Remy Kins got to come along. So we brought our dog. It's a very dog friendly city. We had lots of great food and we got to learn about old timey medicine and sawing off limbs and stuff in the Spanish military hospital. That was super fun. And we did our own ghost tour that I only powdered during the last 10

Stephen:

minutes. Yep. And we took a boat tour so we could see the lights of the city because St. Augustine lights up the entire historic downtown from November. Through the beginning of February and it's beautiful walking through it, but it's even more impressive to see it from a slight distance out on the bay.

Steve:

Yeah, it was a great trip. And let's jump into the movie. Okay. Why do you love this movie so much? Ugh. What

Stephen:

is not to love? I mean, I fell in love with Jennifer Garner because of the Ab Sh Sea Show Alias, and that's where I found out she was originally from Charleston, West Virginia. Somebody I already liked is a fellow mountaineer. It's like we're neighbors. Mm-hmm. Jen plays this part fully and without hesitation. The supporting cast is spectacular and the chemistry between Jen and Mark Ruffalo is so authentic, like, and the movie. Doesn't appear to be problematic in any way and has aged extraordinarily well. It's

Steve:

aged quite well. Yes, I would agree. And yeah, it's even one for me that I might not search it out to watch it the same way that you do as often, but it is one of those movies that it's very hard for me to change the channel if I turn on the TV and it's already on. Right. Yes. And so for those not in the note, it's a fantasy romantic comedy starring Jennifer Garner. As we mentioned, it was released on April 23rd, 2004, with a budget of 37 million and a box office of 96.5 making it a hit.

Stephen:

Yes. And that was her first movie being the Marques Star. Yes. And. So I was very proud of my girl, Jen

Steve:

Yes, it starts off with young Jenna Rank played by Jennifer Garner celebrating her 13th birthday in 1987. She is awkward and deeply unpopular at school and desires to be part of the six

Stephen:

chicks. Yep. Tom, Tom, the leader of the Six Chicks, convinces Jenna to write her report for she and her friends for school in exchange. She the six chicks and 13 year old heartthrob, Chris Grandy. Will come to her birthday party.

Steve:

Yes. Jenna's best friend Matt played by Mark Ruffo in the future, and Sean Marquette in the past loves taking photos and obviously his feelings for Jenna beyond the typical bff. Yep. He tells Jenna to ignore the six chicks, that she's better than they are, to which she says,

Stephen:

I don't wanna be original, I want to be cool.

Steve:

They share an inside goodbye.

Stephen:

Ava Deci. An oi. Yes, as well as the love of Razzles, the candy that is also a gum, and it makes your tongue razzle red. There you go,

Steve:

Now, did you ever struggle with trying to get into a part of a group that you probably would've been better off? Off? Not trying to befriend,

Stephen:

so not in school, but coming from a small town like that, we didn't really have. Mean girls or a dangerous clique or anything like that? I guess that might be growing up when I did and in a small town in West Virginia. Mm-hmm. In the two thousands in Cincinnati, there were people I probably shouldn't have befriended. Yeah. Live and learn Yes. What about you?

Steve:

Again, it was more just like in adulthood trying to fit my way into cliques that I probably would've been better off. Like, you know, not joining or being like, they're not that great people. Why am I trying to impress them so much? Yes, Yes. And have you ever had that underappreciated best friend that's totally in love with you, or been that best friend? Both

Stephen:

Yeah. Tell me about it. I'm not mentioning. The other person, yeah, of course, because that's just rude. But no, there were back when I was trying to be straight mm-hmm. there was always that female best friend that I was sure was the end all be all in that we should totally be together. you know, I guess things work out for a reason. Yes.

Steve:

Similarly, I do think I broke a couple straight girl hearts back in the day. Yeah. But it w never really, like, I never luckily experienced this with like a gay male friend. Mm-hmm. like, which I could see being harder. Yeah. But yeah. And fun fact you found, yes.

