User Reviews

This rather rare Austrailian film actually acts as somewhat of a pilot episode to the amazing series Heartbreak High. Several of the same characters are in this movie but i'm pretty sure only Rivers is played by the same actor. The story line of the film with Nick falling in love with the teacher was also repeated in the series only with Rivers eloping with a teacher. The film is an interesting insight to the first ideas of the characters which would later become more developed in the series, but you can see the startings with the strong links to the Greek community and to football (soccer) in the lead character. I know you can't get the series on DVD not sure about this film. I saw it by chance on BBC 2 several years ago, definitely worth a look if you're a fan of the show if you get a chance.

Alex Dimitriades has been a fixture in Australian television and it is easy to see why. "Tall, dark and handsome" hardly does him justice! His only film of note in the States was the gay "Head On" which caught his Aussie audience off guard. In that film he plays a gay, Greek ("wog") teen in a vibrant Greek community parallel to but not quite part of Australian society, and as a gay kid into every sort of pleasure he was an outcast from his own. "The Heartbreak Kid" is similar in the Greek part but he is lustfully heterosexual and full of testosterone. That his teacher responds to his advances is the turning point of the film and where belief becomes difficult, but in the end you DO expect them to meet again in two years. Claudia Karvan who plays the teacher was a regular in the OZ TV series "The Secret Life of Us" and is really only a year older than Dimitriades, but she does manage the teacher role well.

It's refreshing to see home grown cinema like this gracing our screens, and "The Heartbreak Kid" is now yet another Aussie movie we can be proud of.

Michael Jenkins' film tells the story of forbidden love between 22 year old teacher Christina and her 17 year old student, Nick. Not only is their relationship socially unacceptable, but in the Greek community it is a disgrace to the family. Alex Dimitriades and Claudia Karvan are convincing in a simple movie about two people caught in a real life situation.

Melburnians are sure to enjoy this often funny film not only for the familiar locale but also for the characters that are so true to life. Very enjoyable.

Friday, July 23, 1993 - Hoyts Forest Hill Chase

The storyline of this "movie " is disturbing !!!

The premise of a teacher getting in the "cot" with school student is socially diabolical and illegal Yes, I would have loved to "get the leg over " back in my school days. In addition to the indecency premise, the story is weak . I grew up in Sydney 80-90s, schools didn't play soccer against each other / or internally . Rugby League was the winter sport, not soccer as depicted in the movie

Don't bother watching this movie, the acting is very poor at best - add the poor acting / poor story / and indecent premise - this movie is to be avoided The main actor, Alex is terrible .