In my local video rental shop, Puberty Blues sat on the same shelf as coming of age classics Porky's, Screwballs and the Lemon Popsicle series. Whereas those films followed the exploits of horny young males trying to get laid, Puberty Blues centres around a couple of girls, best friends Debbie Vickers (Nell Schofield) and Sue Knight (Jad Capelja), who strive to be part of the cool surfer clique. Other than this gender swap, it's business as usual, with the central characters breaking all the rules, drinking, smoking, getting stoned and, of course, rooting (as the Aussies call it).
While there's nothing particularly groundbreaking on offer, the smart direction, naturalistic performances, and a carefully balanced blend of realistic drama and silly comedy (craziest moment being a beach fight between the surfer dudes and the lifeguards) all go to make Puberty Blues a fun little movie, especially for those looking for a blast of '80s nostalgia.
While there's nothing particularly groundbreaking on offer, the smart direction, naturalistic performances, and a carefully balanced blend of realistic drama and silly comedy (craziest moment being a beach fight between the surfer dudes and the lifeguards) all go to make Puberty Blues a fun little movie, especially for those looking for a blast of '80s nostalgia.