Stephen:

Brie Larson. A k a Ms. Marvel was one of the six chicks from the flashbacks in 1987. Oh, very cool. Yeah. And so was one of your girls from. Pretty little

Steve:

liars. Cool beans. Yeah. Yes. Now Jenna wants to be 30 flirty and thriving. Like the woman in Poise Magazine, her mother

Stephen:

reminds her that those aren't real people. Honey, those are models.

Steve:

Yes, for her birthday, Betty gives her a doll dream house that he took three weeks to build and a pack of magic wis wishing dust, which is sprinkled on the roof of the

Stephen:

house. Tom, Tom dashes Jenna's hopes of joining the six chicks by pulling a cruel, practical joke on her during a game of seven minutes in heaven. And Jenna mistakenly thinking Matt was responsible, gets angry with him, barricades herself in the. Where she had put the dream house,

Steve:

she cries and rocks back and forth, bumping into the wall, wishing to be 30, flirty and thriving. The wishing dust from the dollhouse sprinkles on her. And seconds later, Jenna awakens as a 30 year old woman living in a Fifth Avenue apartment without her friends or family. It's now 2004 and Jenna has no memory of the 17 years that have passed since her 13th birthday.

Stephen:

Ooh. But like we see her prepping for her party. Mm-hmm. and little 13 year old Jenna knows the thriller dance. And I love this shadow. That's so much. Yeah.

Steve:

Yes. Now, were you ever fixated on getting older or fast forwarding through life or just getting to a certain. So

Stephen:

before I came out I wanted to get past the coming out part and the getting acclimated part and just get to be because I knew it was gonna be rough and I was like, if I could just fast forward, that'd be so much easier. But, you know, you look back now and those trials and hard times are what fortify you into being a stronger mm-hmm. fully functioning adult. What about you? Yeah.

Steve:

I, I would say more was when I was like in high school, just wanting to like be past high school. Mm-hmm. like college I was fine with, you know, it was what it was. There were moments I wanted to just be, you know, working, but part of me enjoyed the fact that I wasn't really yet. But yeah, back in high school, but I could just be like, I wish I could just be more independent, get outta my parents' house, be on my own, like not being constantly shamed for being who I was.

Stephen:

Mm. how would your 13 year old self have reacted to suddenly waking up and being 30? If

Steve:

you thought that when you met me, I lacked some common sense and normalcy. Yeah. You should have seen 13 year old me. Like I would, like, there was some cute moments in this of like her naivete, but it would've been nothing compared to just like, I, I don't know how I would've survived or like found my way anywhere than anything.

Stephen:

Yeah. Yeah. 13 year old me probably. died. Yeah. I would not have been able to survive 18 year old me. Could have made it. And that was all due to this summer I spent in Morgantown at the Governor's Honors Academy. Mm-hmm. which really helped me figure out who I was and be a little more self-sufficient. So, 13, I would've been dead on the streets of New York City. 18 year old me, I could have made it. Yeah. Well,

Steve:

good to know. And you love when Jennifer Garner wakes

Stephen:

up. Oh my gosh. It's just so good. So she's still embodying that whole gangly awkward 13 year old in her movements, facial expressions. Her walk is just so good. It's not a 30 year old woman. It is. 13 year old girl and even her for voice is a little too high. And of course the 13 year old girl that like she's thrown into this situation, first thing she does is call out for her parents and then trying to convince herself it must be a dream And when the naked man comes out of the bathroom, her reaction is just priceless. Like you know, you, you know, maybe a 16 year old girl, naked man comes outta the bathroom. Might be different. Yeah. Or, but a 13 year old girl, she like opened up the umbrella so she couldn't see his Yeah. Thingy.

Steve:

Yes. And then she burst, sat onto the street with her jacket over her slip, meeting a blonde woman who wants her to get in the car. Perfect. 13 year old response. I can't

Stephen:

get in the car. I don't get into the car with stranger.

