Six Reasons to Watch 13 Reasons Why With Teens
13 REASONS WHY on Netflix is one of the very best adaptations of a young-adult book I've ever seen. I don't say this lightly. I review movies and young adult books for a living (and for fun), and have seen pretty much every YA-based film and television show created in the past two decades, from the standard-bearer Harry Potter and Hunger Games series to the heartbreaking romances like The Fault in Our Stars, If I Stay, and Me and Earl and the Dyin Girl to the seemingly never-ending stream of mediocre "the book was so much better" fare I won't even begin to mention.
What Netflix has done with Jay Asher's groundbreaking 2007 novel is nothing short of extraordinary. It's faithful to the spirit of the book, about Hannah Baker, who has not only committed suicide but has left 13 tapes for the people she feels contributed to her decision to end her life. The series, produced by Selena Gomez — who at one point wanted to play Hannah — is brutally honest in its portrayal of bullying, self-harm, rape, and suicide, and utterly, vitally important. We can't ignore the ugly plague of adolescent depression and suicide. As a mother of three children, two of whom are middle and high schoolers, I did something I hardly ever do. I disregarded the TV-MA rating and watched the episodes with (or for the sake of full disclosure: the same week as my kids — although I did close my 12-year-old daughter's eyes during one graphic scene).
Here are six reasons parents should watch 13 REASONS WHY with their teens:
1. The book: It's the 10th anniversary of Jay Asher's award-winning best-seller, which follows the story of Hannah Baker, who is already dead by the first page of the book. Clay, her co-worker who had a secret crush on her, is about to get the tapes that retell all 13 reasons Hannah's life started to feel pointless, and as he listens to Hannah's voice, Clay's life will never be the same again. With more than 3.2 million copies in print, chances are your middle or high schooler has heard of it, has read it, or has it in their school library. The Chicago Tribune called Asher's debut masterpiece "eerie, beautiful, and devastating," and Entertainment Weekly hailed it as "saving teen lives." Whether you read it and then watch the Netflix adaptation, or see it and then read it, you should definitely make sure to do both. Get "Thirteen Reasons Why" the book.
2. The messages: The Netflix series, like the book, is part mystery (what happened to Hannah that made her want to commit suicide?), part cautionary tale (what, if anything, could have stopped Hannah?). It encourages teens, educators, parents to pay attention, take responsibility, and recognize all the ways we let friends, classmates, students, and our children down in various ways. The story makes us take note of the casual joke or lie about how a date went, how "far" a girl will go, how hot or not, how easy, etc. To look at the bullying, objectifying, slut-shaming, and pushing away that happens every day. The rape that's covered up as "boys will be boys." We can't turn away from the clear and present dangers that exist for our children in school and out of school.
3. The acting: As Hannah and Clay, Australian actress Katherine Langford, 21, and American actor Dylan Minnette, 20, lead an outstanding, diverse cast of young actors (most of them are in their early 20s), with veterans Kate Walsh and co-starring as Hannah's bereaved parents and Derek Luke playing her school's overwhelmed guidance counselor. Minnette and Langford are both amazing handling the nuanced, heavy material, and of the supporting cast, my favorite is Christian Navarro. The 25-year-old plays Tony, a friend of Clay's who was also friends with Hannah — and knows more than he can let on about the tapes.
4. The diversity: Sometimes diversity is just for set-dressing, but not in this series. Sexual identity and race and ethnicity are depicted in a thoughtful, nuanced way. There are out-and-proud and in-the-closet characters, but we don't want to out the characters, since in a few cases, it's a key plot point. Hannah and Clay's wise friend Tony is Latinx; Zach the hot jock and Courtney the uptight honor-court judge are Asian; Marcus the cocky student-class president is black, as is Sheri the sweet cheerleader, and Mr. Porter. Jessica, Hannah's ex-bestie is biracial.
5. The conversations: Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for kids 12-18, and we owe it to our children to discuss it. According to national health statistics, suicide rates just keep climbing, especially among adolescent girls 10 and up. Asher has combined various crisis resources for parents and teens in need of help. But it's not just suicide, although that's obviously the most devastating issue explored in the story. Parents and teens can also talk about substance abuse; the difference between consensual sex and rape; stalking; bullying; coming out; and more.
6. The reasons you don't know about: As much as we all think we know our children, particularly our teens, the truth is we don't and can't know everything about their inner lives. They could be covering their pain and hurt because they love us and don't want to worry us. The Bakers loved Hannah more than anything, but they didn't see the signs that she was in serious trouble. Watching this film may lead to tough or even uncomfortable conversations, but they're necessary to have, and they may even help save a life.
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About Sandie Angulo Chen
SANDIE ANGULO CHEN is a writer, critic, and pop culture addict. She's written about movies, books, and entertainment since 1998, when she landed her first job after college at Entertainment Weekly. Sandie has contributed as a feature writer and critic at AOL Moviefone, the Washington Post, Variety, Huffington Post, TV Squad, Film.com, Kirkus Books, and other entertainment outlets. When she's not running around the DC area with her three children, reading YA books, or screening movies and TV shows (favorites include Singin' in the Rain, Pulp Fiction, All About My Mother, Lost, The Simpsons, and The Wire), she runs Teen Lit Rocks, a young-adult book blog and The DC Moms, a local lifestyle site. She holds a bachelors degree in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University. Follow her on Twitter at @sandieachen & @teenlitrocks and on Instagram at @sandie_chen.