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.

I saw this film a few days ago by accident on late night TV. As it was starting it looked kind of dated and I thought it was a 50's film of some sort. But then i saw the Greek family and as i'm from a Greek background i thought it was gonna be an interesting watch. Then after I saw about 15 minutes i knew it was based on the TV series "Heartbreak High" or should i say the series was based on the film. I never knew this film existed or that the series was based on such a film so it was a bit of shock. It's an interesting fictional film that takes place in the Greek community in Australia. However, it felt a bit corny in places only because it was made 10 years ago and it's really dated.

When i sat down to watch this film i thought that it would be another story about a kids infatuation with an older person, and it would go nowhere. But i was very supprised and pleased that it had some depth to it. Nick falls in love with his teacher and at first she doesnt want to know, as she is engaged and is planning a big wedding. Nick persists and she finally gives in. I dont want to give too much away about the film, but if your looking for a film about very strong relationships, then definatly see this one.