Looking for Alibrandi is an outstanding novel written by Melina Marchetta and published by Penguin Books in 1992. It is a story full of love and passion, hatred of foe, and tragic sadness. This novel is so excellent with its sensational ideas that in 2000 the novel was made into a hit movie starring Pia Miranda as Josephine Alibrandi.Seventeen-year-old Josephine Alibrandi is in her last year at St. Martha's, a wealthy Catholic secondary school for girls whose fathers treat them like princesses. Josephine feels that she doesn't fit in anywhere for the following reasons. She is an Italian whose grandmother moved out to Sydney when she got married. She is on a scholarship at St Martha's and is surrounded by rich snobbish girls who already have modeling careers. Josie has been called a bastard all her life due to the fact that she has never met her father. But for Josie this year, everything changes for the better, and for worse. This is the year that she will meet her father (Michael Andretti) for the first time in her life, but not in the way she had imagined. The year she finds out about her Nonna Katia's affair with an Australian man called Marcus Sandford. He is Josie's mum's real dad, because Nonna Katia's husband Francesco couldn't have children of his own. It also the year that Josie tries to make the man of her dreams fall in love with her. He goes to St Anthony's and is the son of a Member of Parliament, his name is John Barton, and in Josie's opinion he is the greatest debater who ever lived, popular and good looking. Josie and John are very good friends and hang out a lot. Josie thinks that John is perfect and wants to be part of his world, but when John suicides she realizes that not even he belonged in his world.It takes Josie a long time to get over John, but soon starts going out with a boy called Jacob Coote. Jacob is school captain of Cook High, and Josie and Jacob are always on and off together throughout the novel. Not only does Josie have all of this happening but she also has her HS (the Higher School Certificate) to worry about, because she wants to study law at University. However, once HS is over, Josephine realizes that everything is going to be fine when she looks back on the year and knows who she is. Josephine is Nonna Katia's Granddaughter, and Michael and Christina's daughter. She is not an Italian and not an Australian, but an individual. It's not a bad effort, even if the first half of Looking for Alibrandi demonstrates a good crackling pace and the second, a rather flattened pace. But that is generalizing - it's quite a bumping ride, as we follow the domestic life of Italian born Josephine, who is undertaking her final level of high school. The guy she wants is just out of her reach, then lately, way out of her reach, and the guy who wants her is keen for the feelings to be reciprocated. The mixture of two possible love interests gives Looking for Alibrandi a slight edge on other squishy little heartthrob dramas, and it gets a nod of appreciation from me for not flat lining its characters into their social stereotypes. Some of the last few monologues lost my interest completely, but that's a minor quibble in the scheme of things. A lot of the film is quite enjoyable. It just doesn't quite handle the complexities of its self-narration in a method that can sustain itself as an engrossing picture. Instead, it's a bumpy ride, which in a way reflects the life of its teenage protagonist.

I love the movie , although had forgotten how different the book is to the movie until i re read it the other day . But I think that there needed to be changes in the movie , just because of the time difference on when the book was written and set, and when the film was produced. And Melina Marchetta, the author of the book also wrote the screenplay so the characters are true reflections of how she wants them to appear. Also i love the soundtrack, especially the cover of U2's With or Without you at John Bartons Funeral , and Teenager of the Year. Its so funny coz during my final Yr 12 exams in my very last exam I remembered that song as I was finishing... it must have helped i got a good mark !! lol

I think this is one of my Favourite Australian movies.i loved this movie it was easy to relate to, well directed and Pia was great as the main character. This movie was quiet sad at times and i cried like a baby. BUt it had sum beautiful moments that just make you smile. I really liked Kick Gurry especially his little speech, and he is so drop dead gorgeous . I also read the book after i saw the movie and i recommend that too. the only thing i wish was different is that there would be a sequel but its too late now.i would recommend this to especially teenage girls, but females and most guys would love this movie. anyway 10 thumbs up

I borrowed this movie when I was in Australia earlier this year. I liked it so much that I watched it a second time (the same day) with some friends and a third time the day before I had to give the movie back. I bought the DVD and now I can watch it at home whenever I want. Now I put it in my recorder every time when I want to be remembered about the good time I had in Australia and it works.But well, that is not the only reason why I like that movie. I just think that the story is very sweet. I have never been in Josie's situation but I really can feel with her. This movie makes me smile and it makes me think about my own teenage years. Honestly, there is nothing that I do not like about that movie. Just watch it and I hope for you that you can see it just a bit like I see it every time I watch it again and again and again.