Steve:

Her cell phone keeps ringing in her purse. She has no idea what the sound is or where it's coming from, because why would you,

Stephen:

does anybody else hear that? Does anybody else hear that noise?

Steve:

Yeah. It just shows the huge jump in technology, the past 17 plus years. Yeah. The Naked man keeps calling your sweet bottom from the window, so she gets in the car to find out. It's Lucy, formerly Tom. Tom. Who's Jenna's best fren Me? Yeah. soon. Jenna discovers she works for poise, her favorite fashion magazine when she was a teenage. She's freaking out and Lucy makes her repeat a phrase to psych herself up. And it is utter cuteness when 13 year old brain, Jenna has to whisper the word bitch because she's afraid she'll get in trouble if she says it out

Stephen:

loud. Yeah. She's like, I'm, I'm a tough bitch. And then Jenna goes, I'm a tough bitch. Like, and worry that somebody on the street's gonna be like, Jenna, you can't say that and her performance is so on point right here. The childlike wonder, the innocence doesn't know how anything works. And even in the first meeting where she writes her name at the top of her legal pad in cursive, like she was in school and having to turn in something in class. Yes,

Steve:

she meets her boss, played by Andy Circus. The

Stephen:

kind of the king of CGI acting.

Steve:

Yeah. Oh yeah. Cuz he's best known

Stephen:

for Goum and he's the main ape in the Phantom or planet of the Apes movies and everything. Yeah. And here he goes. Who's your daddy? Wayne Rink. Yes. Because in 1987 saying, who's your daddy was not a thing. Who's your daddy, babe? Gary Martin. Yes. There you go.

Steve:

We, we find out that Jenna's assistant's terrified of her and that Sparkle Magazine keeps scooping poisons, cover stories, but there's a party tonight that has to be a success. She also learned, she's friends with Madonna

Stephen:

now from when you were 13 and if all of a sudden you woke up, you were. What celebrity would your 13 year old self be so excited that you were best friends with Probably Britney Spears. Yeah. Mine would've still would've been Paula Abdul

Steve:

for sure. I know. And you would've thought so, cuz you see that she has signed stuff to you in, in our house.

Stephen:

I know We do have autograph things. You would've, Paula have seen it and been like, oh my God. I'm friends with Paula Abdul Yes.

Steve:

And she feels lost and of course needs her best friend. Mad. Yeah. But she tracks him down and learns that. Maddie have been estranged since high school when Jenna fell in with the in crowd. We're not

Stephen:

friends anymore. Jenna, Maddie, Matt, you're my best

Steve:

friend, which leads to a panic attack and needing

Stephen:

fresh air, a glass of water, and a fluffy pillow.

Steve:

Mm-hmm. Matt shows her her past life as prom queen. Date with, with Chris Gandy and Leader of the Six

Stephen:

Chicks. I got everything I ever wanted, but

Steve:

she's quickly seeing that. That took from her what she was and who she was, and to top it off finds out Matt's now engaged.

Stephen:

Do you keep in touch with anyone from when you were 13? Laura. Laura. And that's it. That's it? Yes. Yeah. I do thanks to the wonders of Facebook and text messages and things. It's not like if I would've asked my 13 year old self, I would've thought it would be. and there are definitely some that I thought that I would be friends with forever that I haven't spoken to. Yeah. In 15

Steve:

years. And what happened to, if one of them shows up on your doorstep pretending that they're still their 13 year old self and like that they had this happen to them, how would you react?

Stephen:

So it depends on how close we are. If it was somebody like tater or Jocelyn or Jay or Missy and a few others, I would believe. But there are some people at I, my first response would've been like, I don't know who you are. Yeah. Because that kind of did happen when I saw pictures from our tenure year reunion that I did not go to. And they were like, and there's so-and-so, and I was like, I don't think they were in our grade. They're, and people were like, yeah, they were in the, I was like, I don't know that person. Yeah. What about you? Like Yeah, it would be interesting

Steve:

cuz like back then my best friends were two guys who were no longer in my life today. So if one of them just like randomly showed up on my doorstep being like, dude, I'm 13 and then I thinked and this happened and it's so weird. And you're like, the person I ran to, like I. I would like to think that I would help them. Yeah. But it, it would be tricky because, you know, they're people that things have happened while they're not in my life anymore, so. Right. it would be interesting.

