HARD drug use, fanatical shoplifting, self-harm, sex with grown men and an introduction to lesbianism - not the antics you'd usually associate with 13-year-old girls.

Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood) is an everyday teenager, more interested in hanging with her girly friends and trying hard with her studies.

But her desire to join the 'in-crowd', fronted by rebel Evie (Nikki Read), leads her into an escalating spiral of danger from which she finds it increasingly hard to remove herself - much to the despair of her recovering alcoholic mother Mel, superbly portrayed by Holly Hunter.

This is the directorial debut of Catherine Hardwicke. She collaborated on the film with Nikki Read who, at 13, had experienced major difficulties in her life.

The problem with thirteen is it only portrays extremes. There are the teenagers who regularly take part in activities most adults wouldn't dream of indulging in and then there's the 13 year olds who act like immature 10 year olds.

But the point thirteen gets across is that although the behaviour of the main characters is horrendous, it does actually happen in the real world - not always on this scale and certainly not with every teenager - but it happens.

The acting is faultless but the hard-hitting plot will leave many with a bad taste in their mouths.

HC