The Heartbreak Kid (1993 film)

The Heartbreak Kid is a 1993 Australian romantic comedy film directed by Michael Jenkins, who, with Richard Barrett, also wrote the script. It stars Claudia Karvan as Christina Papadopoulos, a 22-year-old Greek-Australian teacher who falls in love with her 17-year-old, soccer-obsessed student, Nick Polides, played by Alex Dimitriades. The supporting cast includes Nico Lathouris, Steve Bastoni, Doris Younane and William McInnes.

The film was based on the 1987 stage play of the same name. It was filmed in the inner suburb of Prahran, Victoria, with many of its real students co-opted as extras. Scenes at the teacher's family home were shot in Avondale Heights in Melbourne's north-west.

The film premiered at the Sydney Film Festival on 11 June 1993, before being released theatrically in Australia on 17 June of the same year. It received positive reviews from critics, praising the cast and representation of a multicultural Australia through a Greek-Australian lens. It was also a box office success in Australia. It was nominated for three Australian Film Institute awards, including Best Film.

Michael Jenkins and Ben Gannon developed the 1994 television series Heartbreak High as a spin-off of the film, with several cast members reprising their roles, reimagined in a Sydney setting.