The Thirteenth Year is a 1999 American fantasy comedy film directed by Duwayne Dunham and starring Chez Starbuck and Courtnee Draper.

Years later, Cody establishes himself as a quick swimmer on his school's swim team, and he has a girlfriend named Samantha.

Jess notices scales forming on Cody's hand and says he has only seen that kind of thing on frogs and lizards.

Jess runs various tests, learning Cody can generate electricity, hold his breath underwater for a long period of time, climb walls, talk to fish, swim extremely fast, and when wet, scales appear on his hands, arms and feet.

Despite the risks, he attends the swim meet anyway and not only wins and beats his teammate and rival Sean, but breaks the state speed record.

Cody's scales and arm fins have reappeared, however, and he causes a power surge to flee, breaking the scoreboard.

The following night Cody takes a swim, and meets his mermaid mother; however, Big John, the obsessed fisherman, spots them and breaks up the reunion, forcing the two to retreat in opposite directions.

After she leaves, Cody is in shock as he watches his left foot morph into a flipper and scales grow on his leg.

Jess comes on board the boat and removes the blanket, revealing Cody's legs, which have both transformed into fins.

Cody asks Jess to help his mother, so he takes a knife and jumps into the water to cut the net.

The Thirteenth Year was the film debut of lead actor Chez Starbuck, who had previously only acted in a few commercials, and had served as an anchor of a local children's news program for KLAS-TV in his hometown of Las Vegas.

[1] The ocean scenes were primarily shot in the Newport Beach communities of the Balboa Peninsula and Corona del Mar.

"[6] In June 2011, Stephan Lee of Entertainment Weekly called the film a "heartwarming and somewhat creepy tale of growing up, leaving the nest, and of course, being yourself".

[7] In 2012, Complex ranked the film at number 17 on the magazine's list of the 25 best Disney Channel Original Movies.