Jennifer Garner's comedy drama film Yes Day was released on Netflix in March 2021. But even before this premiere, fans were already saying that images from the movie and the trailer for it were very reminiscent of 13 Going on 30, the fantasy romantic comedy that she starred in alongside Mark Ruffalo in 2004.
It could be that Garner has in the eyes of most fans, become very synonymous with the Gary Winnick-directed film, because similar sentiments have become rife in the past few weeks. This follows the release of the very view-worthy sci-fi action, The Adam Project.
Garner, who is most famous for her role in the ABC action thriller series Alias, was reunited with Ruffalo in The Adam Project, which also stars Ryan Reynolds and 13-year-old Walker Scobell in his first ever screen role. It is the reunion between Garner and Ruffalo, however, that has people talking again about 13 Going On 30.
Beyond the familiar faces, there are also themes in the storylines of The Adam Project and the 2004 classic that are quite similar.
What Is '13 Going On 30' About?
In an online synopsis, 13 Going on 30 is described as the story of '[Jenna], a girl who is sick of the social structures of junior high, [and] is transformed into a grownup overnight. The teenager wants a boyfriend, and when she's unable to find one, she fantasizes about being a well-adjusted adult.'
'Suddenly, her secret desire becomes a reality, and she is transformed into a 30-year-old. But adulthood, with its own set of male-female challenges, isn't as easy as it looks.'
Jennifer Garner portrayed the adult version of the character, with the teenage Jenna being played by Christa B. Allen. Ironically, the actress is 30 years old today.
Apart from occasional acting roles in movies and on TV, Allen has garnered fame on TikTok, where she often recreates looks from the 2004 rom-com. Mark Ruffalo played Matt Flamhaff, Jenna's childhood friend who also turns out to be her future love interest. The younger version of Matt was portrayed by Sean Marquette.
13 Going on 30 was produced on a budget of $37 million, but returned $60 million more from its box office earnings.
What Is The Story Of 'The Adam Project'?
A plot summary for The Adam Project on IMDb reads, 'After accidentally crash-landing in 2022, time-traveling fighter pilot Adam Reed teams up with his 12-year-old self for a mission to save the future.' Like Jenna, the character Adam Reed is portrayed by two actors from completely different age groups.
The young Adam is the role played by newcomer Walker Scobell, while Ryan Reynolds features as the future, grown-up version. Mark Ruffalo appears as Louis Reed, Adam's scientist dad who dies in a car crash a short while before the current timeline of the young boy's life.
Both adult and young Adam travel even further back in time to 2018, and get to meet their father again. In that timeline, Louis Reed is married to Adam's mother, Ellie Reed. It is this part which Jennifer Garner plays in The Adam Project, rekindling her on-screen romance with Ruffalo from 18 years ago.
The Shawn Levy film has been released in a completely different era from 13 Going on 30, when big screen productions were only found either in theaters, or on DVD. Despite this, the production studios went ahead to inject a $116 million production budget for it.
How Is 'The Adam Project' Related To '13 Going On 30'?
Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner sharing an adorable love story is perhaps the most common thread that joins The Adam Project and 13 Going on 30. The element of traveling through time to either meet or exist as an earlier version of oneself is also shared between the two stories.
On top of that, Ruffalo himself did find that both films were also similar in that they are perfect for families to watch together. "There’s so few of [such movies] around," the actor said at the Netflix Tudum Festival earlier this year.
"[They touch on] what it is to be a parent, as well as what it is to be a child, what the past is and how it’s perceived, and how it actually is. And they get to go and work it out and finish the relationships in a way that’s satisfying and that rarely ever happens."
Although they appeared in only one scene together in The Adam Project, Garner feels she'd be ready to take on more work alongside Ruffalo. "Give us more than one scene and see what happens," she said.
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