At first glance, Michael Jenkins' The Heartbreak Kid appears to be a traditional, conventional coming-of-age drama in which an older, more experienced, woman awakens a younger man's sexuality. Instead of falling into the trap of predictability, though, Jenkins and Richard Barrett (whose play the film is based upon) reversed the stereotypical roles and, in doing so, catalysed the development of a poignant sub-plot relating to the restrictiveness of Greek traditions regarding the place of women.
Jenkins' film centres around the developing relationship between Christina (Claudia Karvan), a 22-year-old teacher whose life has been mapped out for her, and Nick (Alex Dimitriades), a free-spirited 17-year-old student of Christina's. According to the conventions of the genre established in Homework, Blue Velvet (1986) and, locally, in The Year My Voice Broke (1987) the worldly woman is expected to broaden the angst-ridden boy's horizons by initiating and fostering his sexual awakening. Nick, however, is the worldlier of the two in The Heartbreak Kid; his working-class Greek-Australian upbringing teaching him the bare truth about life on the streets. Christina, on the other hand, has, by her own admission, locked herself into a marriage that promises children, housework and a home across the street from her parents.
In setting up an epic clash of sub-cultures, Jenkins has created a modest interpretation of the oft-imitated Romeo and Juliet-type plot progression. His thematic concerns coincide with Shakespeare's, the most obvious being the bridging of a social rift by a pair of naïve, ill-fated lovers. Similarly, Jenkins and Barrett began their film with the staging of a high-class party, which signifies Christina's (Juliet's) stable future with the wealthy Dimitri (Paris). This pretentious affair is interrupted and thrown into chaos by Nick (Romeo) whose rebellious nature, freedom of spirit and disdain for the middle-class is revealed in his desire to set off their car alarms. Like in Romeo and Juliet, the families of the lovers are disgusted and dishonored by the consummation of their love, the only support coming from Christina's girlfriend (Nurse), who encourages Christina's free expression of her sexuality.