Stephen:

Yeah. And we get to meet Maddie's fiance, Wendy.

Steve:

Yes. And I wanted to like, I was extremely worried cuz like in about her, cuz in so many of these romcoms, like the, the fiance is like the evil. like splatter schemer where it's like easy for you to be like, leave her. Mm-hmm. get with our co-star. But like here, nothing that I saw Wendy do was wrong. Mm.

Stephen:

I beg to disagree a little bit. So after watching Married with fir at First Sight with you, I see many of those toxic personality traits in Wendy. You can quickly see she's not right for Matt because she doesn't support his photography. She just refers to. You can take pictures of bottled water anywhere. Mm-hmm. which that's kind of putting down his passion and wanting him to uproot his life and move to Chicago. I quickly was not a fan of Wendy. She's not overly bad, but you know, those two things already that would be like me saying if we didn't do this podcast together, me being like, you know, your little radio. Like you used to. I'm babe.

Steve:

By kidding? I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. Now, this transition com is complicated by the fact that Jenna's become a shadow of her former herself. She's lost almost all contact with her parents and is having an affair with the husband of Tracy from the art department. She's generally despised by

Stephen:

her coworkers, and Jenna doesn't know how she missed seeing Maddie at Christmas. All these. Because shouldn't he be next door? And he's like, doesn't your crew do Christmas in St. Bart's? And she's like, Maddie, who's St. Bart? I wouldn't know. And well, and it was right then when she said that, that Matt was like, okay, there's something different here. Yeah.

Steve:

It's time for the big magazine party. And she gets to live the 13 year old dream of walking into a walk-in closet filled with fancy clothes, lots of makeup. All with the soundtrack of

Stephen:

I wanna Dance with Somebody.

Steve:

Yes. And the soundtrack actually performed quite well overall. It's really a good soundtrack. Yep. On the way down in the elevator, Jenna meets up with Becky, who the old Jenna had previously ignored, but now this, Jenna sees them as being on the same level. Becky is 13. Yes.

Stephen:

And the interaction is amazing because younger kids like. Just want to be treated like real people by people. Adults they think are cool. Mm-hmm. and look up to, and our new Jenna doesn't realize that she's doing anything special because that's just her.

Steve:

Yes. It's much cuter her making friends with Becky than hitting on the 13 year old at the bar or the rest of pissed at that. Yes.

Stephen:

At the party, Jenna quickly gets tipsy on Pina Coladas, which is okay because she totally has Id. Do you wanna see?

Steve:

Yes. Trish Sackett, editor-in-chief of Sparkle shows up to throw it in their faces at how well Sparkle doing. People begin to leave the party early, but after some prompting from her boss, Jenna decides to fix it by playing some music. People can dance to Thriller yet

Stephen:

effort. At first, she's the only one dancing. But it gets everybody's attention and Maddie shows up and so she pulls him out onto the dance floor and then they get into it and everyone joins in, even her assistant. And the party's success, bringing happiness to everyone. Especially me. Yes.

Steve:

This is one of those scenes specifically meant to delight you. Yep.

Stephen:

Because every child in the eighties wanted to know the thriller dance. But fun fact, when the song first came out, the 15 minute vert video of it mm-hmm. terrified me. I can imagine. Have you ever seen the 15 minute video? No. Like it starts off as a horror movie. Yeah. Before going. The song portion of it. Interesting.

Steve:

Yeah. Yes. We have a quick montage of Jenna out shopping with Wonder and Joy Reading Magazine Publishing for Dummies.

Stephen:

So new 30 year old Jenna from the movie is like the full card from tarot. it's someone on the beginning of their journey full of optimism, not yet jaded, fresh start where everything is a possibility. We, I just did the Tea and taro class.

