Looking For Alibrandi (novel)
Encyclopedia
Looking for Alibrandi is the debut novel
of Australian author Melina Marchetta
, published in 1990. A film adaptation was made in 1999
.
. Josie learns to overcome the narrow minded social and racial bigotry of people like Ivy Lloyd (Poison Ivy) and Carly Bishop. Josie reacts angrily to derogatory terms like wog
and ethnic. She ultimately learns to have pride in her heritage and by the end of the novel is proud to say I'm Australian with Italian blood flowing rapidly through my veins.
The absence of her father for Josie's first sixteen years means she has been heavily influenced by two powerful and strong women: her mother Christina and her grandmother Katia (Nonna). Josie unravels Nonna's deepest secret, which is the adultery she committed with her Australian lover, Marcus Sandford. Josephine's father, Michael Andretti, visits and despite Josie's initial anger at his presence, he becomes extremely close to her and her to him.
Friends such as Sera, Anna and Lee influence Josie's choices throughout her last year. A greater influence comes from her boyfriend Jacob Coote, and her crush, John Barton, whose suicide has a great emotional impact on her.
The story is Josephine's reflection in her final year at high school and the narrative style is first person.
Looking for Alibrandi is a novel written for ages between 12 and above, it reveals a great understanding of what life is about. Josephine realises by the end of the novel what life has in place for her future, and what she does and doesn't take for granted.
(1999) starred Pia Miranda
as Josephine Alibrandi, Anthony LaPaglia
as her father, Michael Andretti, and Kick Gurry
as her boyfriend, Jacob Coote. Melina Marchetta wrote the screenplay.
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
of Australian author Melina Marchetta
Melina Marchetta
Melina Marchetta is an Australian writer and teacher. She is the middle child of three daughters. Melina is best known as the author of Looking For Alibrandi. She has twice been awarded the CBCA Book of the Year for Older Readers, in 1993 and 2004.- Biography :Melina Marchettaborn in Sydney on 25...
, published in 1990. A film adaptation was made in 1999
1999 in film
The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
.
Plot summary
Josephine Alibrandi is a third generation Italian Australian completing her last year of high school. She is the School Vice-Captain of St Martha's in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Josie learns to overcome the narrow minded social and racial bigotry of people like Ivy Lloyd (Poison Ivy) and Carly Bishop. Josie reacts angrily to derogatory terms like wog
Wog
Wog or Pog is a slang word with a number of meanings, generally considered derogatory and, in some instances, extremely offensive when used in relation to ethnicity...
and ethnic. She ultimately learns to have pride in her heritage and by the end of the novel is proud to say I'm Australian with Italian blood flowing rapidly through my veins.
The absence of her father for Josie's first sixteen years means she has been heavily influenced by two powerful and strong women: her mother Christina and her grandmother Katia (Nonna). Josie unravels Nonna's deepest secret, which is the adultery she committed with her Australian lover, Marcus Sandford. Josephine's father, Michael Andretti, visits and despite Josie's initial anger at his presence, he becomes extremely close to her and her to him.
Friends such as Sera, Anna and Lee influence Josie's choices throughout her last year. A greater influence comes from her boyfriend Jacob Coote, and her crush, John Barton, whose suicide has a great emotional impact on her.
The story is Josephine's reflection in her final year at high school and the narrative style is first person.
Looking for Alibrandi is a novel written for ages between 12 and above, it reveals a great understanding of what life is about. Josephine realises by the end of the novel what life has in place for her future, and what she does and doesn't take for granted.
Film adaptation
Looking for AlibrandiLooking for Alibrandi
Looking for Alibrandi is a 1999 Australian film written by Melina Marchetta based on the novel of the same name. The film sets in the 1990s Sydney, New South Wales and starring Australian actors, including Pia Miranda as Josephine Alibrandi, the film's main character, Anthony LaPaglia as her...
(1999) starred Pia Miranda
Pia Miranda
Pia Miranda is an Australian, multi-award-winning actress whose career was launched with her successful 1999 role in the feature film Looking for Alibrandi, an Australian film based on the novel by Melina Marchetta....
as Josephine Alibrandi, Anthony LaPaglia
Anthony LaPaglia
Anthony M. LaPaglia is an Australian actor. He is known for his role as FBI agent Jack Malone on the American TV series Without a Trace, for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
as her father, Michael Andretti, and Kick Gurry
Kick Gurry
Christopher "Kick" Gurry an Australian actor born in Melbourne, Australia.-Early life:Gurry got his nickname when his brother could not say Christopher so he said Kicker...
as her boyfriend, Jacob Coote. Melina Marchetta wrote the screenplay.