Thirteen ending explained: Here's what happened to Tracy

Thirteen is a film in the psychological teen drama genre that was released on August 20, 2003, after its Sundance premiere. The film is directed by Catherine Hardwicke, who has also written the screenplay with Nikki Reed.

Here is the official synopsis as per Letterboxd,

When average 13-year-old Tracy befriends Evie, the most popular girl in school, Tracy’s world is turned upside down as Evie introduces her to a world of sex, drugs and cash. But it isn’t long before Tracy’s new world and attitude finally takes a toll on her, her family, and old friends.

Let's look at the film's ending and find out what happens to the character of Tracy.

How does Thirteen end?

Thirteen revolves around Tracy Freeland (played by Evan Rachel Wood), who is a teenage girl from Los Angeles studying in seventh grade. We see how she is navigating her life as she gets into substance abuse, crime, and sexual discoveries with the help of her classmate, Evie Zamora (Nikki Reed).

Melanie decides to put an end to the growing bond between Evie and Tracy after witnessing their lifestyle and addictions. She wants Tracy to live with her father, but he declines. She then meets Brooke with Tracy and Evie, realizing that he was hiding because his plastic surgery went wrong. Melanie declines Evie's offer to adopt her.

Evie, seeing the entire ordeal, leaves the house in tears. She then decides to tell people a false rumor about Tracy in school. Tracy goes through an epiphany after realizing that she has failed in seventh grade and will need to repeat.

Towards the end, Brady takes Tracy to his house, where she meets Brooke, Evie, and Melanie. Brooke accuses Tracy of being a bad influence on everyone, including Evie.

However, Tracy tries to explain that it's the other way around. Brooke then decides to take Evie to a different city in California. Melanie asks everyone to leave after seeing self-harm scars on Tracy's hands. She then tries to comfort the latter.

What happened to Tracy towards the end of Thirteen?

As Thirteen reaches its end, Melanie is feeling bad for Tracy after being accused of being a bad influence on Evie. She also saw all the scars on Tracy's sleeves. Melanie tries to comfort Tracy by being with her during a hard time. The two keep talking and eventually fall asleep on the bed.

The last sequence of the film features Tracy being all by herself at a park where she is riding a merry-go-round. It might signify that the friendship between Tracy and Evie has ended, while the latter was blamed for everything. Tracy is now left alone, and she eventually embraces the solitude. The storyline showcases how tough it is for some teenagers to navigate life at that age.

The film is inspired by Nikki Reed's real life. In a HuffPost interview, the actress revealed that the film had a bad impact on her family. She said,

"I have tons of regrets with that. 'Thirteen' was really hard on my family. I wrote this movie about them and their flaws and imperfections and what it was like growing up ... You get older and it's like, how dare I portray my father as being a totally vacant careless schmuck?"

What do you think of the film's ending?