A teenage girl confronts the crises of growing up -- some typical, some unusual -- in this drama. Josie is the 17-year-old daughter of Christina Alibrandi, a single mother and member of a large extended family of Sicilian immigrants living in Sydney, Australia.
While Josie loves her mother, she's grown weary of her strict family, especially her grandmother Nonna Katia. The fact that her relatives still have issues with Christina raising her child out of wedlock hasn't made Josie's life any easier.
A good student, Josie has earned a scholarship at a top private school, where she has to deal with Carly, a racist who often taunts Josie for her Sicilian heritage. Josie is also suffering from the tribulations of teenage romance, as she finds herself attracted to both clean-cut John and working class Jacob.
Meanwhile, the house is abuzz over a visit from Michael, who Josie soon learns is Christina's old flame -- and her father. Looking for Alibrandi was based on a novel for young people by Melina Marchetta, which was a major best-seller in Australia. Marchetta also wrote the screenplay for this film adaptation.
