Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger

This movie was brilliant! I think what deterred some of the other reviewers here was that they thought it was a children's movie. While it does have 13 year-old girls as the centre characters, trying to fit in and grow up in and out of their school lives, it is definitely not for children.

Believe it or not, I found peculiar things like social-economics to be key parts, as the difference between Sunni and Esther is never looked at directly, but determines Sunni's character and her upset with Esther. It also looks at different types of friendships, family religion and the way we lash out at people for trivial things like *we* having hurt *them*.

I didn't realise it was one of those movies that you either love or hate, but perhaps it is. A must-see, though if you're expecting a light-hearted comedy simply about fitting in, you'll be surprised - it goes into so much more depth than that

Not a newer movie, I found this on the Kanopy streaming site via my public library's subscription.

The featured character is Danielle Catanzariti as 13-yr-old Jewish girl Esther Blueburger. She has a twin brother but his story doesn't come into play much. Both teens are going through typical changes that accompany hormone changes.

Esther is pretty much an outcast at her private school and after a chance encounter with a girl attending the local public school Esther decides she will go there too. No transfer, no registration, just borrow school clothes and start attending.

The movie is very entertaining, young Danielle Catanzariti is really very good in her role. (As an aside she is also a talented singer, doing "Sometimes" as one of the songs on the soundtrack.) Her decisions make for some interesting and mostly unexpected turns of events, and kept my attention for the entire running time.

Good movie!

This was an excellent film, it was funny, sad, and at times dramatic, i loved this movie and Ester's little duck, i have the soundtrack and there isn't one song i don't like in it a truly great Australian film.

I could relate to Esther as i am a social outcast (however i have never wanted to fit in) like Esther wants to. The storyline was a little predictable but i didn't really care as i just love the feel good ending.

I enjoyed this movie and urge you to see it all the acting performances were excellent especially the first time actress Danielle Catanzariti who played Esther.

Loved it all the way if you are wondering if you should see it or not. See it!

Hey Hey it's Esther Blueburger is a cool flick telling the story of a young teenage girl's attempts to fit in. Esther, played wonderfully by the pixie like Danielle Cantanzariti, is trapped in a life of non-recognition by an idiosyncratic family and the lonely side of classic school yard tribal exclusion that everyone has experienced.

After befriending local girl Sunni, (Keisha Castle Hughes of Whale Rider fame), Blueburger begins a double life that is both laugh out loud funny and touching as she looks for her place in the world.

I saw Danielle & Keisha at the Sydney premiere and they are even cuter in person than on film. Danielle, although diminutive in size, projects large on screen & Keisha has a certain star power, especially on camera, which is undeniable. It's amazing that both Keisha (in Whale Rider) and Danielle in 'Esther' have been plucked from obscurity to give such fantastic debut performances especially seeing as both were in their early teens at the time. They are supported ably by their on screen parents (Essie Davis & Russell Dykstra) and Sunni's mum, Toni Colette who plays a character which is the anti-thesis of Esther's 'normal' parents, a source of fascination & enchantment for Esther.

There's something about wanting to be in with the cool kids and the lengths we go to to do that that we all recognise. It's part of growing up and becoming the person you are. That's what makes this film funny, beautiful, and sad at the same time.

This is an excellent film by first time writer & director Cathy Randall & I loved it. It's great to see talented writers and film-makers in Australia being given a chance & supported in an industry where much talent goes unnoticed and is usually substituted for 'celebrity'. It's definitely one of the better films to come out of Australia in recent years. Do yourself a favour and see this film. It's definitely not 'normal'!

Esther Blueburger's (Danielle Catanzariti) quest begins when she escapes from her Bar Mitzvah party and is befriended by Sunni (Keisha Castle-Hughes), the effortlessly cool girl who is everything Esther thinks she wants to be. With the help of Sunni, Esther goes AWOL from her ordinary life and leaves behind her malfunctioning Jewish family to hang out with Sunni's far breezier and super-hip single mum Mary (Toni Collette) and attend Sunni's forbidden public school as a Swedish exchange student.

Finally, here is an intelligent film for teenage girls! This film manages to be funny and uplifting while exploring some more serious themes, of family and peer relationships. The scriptwriter and director, Cathy Randall, and the star, Danielle Catanzariti are new talents and people to watch in the next generation of Australian film. Congratulations to all involved!