Steve:

I was gonna say, you got your tea and tarot

Stephen:

cards coming for you. And yeah, it was totally B, the whole class was based around the full card. And then we watched this and I'm like, oh yeah, Jenna, 13 year old Jenna is totally the full card. Which, it doesn't mean bumbling fool like you would think. Yeah, it can really. a positive card, like in this case?

Steve:

Mm-hmm. Yes. Now Alfred drinks with Lucy. Lucy tells Jenna, the guy behind her is totally scoping her out.

Stephen:

Oh, he's totally cute. Should I talk to him? Yeah.

Steve:

Jenna walks over the talk to him, but Jenna went to the 13 year old boy sitting at the booth. Jenna grabs her room, or Lucy grabs her and pulls her outside. Do

Stephen:

you wanna go to jail? I

Steve:

meant that guy pointing to someone in their thirties. The man

Stephen:

gross.

Steve:

Yes. She clearly stoles that 13 year old mindset. Now would, would that happen to you? Like, did you have crushes on kids your own age when you were younger? Because like, at least in my experience, like I was always like if I woke up 30 to be like, yes, I like all the people like the age I've always liked

Stephen:

them at now. So yeah, I had crushes on people that were my age, but then this is funny. All the women that I really liked from Melrose Place, As I got older, I realized why I liked them. It was the totally whole being gay thing I was gonna say.

Steve:

It was not the attraction. It was not really attract, wanted to be with them. You wanted to be

Stephen:

them? Yes. Dr. Kimberly Shaw

Steve:

Yes. Now they run into naked man from her bathroom, who turns out to be Alex, Alex Carlson, her boyfriend, a hockey player from the New York Rangers. And an absolute idiot.

Stephen:

Totally an idiot. Whenever he is like. Nice to see you folks. Yeah, nice to see you folks. I'm like, Ugh. And then Maddie shows up and Lucy tuns him with the Beaver nickname from when they were younger, and he calls her Tom Tom and mentions her nose

Steve:

Job. Yes. And then fiance Wendy shows up in an ancestor moving to Chicago after their wedding. Pissing off Steven. Yeah. And upsetting Jenna, who's crushed

Stephen:

afterwards. Jenna goes to Alex's apartment where he tries to be affectionate and she giggles and pulls. And then he decides that he owes her a self-described raunchy strip cheese, which is neither raunchy or sexy. Further signifying that he's a doofus. And it makes me wonder what the old bad bitch Jenna saw on him. I don't, but

Steve:

now what do you, now I'm worried about my own sexy dance. Is it not raunchy or sexy either?

Stephen:

Yours was really good. Okay, thank you. But. Obviously any version of Jenna is intelligent. What does she see in him? Because he's only conventionally attractive. He's not hot.

Steve:

I don't know. Maybe he's talking like a horse.

Stephen:

Oh god. Jenna really let herself go in this timeline.

Steve:

Yes. Now PO set to redesign their image because they can't compete with sparkle the way things are going. Jenna and Lucy are tasked with coming up with new idea. Jenna slowly realizes that the person she has become is neither trustworthy nor likable, and unknowingly begins to reverse the situation by distancing herself from her work, shallow boyfriend and acting kinder and more honest to her coworkers and her friends. Her assistant

Stephen:

is the first one to notice how much she is changing for the better.

Steve:

Yes. And while trying to restore her relationship with. did you

Stephen:

ever lose sight of who you were for a time?

Steve:

Yeah. I would say that the period before I moved down to Florida, I fi I was kind of like lost and didn't really know where I was going with my life. Mm-hmm. But the move helped.

Stephen:

Yeah. My twenties were, a lot of that thirties are kind of where you. I think. Find yourself again and find me. Yes. Now, Jenna overhears Lucy badmouthing her to a coworker and them plotting to do their own redesign pitch and let Jenna fall on her face. And she sadly realizes that what she thought she wanted out of life wasn't important after all.

