The Dish (2000) User Reviews

Very enjoyable

[SammyK · 8/10 · 16 September 2000]

"The Dish" is a real crowd pleaser, which surpassed my initial expectations. I guess you could say that it falls into that little genre of world cinema known as the "regional comedy." Such examples might include "Cinema Paradiso" or "The Full Monty." It looks, quite lovingly, at the lives of several characters and their environment, providing subtle humour and a healthy dose of sentiment as well. What makes this film particularly interesting is its take on the first moon landing of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 1969. While usually covered in an American jingoistic mode of filmmaking, "The Dish" offers a fresh, outside perspective. How did the world view it? How were Americans viewed? The detached perspective of the Australians is the source of much humour within the film, culminating in a few scenes where the responsibility of providing a relay signal from Apollo 11 to Houston is placed fully upon the small band of dish operators in rural Australia. Perhaps the most profound thing about this film is that it is largely based on a true story.

With an all-round solid cast, led by Sam Neill and Tom Long.

Houston, we have a problem

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 2 November 2006]

Parkes, New South Wales, Australia, became famous for its gigantic satellite dish in the middle of a sheep paddock. This dish was instrumental for communicating with the men of Apollo 11's mission to the moon. Neil Armstrong and his colleagues are about to land on the moon and suddenly the Australian tracking station loses contact with them. How could the people of the world react if they can't see the men taking steps on the lunar surface? It's something that the technicians in Australia will have to deal with to relay the images of man's first walk on the moon.

"The Dish", directed with folksy charm by Rob Sitch, shows how the people in Parkes, a remote spot, a simple dot in the map, rally for the biggest event in their lives. They are proud of being at the center of such a historical moment. At the same time we are taken behind the scenes to see what is really going on. Cliff Buxton, and his team are dealt a blow when they lose the signal to Apollo 11. Instead of panicking, Buxton decides not to tell Houston about the problem they are experiencing.

Luckily, everything turns out all right.

Sam Neill, makes an impression as Cliff Buxton. Patrick Warburton is equally good playing the NASA representative, Al Burnett. The Australian cast is wonderful in the way they capture the small time atmosphere in their moment where they are at the center of the world's attention.

"The Dish" is an enjoyable comedy.

One small step for man, one giant leap for Parkes.

[=G= · 7/10 · 5 May 2003]

"The Dish" tells of a small group of people who operated a giant radio telescope in Parkes, NSW, Australia which captured the weak signals from the Apollo 11 1969 lunar landing and moon walk with its behemoth parabolic reflector. A light hearted and fun romp involving the scientists and the townsfolk, all buoyed by pride over their big dish and involvement with the historical NASA mission, "The Dish" relies heavily on the viewers sense of awe and nostalgia as the "...Giant leap for mankind" is taken. A easy-going and somewhat austere film which manages a subtle and lovely sense of humor and heart, "The Dish" will have broad appeal but should play best with those who remember July 20, 1969. (B)

A Perfect Little Film!

[tim.halkin · 8 February 2003]

Most of us who were over 5 years old at the time, remember where they were when Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon. This monumentally emotional moment for mankind, albeit thoroughly superfluous scientific achievement, is the background for this beautifully constructed film.

The thing that makes this film so special is the fact that there isn't a character that appears on screen that you don't care about, regardless how small the role. That takes true writing and directing talent!

The entire small town of Parks, New South Wales, Australia is all atwitter, because their radio observatory dish has been chosen to be NASA's official link to the Apollo 11 mission in the southern hemisphere. The mayor's wife comments, while serving her joint of lamb, that man being moments away from landing on the moon makes their problems seem mundane... That's the beauty of the film, you care so much about these people; their problems are anything but mundane - you cheer-on the techno-nerd asking the town beauty to go out with him; you ache inside because the head of the observatory lost his wife a year ago and she can't be there to revel in his glory; you love the fact that the out-of-place NASA official is the only one who realizes that all the mayor's rebellious teenage daughter really needs to chill-out is an ounce of respect.

This is the best kind of feel-good film. An absolute jewel that you'll want to watch more than just once.

surprisingly entertaining

[Miles-10 · 7/10 · 30 June 2002]

I did not expect too much from this movie and was very pleasantly surprised by its quality across the board. My expectations did increase the moment I noticed that top billing goes to Sam Neill ("The Piano," "Jurassic Park," "Reilly: Ace of Spies"). Don't hold this against the movie, but the true story of Australia's role in the first moon landing gives it redeeming educational value as well as some suspense, believe it or not. I had no idea that the Australians were suffering from so many glitches that it was a miracle that they pulled it off. There are many funny moments in the movie such as when the likeable but clueless security guard, Rudi, says, "Halt, who goes there?" and after a moment you here a sheep bleating. Yes, the most sophisticated radio telescope in the Southern Hemisphere in 1969 was in the middle of a sheep paddock. Another noteworthy feature is the movie's soundtrack. I can say, having lived in 1969, that the movie reflects what people actually heard when they turned on the radio that year, as opposed to the usual "best of" soundtrack you hear in most movies set in the sixties. For that reason I couldn't recommend the CD of this movie's soundtrack if it exists.

