HEY, HEY, IT’S ESTHER BLUEBURGER
Australia, 2008, 103 minutes, Colour.
Danielle Catanzariti, Keisha Castle- Hughes, Essie Davis, Russell Dykstra, Toni Collette, Christian Byers.
Directed by Cathy Randall.
This is an accomplished first film for writer-director, Cathy Randall, drawing on her Sydney school experiences after she moved from South Africa to Australia aged 7. Her memories of going to a private school and not fitting in has led to her creating an eccentrically lively Australian screen character.
Esther Blueburger is Jewish as is Cathy Randall, This is an important (and so far rather unusual) focus for an Australian film: the Jewish family and their beliefs, preparation for the Bar Mitzvah for both boy and girl, the ritual, the party (full of humorously stereotypical older Jewish mothers), the ignoring of invitations by the schoolgirls, the Jewish school for Esther’s twin brother – and his adolescent fervour for prayer and for kosher meals. This is interesting and entertaining, something of a breakthrough for Australian cinema (Norman Loves Rose and Two Brothers Running were made in the 1980s).
The film is an M-rated for Australian audiences with a smattering of swearing and some allusions to adolescent experimental sexual behaviour – enough to raise discussions for teenage girls, parents and teachers.
Danielle Catanzariti is a real find. She gives a totally self-possessed performance for her first film. She exudes confidence but, under the surface, are a 13 year old’s uncertainties: not accepted by the accomplished Australian version of WASP girls; not normal - although Normal is what she calls her pet duck who is forbidden to go to her Bar Mitzvah and who turns up as a featherless specimen for a class on the digestive system; exaggerating and lying to her parents; happy to find a friend and secretly transferring to the public school (under the cover of a Swedish exchange student!).
It is this friendship with Sunni (Keisha Castle- Hughes very different from Whale Rider and her role as Mary in The Nativity Story) and her mother (a strong cameo from Toni Collette) that disrupts her life. At first it is fun. Then she responds to taunts and dares from her new friends and becomes two-faced when she bullies another girl and then basks in acceptance at her old school (these girls think she is a spy in an experiment).
Esther is lively but by no means perfect and she has to learn – especially through a shock tragedy and her being unmasked and having to face and accept herself.
This is a very cheerful film that will appeal to adolescent girls who can identify with Esther (rather than the conformist elitist girls) in her exuberance but also in having to face up to reality. (The film was a great favourite in Berlin in the Kinderfestival in the section for 14 and over with 4 screenings.)
1.The impact of the film, its appeal to an adolescent audience, adolescent girls, parents, teachers?
2.The semi-autobiographical story of the writer-director, her experience of girls’ schools in the 80s and 90s?
3.The filming in Adelaide, the schools, suburbs, the streets, homes, clubs, offices? Authentic feel?
4.The musical score and the range of songs? Especially the song after Mary’s death, sung by Danielle Catanzariti?
5.The title and the tone, Esther, her age, thirteen, her personality, normal or not? Eccentric? The obligation to fit in at the private school? Her not doing so, lonely at lunchtime, not in the patterns and dancing of the girls? Not fitting into her family, her attempts, mistakes, hurting people, learning? Spelling her name at the public school, changing letter by letter? Her repetition of this on stage at the end? Her self-assertion?
6.The Jewish background, the school, non-Semitic rather than anti-Semitic? Jacob, his experience of anti-Semitism? The Bar-Mitzvah?, its importance, the preparation, rehearsals, the ceremony? The party afterwards? The father and his blessing and giving a special tie to Esther? The Jewish families at the party, the Jewish mothers and their eccentricity, their suggestions, criticisms of her hair …? Her break-dancing and doing somersaults? The importance of the Jewish background, Jacob and his becoming more Kosher, eating, prayer?
7.The family, the father and his work, style, communication, the blessing, his being puzzled about his children, Jacob and his hurting the boy with the compass? Jacob going to the Jewish school – and going into it fully? The mother, proper, proud of the private school? Always busy, her briefcase, not listening, leaving the discipline to her husband, especially Jacob licking the plate? Esther’s behaviour, her being deceived? The plans for the Bar-Mitzvah? party, with each of her children? Her being sick, praying to God – and the toilet? Esther’s attack on her as a bad mother? The end and the bond? The comic scene of the attempt at family therapy, everybody sitting in the bean bag, the silence of the therapist? Ineffectual?
8.Esther, alone at lunchtime, watching the other girls, their orderly behaviour, synchronised eating …? The credits, the patterns? The private school, the attitudes, snobs, bullying, the fat girl and her being tormented, the discipline, the uniforms, the hall, the singing? Assemblies? Esther and her request to the girls to go to the Bar-Mitzvah?, their not replying, getting their hair done …?
9.Esther and the duck, Normal, taking it home, it following her, her mother upset at the duck on the table? In the street, the menstrual blood, going into the toilet, watching the boys doing martial arts and the girls in the band, Sunni coming to talk with her? The beginning of a friendship?
10.The Bar-Mitzvah?, the ceremony, the ribbon for her, Jacob and his role? Mother and father present? The party, the types at the party, Sunni coming in, talking, the old lady asking what her parents did and her asking vice-versa? The dancing? Sunni’s school, Esther deciding to change, borrowing the uniform, pretending to be the Swedish exchange student, spelling her name to introduce herself in the class? Sunni and the various groups in the school (as in Mean Girls)? The Lions’ Lair, the special group of friends? Their being wary, gradually accepting Esther? Esther and her lies, the uniform, taking the raincoat from the fat girl, offering to give her the cheque, the girl taking it because it was Esther’s mother’s money?
11.The therapy session – the comedy, ineffectual?
12.Sunni, playing the drums, talking to Esther, the duck, the Bar-Mitzvah?, school, their friendship, hanging out? Esther changing, the bashing with the coat, the sexual issue with the boy, her going first, Sunni and her reaction?
13.Mary, bright, love for her daughter, striptease and dancing, preparing for the interview, the party for Sunni’s birthday and Sunni’s change of mood? Going shopping with Esther and her not arriving? The interview itself, answering the questions, her success? Forgetting the helmet? Esther taking it? The accident? Her love for Sunni – yet Sunni taking Esther and the girls to see her at the club and her walking out? Grief at her death?
14.Esther and the story of being a spy, telling Missy, everybody knowing, the fat girl explaining it and congratulating her, the gossip in the school, her return to the school and her being feted, popularity?
15.Sunni and the disillusionment, her own life, Esther as a puzzle, pushing Esther to be herself but angry at the results? Compounded by the grief for her mother?
16.At school, the choir, Esther humiliated by having to sing aloud, her return to the school? The parents, the singing, Esther going to the front, the microphone, spelling her name with the change of one letter, Sunni applauding, the fat girl applauding? Missy pushing her off the stage, her injuries?
17.The background of the school, the difference in classes – and the humour of the dissection of the duck? Her concern about the duck, and her praying that Mary would actually see the duck in Heaven? Her fall, sense being knocked into her? Her having to decide what was normal, what was idiosyncratic, what was being true to self – and the possibilities of change?
18.The children and their trying to contact Mary, serious, comic?
19.The final meal, Jacob being particularly Kosher, Esther as more ordinary, poised, the father and the prayer and wanting to get on with the meal, the mother and her easier relationship with her daughter? Esther being able to move on to the next phase of her life?