Steve:

Yeah, she feels lost and goes to see Maddie asking him if Wendy's his soulmate, to which he says that he hasn't believed in that sort of stuff since high school. Insinuating that what happened with Jenna broke. She finally convinces him to tell her why they're no longer friends. He says that he was singing her the birthday song he wrote for her, and she threw the dream house at him. She stopped being his friend and never spoke to him again. She can't reconcile with this, and she runs off. Oh,

Stephen:

I mean, yeah, like an adult might be able to take that, but no, a 13 year old mindset. think that the person that they were closest to, that they would treat that way and never speak to'em again.

Steve:

Yeah. I mean, do you have a friendship that you regret letting slip away or someone that could have been a friend if you had treated them differently?

Stephen:

Absolutely. Somebody that could have been a friend, if I had treated them differently. We had a kid in our grade, his name was, and he like was from the Walton area and, and our high school was consolidated for the county, so it was one high school for the county. So I didn't grow up having anything with him. And I was kind of a, a not kind of, I was a bully and a mean girl to him. And it's sad looking back now because I think we could have been really close. I wasn't the only. That bullied. But like once the, once we all stopped bullying him, I just never tried to get close after that where other people did. And that's the one that I regret now because I think that could have been a lifelong friendship. What about you? No,

Steve:

no. I mean, I wish it was nicer to Laura when we first met, but that was just me being a little prick cuz I was a little asshole. Yeah. But no, nothing like that fell apart. Friendships from like, I wish I did that differently. Like, I don't miss anyone that should have like, I feel like should have still been here.

Stephen:

No, I don't. No. There are no friendships that I regret letting slip away. I feel like I'm still in contact even at least. in small ways with all the people that I should be.

Steve:

Yeah. Now Jenna heads back to her hometown in New Jersey to reunite with her parents and reminisce by looking through school yearbooks and other items from her school days. She asked her mom if she had one, if she had a do-over, what would it be, and her mom

Stephen:

says nothing. I made a lot of mistakes, but I don't regret making them. If I hadn't made them, I wouldn't have learned how to make things.

Steve:

Yes. And then Jenna apologizes for missing Christmas.

Stephen:

Yeah. Would you go back and change anything if you could, or would you feel it might risk you being who you are today?

Steve:

I'm in the place now where I'm happy with where I am, so I wouldn't change a thing, although there are certain periods in my life where I would've changed things back before I realized that it's best to look forward rather than look back.

Stephen:

Yeah, I feel like everything that's happened has gotten me to where I am and I like where I. But I do wish that there were some instances that could have been slightly different, but that's entirely me wishing that I could prevent the pain that I caused certain people.

Steve:

Yes, and the trip inspires her or return to Manhattan. She sees Maddie's name all over the yearbook photos. She works later on her idea and she and Lucy finally admit they are working on complete redesign ideas separately. Mm-hmm. are several outings and working together on the magazine project. Jenna becomes friends with Matt again. He begins to see the Jenna. He knew as the week goes on. Matt even gets his dance with her at the Winter Wonderland dance photo shoot

Stephen:

and they go out for

Steve:

razzles. Show me your tongue. Come on. I showed you mine. Maddie, I need to see your. Razzle red. Yes. Although Matt is engaged and Jenna has a boyfriend, they kissed. During a nighttime walk days, Matt realizes he loves Jenna, but cannot change the past.

Stephen:

Have you ever had a right guy, wrong place, situation?

Steve:

Oh, I was normally the wrong guy or the wrong situation in hindsight. Although I, I do feel like my, my college relationship, I probably could have done better if I like knew it to walk away. And then like, maybe like waited a year or two, but it all led me to where I am with you right now. So it all works out.

Stephen:

So there is this movie I love called Love and Sex with FKA Janssen. Mm-hmm. And the guy she's seeing in there, they're talking about why things don't work out for normal people. Mm-hmm. And he goes, it's strictly timing. Timing is why most normal people are. weirdos and creeps are single because they're weird and creepy for everybody else. It's just a timing thing. So I think that, you know, for a lot of people it's just wrong time. Wrong place. Yes.

