Puberty Blues (1981)
-
64% of users liked it
(894 ratings)
Director Bruce Beresford continued his tradition of putting socially disenfranchised characters front and center with this wryly observant comedy drama about middle class Australian teens that served as a stark contrast to the popular American teen films of its day. Friends from the Sydney suburb of… More Director Bruce Beresford continued his tradition of putting socially disenfranchised characters front and center with this wryly observant comedy drama about middle class Australian teens that served as a stark contrast to the popular American teen films of its day. Friends from the Sydney suburb of Cronulla, Debbie (Nell Schofield) and Sue (Jad Capelja) are a pair of average schoolgirls who smoke, drink, have sex, and cheat on exams. The girls are also striving to become "surfie chicks," the groupies that hang around the surfer boy gangs of southern Sydney, pairing off with the objects of their affection. Adhering to odd rules that prevent them from eating or going to the bathroom in the surfers' presence, the girls get into trouble for their wild behavior, with Debbie eventually fearing that she's pregnant, leading to a fatal overdose of heroin for her boyfriend Garry (Geoff Rhoe). Ultimately, Debbie and Sue become disillusioned with the sexism and narrow-mindedness of their crowd. Puberty Blues (1981) was based on the book of the same name by Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey, a pair of real-life Sydney teens who wrote newspaper articles under the pseudonym "The Salami Sisters." ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Directed By
- Bruce Beresford
- Written By
- Margaret Kelly
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy
R,
- In Theaters
- Dec 10, 1981 Wide
Critic Reviews
-
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Examines the quest of popularity by teenagers as proof of self-worth
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Subscription Services
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Cast
-
Nell Schofield
as Debbie
-
Jad Capelja
as Sue
-
Geoff Rhoe
as Garry
-
Sandy Paul
as Tracy
-
Jay Hackett
as Bruce
-
Ned Lander
as Strach
-
Tina Robinson
as Freda
-
Kirrily Nolan
as Mrs. Vickers
-
Alan Cassell
as Mr. Vickers
-
Rowena Wallace
as Mrs. Knight
-
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell
as Headmaster
-
Tony Hughes
as Danny
-
Pamela Gibbons
as Jazz ballet teacher
-
Brian Harrison
as Mr. Little
-
Brian Anderson
as Drive-in Attendent
-
Andrew Martin
as Berkhoff
