Puberty Blues (1981)

The mating rituals of two teenage surf chicks from the southern suburbs of Sydney.

Director:

Bruce Beresford

Writers:

Margaret Kelly (screenplay), Kathy Lette (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Nell Schofield, Jad Capelja, Jeffrey Rhoe

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nell Schofield	...	Debbie Vickers
Jad Capelja	...	Sue Knight
Jeffrey Rhoe	...	Garry (as Geoff Rhoe)
Tony Hughes	...	Danny
Sandy Paul	...	Tracy
Leander Brett	...	Cheryl
Jay Hackett	...	Bruce
Ned Lander	...	Strach
Joanne Olsen	...	Vicki
Julie Medana	...	Kim
Michael Shearman	...	Glenn
Dean Dunstone	...	Seagull
Tina Robinson Hansen	...	Freda (as Tina Robinson)
Nerida Clark	...	Carol
Kirrily Nolan	...	Mrs. Vickers

Storyline

Meet Sue, a teenage Australian girl in the late 70s, whose life mainly consists of doing what everyone else does - watch the surfing boys and have sex with the same surfing boys. The girls have to follow lots of strange customs, e.g. do not eat or go to the bathroom when a boy is around. Ugly girls have two choices - being bitches and hate boys, or being generally cheap and looked down upon by everyone. The afternoons are spent on the beaches, in the backseats of car or at home-alone-parties where sex and alcohol are the main ingredients. Parents and teachers are trying to straighten the kids out, but that is not easy.

---

Plot Keywords:

watching tv | man wears a swimsuit | name calling | sex | surfing | 

---

Taglines:

Getting them can be fun!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie seen on the big screen at the drive-in was the late 1970s Ozploitation horror movie Thirst (1979) whilst the film being shown on television whilst the surfie youth are sitting around watching TV was Don's Party (1976) which was also directed by Bruce Beresford the director of Puberty Blues (1981).

---

Goofs

Debbie's hair changes length throughout the film.

---

Quotes

Debbie Vickers: It stinks.
Sue Knight: What?
Debbie Vickers: Everything.

---

Connections

Remade as Puberty Blues (2012)

---

Soundtracks

I Hope I Never
Performed by Split Enz
Written by Tim Finn

User Reviews

Nothing new but enjoyable

Movie about two Australian girls--Debbie (Nell Schofield) and Sue (Sue Knight)--and what happens when they become girlfriends of two surfer guys.

I caught this at an art cinema here in America in 1981. Technically I was still a teenager (I was 19) so I was interested in seeing how Australian teens acted. Script wise there's nothing new here. It shows the usual teenage adventures dealing with dating, sex, suicide etc etc. I always knew what was going to happen before it did but I was never bored. What I found interesting was, despite the accent and a few changes in clothes and hair, these teenagers aren't much different than American teens. They had many of the same difficulties and hang-ups. Also this was based on a book from a real surfer girl and her true life adventures and (I heard) it was a faithful adaptation of it. The acting was just OK but the actors were attractive and this was well-made and pretty interesting. So this is no unsung masterpiece but a pretty accurate portrayal of what it's like being a teenager and trying to be with the popular kids. I give it a 7.

Details

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 December 1981 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Puberty Blues

Filming Locations:

Sutherland, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,381, 17 July 1983

Gross USA:

$237,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$237,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Limelight Productions (II)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1