The Heartbreak Kid | |
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Directed by | Michael Jenkins |
Written by | Michael Jenkins Richard Barrett |
Produced by | Ben Gannon |
Starring | Claudia Karvan Alex Dimitriades Nico Lathouris Steve Bastoni Esme Melville Scott Major Bao Quach Harry Shiamaris |
Distributed by | Village Roadshow |
Release date |
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Running time | 93 minutes |
Country | Australia |
Languages | English Greek |
The Heartbreak Kid is a 1993 Australian romantic comedy film directed by Michael Jenkins, who also wrote with Richard Barrett. It stars Claudia Karvan as Christina Papadopoulos, a 22-year-old Greek-Australian teacher who falls in love with her 17-year-old, soccer-obsessed student, Nick Polides, played by Alex Dimitriades.
The film was based on the 1987 stage play of the same name. It was filmed in the inner suburb of Prahran, Victoria, with many of its real students co-opted as extras. Scenes at the teacher's family home were shot in Avondale Heights in Melbourne's north-west.
In a 2024 interview, Karvan commented on The Heartbreak Kid saying that she doesn't "take responsibility" for the controversial storyline: "I didn't write it. I didn't direct it. I didn't produce it... I was a 19 year old girl. And it was a tough job. I felt like I was an adult, and I was playing a very adult role... I probably wasn't that equipped to do it. I got through and I did it, but it wasn't my favourite job." She also pointed out that a friend of hers had recently seen the film and was less troubled by the age gap than the fact that the Nick character "pretty much (stalks)" Christina. [1]
Michael Jenkins and Ben Gannon developed the 1994 television series Heartbreak High as a spin-off of the film, with several cast members reprising their roles, reimagined in a Sydney setting.
Christina Papadopoulos is a 22-year-old school teacher, engaged to ambitious lawyer Dimitri. Christina's entire future seems planned out for her—albeit planned by her fiancé, her father and her priest.
Lively 17-year-old Nick Polides is a student in Christina's Greek class and a soccer fanatic who supports local Melbourne club South Melbourne FC. Nick finds himself attracted to Christina and makes numerous passes at her which she rebuffs. But her resistance begins to crumble as both begin to rebel against the constricting Greek-Australian cultural restraints put upon them.
When Christina becomes the manager of the school's newly formed soccer team, she and Nick begin to spend more time together outside of school hours. Though Christina is initially hesitant at Nick's continuous advances, she soon gives into impulses and engages in an illicit relationship with Nick. She uses the house left by her friend for rendezvous with Nick outside school hours. Their amorous relationship progresses quickly as they fall in love with each other. But as the news of their relationship leaks out, Christina faces severe shaming at her workplace. She is further berated by Nick's father for breaking the trust placed upon her as a teacher. Her fiancé learns of the relationship and gives her a choice that he is willing to let the matter slide if she promises to act as if her past with Nick never occurred. But Christina, by then very much in love with Nick and tired of her overbearing fiancé, breaks off the engagement and leaves to meet up with Nick. She tells Nick of her decision to leave Dimitri and mentions that she would be pursuing overseas postgraduate studies for two years until Nick graduates. An overjoyed Nick readily agrees and promises to meet up after two years. The film ends on a positive note with their kiss and soccer-play under the sun.
Mike Jenkins developed the script with Richard Barrett, who wrote the original play, over two years, doing around seven drafts. Jenkins and the cast then rehearsed for three weeks. [2] The Soccer scenes were filmed at South Melbourne's old ground at Middle Park (stadium) with Socceroo Con Boutsianis being the stand in for the soccer scenes involving Nick. [3]
The Heartbreak Kid took in A$2,658,819 at the box office, making it the 74th most successful Australian film (1966–2008). [4]
The Heartbreak Kid received three nominations at the 1993 Australian Film Institute Awards in the categories of Best Supporting Actor (Nico Lathouris), Best Director (Michael Jenkins) and Best Film (Ben Gannon). [5] The film was nominated for and won Best Screenplay at the Montreal World Film Festival in 1993. [6]
Alex Dimitriades is an Australian television, film and stage actor of greek descent. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Nick Polides in the 1993 romantic comedy film The Heartbreak Kid and as Nick Poulos in the 1994 television teen drama spin-off Heartbreak High. He won critical acclaim for his role as Ari, a troubled second generation Greek Australian in Head On (1998). He won the Film Critics Circle of Australia award for Best Actor for the role and was nominated nominated for the AFI Award for Best Actor. In 2012, he won the AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor for his role in The Slap.
Wildside is an Australian crime drama television series broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 1997 to 1999. It was created by director Michael Jenkins and producer Ben Gannon.
Greek Australians are Australians of Greek ancestry. Greek Australians are one of the largest groups within the global Greek diaspora. As per the 2021 Australian census, 424,750 people stated that they had Greek ancestry, comprising 1.7% of the Australian population. At the 2021 census, 92,314 Australian residents were born in Greece.
Head On is a 1998 Australian LGBT-related romantic drama film directed by Ana Kokkinos, who wrote the screenplay with Andrew Bovell and Mira Robertson. The film is based on the 1995 novel Loaded by Christos Tsiolkas. The film stars Alex Dimitriades, Paul Capsis, Elena Mandalis and Damien Fotiou. The film tells the story of Ari (Dimitriades), a dissolute 19-year-old second generation Greek-Australian in Melbourne. Ari is caught between his conservative Greek background and modern Australia, amid his homosexual desire.
Heartbreak High is an Australian television programme created by Michael Jenkins and Ben Gannon that ran from 1994 to 1996 on Network Ten and 1997 to 1999 on the ABC, for seven series. It was also partially funded from 1996 by BBC2, with some episodes airing in the UK ahead of their Australian release. The drama has been described as more gritty and fast-paced than many of its contemporaries, and follows the lives of students and staff at a multicultural Sydney high school.
Claudia Karvan is an Australian actress and producer. As a child actor, she first appeared in the film Molly (1983) and followed with an adolescent role in High Tide (1987). She portrayed a teacher in The Heartbreak Kid (1993) – the film was spun off into a TV series, Heartbreak High (1994–1999), with her character taken over by Sarah Lambert. Karvan's roles in television series include The Secret Life of Us (2001–2005), Love My Way (2004–2007), Newton's Law (2017) and Halifax: Retribution (2020). She won Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama at the AFI Awards for her appearance in G.P. (1996). She won two similar AFI Awards for her role in Love My Way and in 2014 for her work in The Time of Our Lives (2013–2014). As a co-producer and co-writer on Love My Way, she won three further AFI Awards for Best Drama Series in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Karvan was inducted into the Australian Film Walk of Fame in 2007 in acknowledgment of her contributions to the Australian film and television industry. From 2010 to 2011, she starred in the drama series Spirited, which she co-created and was executive producer. She appeared as Judy Vickers in Puberty Blues. Karvan has co-produced House of Hancock and Doctor Doctor (2016–2021). In 2021 she co-created, co-produced and starred in the TV drama series, Bump.
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Nico Lathouris is an Australian actor and writer. He is best known for his roles as George Polides in the 1993 romantic comedy film The Heartbreak Kid and as George Poulos in the 1994 television teen drama spin-off Heartbreak High. In both, he plays a Greek Australian patriarch, father of the protagonist, Nick. Lathouris was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film at the 1993 Australian Film Institute Awards.
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The Heartbreak Kid may refer to:
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