Steve:

And then Lucy has a her redesign idea,

Stephen:

which is fashion suicide. Deadly serious. It's too dark and no one likes it, and she throws a tantrum and begins going through Jenna's office.

Steve:

Yes, Jenna presents hers the class of 2004, where she wants to focus on women who are real and smart and pretty women to look up to.

Stephen:

We all wanna feel something we've forgotten or turned our backs on because we didn't know how much we were leaving behind. We need to remember what used to be good. If we don't, we won't recognize it when it's presented to us. make

Steve:

poise great again. Yeah, They love it. And her idea is chosen. Now, if

Stephen:

Jennifer Garner were doing a magazine, I feel like this is the magazine she would do as well as rep recipes, because I love her pretend cooking show she does on Instagram.

Steve:

Ah. Now Jenna heads off to meet Maddie to celebrate, but he shows up to poise. After she left, Lucy found all of Jenna's letters from Sparkle proving that the old Jenna was the mole. Lucy lies to Matt and tells him she's going in a different direction with her redesign and using the photographer that photographs her boyfriend for the Rangers, but he should sign a general release for his photographs and maybe they'll use them in a catalog. Don't listen Mark, but he does. Yeah. Jenna walks through the rain to Matt's apartment is greeted by Wendy who tells her they're getting married tomorrow.

Stephen:

Ugh. Now, were you shocked at the reveal that the old Jenna was the mole? No. So watch I was, at first I was like, no, not Jennifer Garner, but I realize old Jenna is not Jennifer Garner. Yes, that is correct. In the early thing, whenever she's having her panic attack that first morning, she's waking up and she's going through her mail and sees her name on there. One of the letters is from Sparkle. Oh, yeah. Interesting. It, it's real fast. But the return address, the, that a letter was sent to her home from Sparkle Magazine was one of the ones from Trish. Sackett being like, thanks for telling us about it again.

Steve:

Yeah. Okay. And, and you're once more annoyed by Wendy's presence of being around

Stephen:

with, with all the progress Jenna and Maddie have made. It doesn't really feel fair for Wendy to still be around, and I also don't think Wendy likes. Matt's family and how close they are because whenever she goes, it's gonna be just the cutest backdoor wedding since, or backyard wedding, since I don't know when. I think she sounds a little condescending when she says that could be me, but I don't think she actually cares. For it being a backyard

Steve:

wedding. I think Mother Teresa could be going for Jennifer Garner's, man, and you would be trash talking hard. Just, just saying truth. All right. Yes. Now Jenna prepares for the revamp board meeting. When she gets the bad news from the publisher. POIs is shutting down because the work she put into the relaunch ended up in sparkle. Lucy took the general of leases and Matt's photos and took the deal Jenna had with sparkles. So Lucy accepts the position of Sparkles editor-in-chief using Jenna's work as her own, which she's been doing since they were in high school.

Stephen:

Do you know any loosies?

Steve:

Yes. I'm working with one right now. we're like the person they were in high school is the person they are today, and there's been zero personal growth or advancement or maturity or development. And

Stephen:

I know E Lucy as well. Yep. Yep.

Steve:

When an already distraught, Jenna discovers Matt is getting married that day. She finally figures out how to whistle

for

Stephen:

a taxi, which is so funny cuz in the beginning, like she was out there going, excuse. Pardon me. And now when she really needs one, she runs out there and does that whistle that nobody can really do, but yes. And one stops and backs up and she goes, take me to New

Steve:

Jersey. And it turns out the driver is Chris Kandy, who's no longer the teen heartthrob. He once was, yeah. Jenna rushes to his house and begs him to call off the wedding. She apologizes and says she's not the awful person she was, and that if he truly knew that in his heart he wouldn't be getting ready to marry someone unless it. Oh, Matt can't say yes. It's too late to go back. Although he does tell Jenna he loves her from his closet. He pulls the dream house he made 17 years before and gives it back to her. Jenna leaves in tears crying over the dream house and wishing she could return to 1987.

