Why Is ‘13 Going On 30’ Called ‘Suddenly 30’ In Australia? An Investigation

Suddenly 30 is one of my fave films from the early ‘00s for so many reasons. There’s some outrageous fashion (including that Versace dress), Jennifer Garner’s comedy chops are on full display, and who can forget the ‘Thriller’ dance? 

Some of the lines in that film are so damn iconic, and I’m guilty of sending a GIF of Jennifer’s character Jenna Rink saying “30, flirty and thriving” to every single friend that’s turned 30.

If you’ve somehow managed to go your entire life without seeing the film, it’s a classic age-swap rom-com, with Jenna going from age 13, to 30 in an instant. It seems pretty self-explanatory, but for some reason, distributors didn’t think Aussies would understand the American title 13 Going on 30. 

Michelle Andrews from the Shameless Podcast recently dredged up this fact, and shared the “embarrassing” reason on TikTok.

“Apparently whoever was responsible for the Australian distribution of the film decided Australians wouldn’t understand the saying ‘13 going on 30’. They decided it was too American, and Australians just wouldn’t get it, which is so embarrassing,” Michelle said. 

“But it’s not just that. Apparently, Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon were in a movie together… it wasn’t called Fever Pitch here, it was called The Perfect Catch,” she added. 

Another notable entry was the comedy Neighbours (starring Australia’s own Rose Byrne), which was changed to Bad Neighbours, because you know, it would be so easy to confuse our low-budget soapie with a Hollywood film.

@shameless_podcast Replying to @user132244878971 ♬ original sound – Shameless Podcast

This got me wondering what else was lost in translation, and I’ve found a few other titles that were changed for Aussie audiences

The classic 1994 film The Mighty Ducks, about the underdog hockey team with the same name, was released in Australia as Champions. Were they worried we’d think the film was actually about birds?

The Sandlot was changed slightly for its Australian release, with distributors deciding to add the word “kids” to the end. Because, you know, having all the kids on the poster wouldn’t be enough to convince Australians it’s about kids.

Zac Efron’s That Awkward Moment was released here as Are We Officially Dating. Tbh, I think the Aussie title works better for this bromantic comedy. 

And finally, we can’t forget about The Morning Show, the Apple+ TV show starring Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston. It was released in Australia as Morning Wars, since Channel Seven’s breakfast show is literally called The Morning Show, so that change seems justified. 

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Image credits: Sony Pictures, 13 Going on 30, Disney, The Mighty Ducks