Lessons from 13 the Musical written by the Ent on August 18th, 2022. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Watch
Movie: 13 the Musical
Rating: PG
Genre: Musical, Comedy, Drama
Length: 2 hrs. 4 mins.
Age suggested: 8 and up
Release Date: August 12th, 2022
Streaming Service: Netflix
Warnings: Divorced parents (statements of cheating), there is an horror movie being viewed, but no details shown. Mild language
Quick 13 the Musical Summary
After his parents divorce, Evan and his mom leave New York and move to a small town in Indiana. He pretty quickly gains a friend in Patrice, but when school starts, Evan is stuck between the “cool kids” and his new friend. This film dives heavily into middle school drama as there are a few romantic and friend relationships that weave in and out.
13 the Musical Review
(Contains Mild Spoilers)
-Is 13 the Musical Appropriate?-
A large portion of the plot involves Evan’s parent’s divorce. It is stated and implied a few times that Evan’s dad cheated on Evan’s mom and has to deal with that damage. There are also a few instance of swearing. Dumbass is in one song, but isn’t super noticeable, but there is a whole song about how this or that sucks. Lastly, in one scene, a large group of kids go to watch a horror movie in theaters. There is nothing graphic shown on screen as we only see the reaction of the kids in the audience.
–Why Watch 13 the Musical–
13: the Musical is a fun musical that can be enjoyed my most kids who are interested in the musical genre. The 13 the Musical Soundtrack has a lot of plot-heavy, but enjoyable songs. The overall story is a reflection of coming of age tied with grief. Evan is thrust into a completely new situation where he attempts to befriends everyone, which back fires unexpectedly. All of this occurs because Evan’s bar mitzvah is only a few months away and he is trying to make it a huge party. This is where characters begin to clash.
Evan and Patrice seem like very good friends, but at school, Patrice is treated as a bit of a Pariah. This is because there is a bit of an implied history between Patrice and Lucy and now they simply cannot get along. As we get further into the story, we learn that Lucy is very manipulative as she attempts to break up her crush (Brett) and he best friend Kendra. With all of that, drama ensues, but TO MUSIC! The kids in this cast are particularly talented as dancers and singers and really do a good job diving into these stories.
Continue Reading for our Lessons from 13 the Musical
Favorite 13 the Musical Quotes
“The best and the worst
And the most and the least
And the crazy and the scary
And we’re just about to turn
Thirteen!”I love you and not just because I have to!
I think she misinterpreted my flirting for food poisoning.
I’ve just walked a few more steps than you, and maybe I can help you stumble a few less than I did.
Sometimes we make choices that inadvertently hurt the people we love the most.
If you push away everyone who ever makes a mistake, all you’ll be left with is yourself.
~13 the Musical Quotes~
Lessons from 13 the Musical
Conditional Friendship Is Not a Healthy Friendship
During the summer, Evan and Patrice become very close friends. This takes an abrupt turn when Evan starts to get close to the “cool kids” group. Patrice has an implied nasty history with one of the members of that group and feels immediately banished. Evan tries to tell Patrice that he will hang out with her separately, but as you may imagine, this only offends Patrice. Not that boundaries are bad in friendship, but if you are putting these sorts of conditions on a friendship, it may need some assistance.
Using Your Friends Only For Gain Is Never Good
Evan creates a plan to use another kid from the school named Archie. Archie is wheelchair bound and Evan realizes that if he can get Archie involved in his plan, people wouldn’t be as mad at him due to his handicap. Although Archie goes willingly, it still comes back to bite them and is simply not how we should perceive our friends.
Communication is King
Many of the issues in this musical (also in most films in general) could have easily been fixed with better communication. If Evan and Patrice could have hashed out Patrice’s history with Lucy, Evan may have understand her perspective more easily. Also, if Brett had listened to Andy Grammer’s “Honey, I’m Good” and implemented those lyrics, he would have been much better. With that said, it is middle school and all of these issues are true to life.
13 the Musical Discussion Questions
Themes to Discuss: Trust, Friendship, Relationships, Coming of Age, Grief, Middle School
- Which was your favorite song?
- Have you experienced or heard of similar stories as the ones in 13 the Musical? How did those turn out?
- If you could give on piece of advice to one of the characters, who would you choose and what would you tell them?
- Which character did you relate to the most and why?
- How can you be a better friend to your schoolmates from what you learned from this film?
Thanks for reading our Lessons from 13 the Musical. Before you go, check out these other posts:
-Our top family friendly Netflix Streaming Suggestions
–Better Nate Than Ever Review
–Trevor: The Musical Discussion Guide
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