13 Going On 30 is a mixed bag of timeless and outdated takeaways. The story of a 13-year-old who gets her wish of fast-forwarding through into being a successful 30-year-old (Jennifer Garner) centers on a great message to learn at any age: chasing popularity won’t make you happy, and it’s crucial to hang on to what makes you original. Along the way to telling this story, though, the movie also ends up vilifying female success and puts a lot of pressure on finding an ideal true love to a degree that every other aspect of a life (like a career, independence, and personal development) don’t seem to matter. Here are the Mixed Messages of 13 Going On 30.