Looking for Alibrandi (2000)

Director:

Kate Woods

Writers:

Melina Marchetta (novel)
Melina Marchetta (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 May 2000 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Sometimes what you're looking for is closer than you think...

Plot:

A teenage Australian girl deals with the traumas of everyday life. These include her difficult relationship with her single mother...

Plot Keywords:

Single Mother | Broken Nose | Self Identity | School Dance | Grandmother

Awards:

7 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Greta Scacchi	...	Christina Alibrandi
Anthony LaPaglia	...	Michael Andretti
Elena Cotta	...	Katia Alibrandi
Kerry Walker	...	Sister Louise (Nun)
Pia Miranda	...	Josie Alibrandi
Kick Gurry	...	Jacob Coote
Matthew Newton	...	John Barton
Leanne Carlow	...	Sera Conti
Diane Viduka	...	Anna Selicic
Leeanna Walsman	...	Carly Bishop
Michael Gallina	...	Robert
Rosa DiMarte	...	Patrizia
Domenico DiMarte	...	Riccardo
Tyrone Lara	...	Anton Valavic
Geoff Morrell	...	Mr. Barton

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | Hong Kong:IIA | New Zealand:M | Italy:T | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Bondi Beach, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Robyn Kershaw Productions

Trivia:

Anthony LaPaglia's character, Michael Andretti, lives in Adelaide, where LaPaglia himself was born.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Christina was conceived in 1945, so born no later than 1946. She had Josie when she was seventeen years old, meaning Josie was born in early 1965 at the very latest (most likely earlier). Josie is seventeen in the film, which would point to a setting around 1980 (give or take). However, several things - costumes, use of mobile phones, musical references, city features, various props and decor items - come from around the turn of the century, some twenty years later.

Quotes:

Josie Alibrandi: Wait, my father's a barrister,
Carly Bishop: She's lying! She doesn't have a father!
Josie Alibrandi: Yeah, that's right. And I'm the immaculate conception and my mother's the Virgin Mary!

Movie Connections:

References La dolce vita (1960)

Soundtrack:

Divine

Nice teen drama...

"Looking for Alibrandi" could be labeled as a teen-comedy, but the truth is that genre is rather connected with dumb cheerleaders and quarterbacks full of testosterone, so it would be quite unfair to put "LFA" into that bag, for this is a more serious movie, the characters are not complete idiots and the story deals with matters such as the pressure that parents put on their children when it's time for them to choose a career, or the immigration issue (the main characters are Italian that live in Australia).

In short: it's a kind movie that's been well filmed and with much more quality than the most of the sickly sweet Hollywood products such as "Never been kissed" and stuff.

*My rate: 6/10