Stephen:

Have you ever had any of those? I'm sorry, it's just too late situations.

Steve:

Yes, but they were always.

Stephen:

I can't think of any off the top of my head. Yeah. This one breaks my heart though. Yeah, like let's say

Steve:

that like after a relationship gets unhealthy, it's like a normal person like stays around for maybe one or two more weeks. Like I would stay around for like two or three more months. Mm-hmm. so that that was normally like when they were like, it's just too late. And I'd be like, is it though? Let's give it one more shot. They

Stephen:

were right. It is too late. Or I could think of like, a job is going really poorly for a couple years. Mm-hmm. and things make some minor improve. I think at that it would be like, I'm sorry, it's too late. I don't know

Steve:

what it's like to stick at a job through that but I'm

Stephen:

learning. Yeah. Unbeknownst to Jenna, specs of wishing dust remained on the dream house and her wishes granted. 13 again, she kisses. Maddie confronts the snobby. Lucy. Tom. Tom tears up the home. Lucy had manipulated her into writing and spills juice all over Tom Tom's outfit. You can be the pot in the kettle all by yourself. Bch before happily leading Matt

Steve:

away. Yes. And was it magic that transported her intend to teach her the lessons or was this all just a fantasy fever dream? It

Stephen:

was totally magic because I think that the universe was like, no honey, you are about to head down a. Because you think you want something when you don't realize that your life is already on a really

Steve:

good track. Yes. And now at a future date, presumably 2004, the adult Jenna and Matt emerge as newlyweds and move into a home, identical to the dream house he built for Jenna when they were 13, sharing a packet of their favorite childhood candy Razzles as they move in. Ugh. Thoughts on the ending?

Stephen:

I love it. It made me very happy. Like there are different head cannon things like I also believe that Jenna, this Jenna, knowing where things go and everything like that, cuz I fully believe she has. full memories of her 30 year old life. Mm-hmm. goes out and finds her assistant Arlene as she's older, an adult, and they become friends in this new reality

Steve:

too. Oh, that's nice. Do you think Wendy finds someone who's more deserving of her passive aggressive, horrible behavior? I

Stephen:

would say that Wendy probably does find someone that matches her own drive. For career and things or she and is already in

Steve:

Chicago. I was gonna say, or she, she winds up with the, the hockey player. Oh God,

Stephen:

Oh. Now where do you think Tom Tom is in our new reality McDonald's?

Steve:

Because she didn't have Jenna already working at Pose to get her the job at Pose and poise, poise, whatever. You know what I mean? Yeah. And yeah, I, I think that like she was carried by Jenna at that point probably. And so she failed miserably on her own. Yeah. Because

Stephen:

we saw what happened when Tom, Tom was using her own ideas as an adult. The her idea for the relaunch was so bad. So yeah, I don't think that Tom, Tom was a success. I. That she probably is still finding people to take credit for their work. And yeah, may, I mean, maybe working in senior living

Steve:

somewhere, I don't know. But what would you want from 50, going on 15, the sequel where Jenna at 50 has to travel back to her 15 year old selves life to teach her a new.

Stephen:

Mm, no. What I think it is is Judy Greer is in 15, going on 50, and they're giving her the opportunity to make a better life for herself because Jenna and Matt, I think our happily ever after. Yeah. Okay. So I think it's Judy Greer's character that gets the opportunity to get her. On track.

Steve:

There you go. You heard exact. Let us know if you want the script. Yep, All right. In the meantime, listeners, we'd love to hear what you think of the movie and this episode by emailing us at Happy Life pod@gmail.com.

Stephen:

Or you can get in touch with us on all the socials, whether that is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok at Happy Life

Steve:

Pod. Yes, and until next time, everybody, stay happy.