BY: Nyla Stanford
Published 2 hours ago
“Thirteen” isn’t just a reflection of girlhood and its burning desire to be seen, but a glimpse of young homoeroticism through the lens of feminine loneliness.
“Thirteen,” written by Catherine Hardwicke and Nikki Reed, delves into the psychological exploration of a young girl with a recovering addict mother and absent father. The main character, Tracy, becomes obsessed with befriending the popular girl, Evie. Her obsession drives her into drugs, body mutilation, and nearly losing herself. The storyline feels like a typical tragic story, but the obsession that is portrayed borders on the convention of heteronormative teenagers with stoic homoerotic desires.
The Beginning Entanglement
Tracy is enamoured with Evie, watching her “rule” the middle school hallways. While her normal friends outwardly express their admiration, Tracy continues to pretend that she isn’t afflicted. Yet, she’s the one who attempts to get Evie’s attention the most. The spiral is fast, almost within the blink of an eye. She’s willing to leave everything and everyone for the sake of Evie’s acceptance. Stolen glances are the best way to describe her long stares in each shot.
The first stage of her obsession is emulation. Tracy’s being ignored by Evie causes panic, as she knows she won’t get close to her if she doesn’t look at her. Something reminiscent of the isolation she gets from her father, who has a new family. And her mother, consumed by her life’s woes, doesn’t pay close enough attention. Her father’s blatant void begins her yearning for intimacy. Tracy weaponizes her fear into rage, convincing her mother she desperately needs “cooler” clothes. And when she gets what she wants, the two young girls share a moment of intrigue, held on by smudged mascara and cheap eye glitter. Tracy’s willingness to change and adhere to Evie’s needs appeases Evie. From here on out, their ride begins.
The Subtle But Obvious Desires
Evie’s background is filled with sexual abuse and trauma. Unfortunately, she turns to drug abuse, violence, and sexual promiscuity to fill the hole she needs in her life. Now it’s easy to say her flirtation with Tracy and Tracy’s mother can be attributed to her trauma. However, there are raw suggestions that her jealousy is due to an unexplored attraction to Tracy in general. In one scene, after Trac’y’s grand transformation, she’s approached by a “cool” kid named Javi. He asks for her phone number. Before Tracy could speak, Evie ran over and stated, “Here’s my cell, we are always hanging around.” Her eyes steadily bounce between Tracy and Javi in a way that doesn’t suggest she’s particularly interested in the boy.
The audience sees Evie continuously try to convince Tracey she’s a bad kisser, thus getting her to kiss her more. The pull between them generally overtakes any push. In the end, there is no happy ending. No one takes a decisive turn to come out. There is just a lingering need for them to love each other, outside of the lack of love they are receiving.
Homoeroticism In a Nutshell
So let’s take a look at female homoeroticism. Merriam-Webster defines homoeroticism as revealing or portraying sexual desire between people of the same sex. This can happen man to man or woman to woman. Developing feelings of attraction between young women has been traditionally overlooked and often regarded as a common phase. However, there is a fine line between attachment and attraction.
With the rerelease of the 2003 “Thirteen” movie on Netflix, the LGBTQIA+ community begins to answer for the media’s portrayal of sapphism. The homoerotic trope, while observed often in historical media, rarely gets in-depth mention specifically relating to lesbian studies. However, there has been a shift with TV shows like “The Hunting Wives” and movies like “Bottoms.” It’s an important reminder of an innocent and pure place where sapphic attraction originates. The exploration of those homoerotic friendships opens the door.
Have you ever experienced a friendship like Tracy and Evie’s? Share your comments below.
