Ari
Ari is 19 years old and unemployed. He is half Greek and half Australian, but he does not feel at home in either culture. Similarly, he is gay but also sleeps with women if he is drunk or stoned. Struggling to find his place in the world, he develops a deep hatred toward everybody and uses drugs, sex, and music to escape from reality. He describes himself as a "runner" who runs away from "a thousand and one things that people say you have to be or should want to be."
Alex
Alex is Ari's 17-year-old sister. She dates a Lebanese Muslim called Charlie, but Ari is not in favor of this relationship because in his opinion Muslims do not treat Christian girls very well. Ari and Alex both take drugs and frequently go out together.
Peter
Peter is Ari's older brother. He is a university student but does not seem to take his studies too seriously, so he is not an ideal role model.
Janet
Janet is Peter’s girlfriend. His mother does not like her because she blames her for Peter leaving home.
Ari's mother
Ari's mother has Greek roots but is born in Australia. She feels that her sons in particular have abandoned her, which makes her angry. However, instead of doing something about her pain, she nourishes it because it adds drama to her otherwise boring life. Ari does not consider her very intelligent as well: “Mum is part of the television generation as well, and she knows shit about anything except what the television and magazines tell her. Brain dead. For her the real world begins every day at seven in the morning with ‘Good Morning Australia’.”
Ari's father
Ari’s father was born in Greece and misses his home country, because he says he “can’t really breathe here.”
Johnny
Johnny is Ari's gay friend, who dresses up as a transvestite called Toula. Even though Ari feels he looks stunning as a drag queen, he does not seem to accept this reality completely.
George
George is one of Peter's roommates. Ari has a crush on him, but when they finally end up in bed together, George challenges Ari to tell his parents the truth about his life. According to George, Ari should start taking responsibility for his life and become more independent, even if this means that he has to break with them because of his sexual orientation.
