Tweens love Alison Ashley, by Belinda Yench (The Blurb)

The long awaited film adaptation of Robin Klein’s cult tween novel Hating Alison Ashley is here.

A huge hit among senior primary and junior secondary school students in the late eighties and early nineties, Hating Alison Ashley – the book - has faded in popularity over the last few years. But with everyone’s favourite pop star, Delta Goodrem making her feature film debut in the film version, I’m sure tweens of Australia will be converging on their libraries and bookstores with fervour once again.

Erica Yurken (Saskia Burmeister), or Yuk, as she is affectionately known, is a drama queen waiting for her big moment. She lives with her loving, but dysfunctional family including an older sister going through a rebellious phase, a stoner older brother, and a younger sister who is convinced she’s actually a horse. In order to deal with her very ordinary life, Yuk daydreams about being a famous movie star, great heroine and almost anything else that takes her away from the hum drum world of Barringa East.

Yuk is the shining light of obedience in a sea of misfits at Barringa East High School. Even the teachers have dubious teaching and class control skills. So Erica is delighted when no-nonsense Miss Belmont (Jean Kitson) sweeps in with her droll sense of humour and boot camp style discipline. Yuk becomes Miss Belmont’s darling... until new student Alison Ashley (Delta Goodrem) breezes into Barringa East from studying in Europe and usurps Yuk’s throne.

At first, Yuk is not put off by Alison Ashley’s seemingly perfect life and attempts to make friends with the new beauty. Unfortunately, the green-eyed monster of envy takes over, and Yuk and Alison become rivals. However being rivals is harder than it seems and the two girls are inexplicably drawn together through their hidden similarities.

Their rivalry comes to a head on school camp, where Erica has been dreaming of making her stage debut as Juliet in the annual school play. As with most teen dramas things don’t exactly go to plan, and Yuk and Alison must face off over their families, dreams and the affections of the class bully.

Like Looking for Alibrandi, Hating Alison Ashley has a dedicated audience of book fans - and Delta fans – waiting to bust down the cinema doors. The producers have born this in mind, and released a PG rated, tween friendly film with enough gags for the original fans of the books who are possibly now taking their daughters to the film.

There are a few gross-out gags and character stereotypes to pad the dramatic moments with comedy, and the Yuk’s narration is full of blind optimism and indignance at the trials she must face as a teenager. Writer Christine Madafferi has developed a clever script with enough elements from the original story to ring true with readers, but also updated the characters to reflect current teenage dilemmas and pop culture references.

The cast are on the whole, very good. Saskia Burmeister and Alexander Capelli (as school bully Barry) are excellent in their first leading feature roles. Jean Kitson is hilarious as the twisted Miss Belmont, and while more cringeworthy but still amusing, Craig Maclachlan does a good job as the stereotyped PE teacher.

Unfortunately, Delta Goodrem is the week link in the chain. Her performance seems wooden, and at best she looks to be just playing herself. Admittedly she’s come direct from the soapie school of acting, but I was disappointed with her after all the hype. Nevertheless, her starring role will bring in the pocket-money punters.

The sound track features pop bands The Waifs and Amiel, with a few harder-style bands thrown in like Blink 182 and The Dissociatives. In general the soundtrack is pretty cool and I’m sure it will be added to the collection of many young music fans this Easter holidays.

As I said, the audience for this film is guaranteed, and girls and young women alike have been queuing up for their tickets in the first week of release. It’s sure to give the other Easter holiday kids flicks (including blockbuster Robots) a run for its money at the box office.

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