A priceless moment in Australian Cinematic History

[microbit · 10/10 · 31 January 2003]

The Dish delivers the way some of Michael Crichton's best novels do : Take a true story and build fiction around it so you can entertain the reader/viewer with technical accuracy and focus on the fictional characters, and the role they play. And boy, does The Dish entertain.

First credit must go to Rob Sitch's absolutely brilliant direction. On one hand it comes as no surprise that part of the old "D-Generation" line-up (Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Jane Kennedy) wrote a comedy full of sharp wit in the tradition of the infamous "Late Show" that ran on the ABC (Ch 2) in 1992-1993. Glen's (Tom Long) question "Who's the guy ?", when Al (Patrick Warburton) volunteers his admiration for Neil Armstrong and that he'll be walking on the moon is on a par with the Late Show "It's academic" 1993 sketch where the Santo/Rob/Tom Ivanhoe College team is faced with the challenge : "How much change do you receive from 7 Dollars if you purchase 7 items at 98 Cents each ?" - Rob's answer " What are the items ? " is unforgettable.

That same team performed at its best yet when The Dish's script was written. The Dish is also quite unique as a movie that can be watched over and over again without the need to skip many parts of the story. This could mainly be attributed to the story's characters, and how we are compelled to care about each and every one of them, no matter how insignificant they might seem.

The core of The Dish revolves around Neil Armstrong's first historic steps on the Moon at 12:56 PM, Monday 21 July 1969 AEST. When 600 Million people (1/5th of mankind at that time) tuned in and witnessed the TV pictures from the Eagle Lunar Module, 3 tracking stations were receiving these signals simultaneously. They were CSIRO's Parkes Radio Telescope, Honeysuckle Creek tracking Station near Canberra and NASA's Goldstone station in California. During the first 9 minutes of the broadcast, NASA alternated between these 3 stations. When they switched to the Parkes pictures, they were of such superior quality that NASA remained with them for the rest of the 2 1/2 hour Moonwalk. Of course the audience knows the good outcome to the events, so the writers can fully focus on the fictional part of the story and remind us how human nature can marvel by putting a man on the moon and safely return him home.

The Dish is so refreshing because it doesn't need to resort to adult themes, violence or excessive profanity to flag your attention to the townfolk of Parkes, their involvement in the mission and how they are "over the moon" about it.

The film accurately portrays the spirit of Aussie people in 1969. I found the camerawork simply stunning at times, capturing the beauty of Parkes : the dusty road to the Telescope, the farmer with dog and sheep, the (empty) Fuel station and Parkes' sleepy shops. The wonderful soundtrack attends to the "missing pieces" with songs like "Good morning Star shine" and "Come on". Dramatization is resourcefully completed by Edmund Choi's composition and direction of The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (under Jane Kennedy's guidance).

The Dish succeeds in a non-pretentious and honest way to convey its great emotion and charm to the viewer. Working Dog excelled itself and surely must face great difficulty to surpass this masterpiece. "Frontline" and "The Castle" were very clever indeed, but The Dish is perceived by me as the best Australian Movie ever made, a priceless moment in Aussie Cine history.

Charles "Bud" Tingwell's cameo appearance as the Priest is the icing on the cake. The amount of research to realize the Dish must have been extensive, to adhere for example to the 2.2825 GHz Apollo 11 frequency, the solid minus 90 dBM signals etc. in the script.

It is worthwhile to note that NASA delayed the Parkes pictures by 6 seconds before its worldwide broadcast, in the event of an accident. Australian viewers saw mankind's giant leap 6.3 seconds earlier than the rest of the world !! (A 300 mS delay for the INTELSAT satellite link from Sydney,Australia to Houston,USA was incurred).

I still watch The Dish regularly and the movie, if nothing, conveys greater emotion than it first did. Highly recommended : great acting across the entire cast, almost flawless camerawork, fantastic soundtrack, fast paced yet non-engaging script, witty comedy. A treat for the whole family. 9.5 out of 10 !!!

Wonderful

[Slick-50 · 6/10 · 7 May 2001]

The Dish is a wonderful film from the creators of The Castle and television shows such as The Panel, for Australian TV. The film starts off fairly hilariously, but kind of changes to drama half way through when gale force winds strike up or when they lose Apollo 11 in a blackout, with just a sprinkling of humour, but that full spirited hilarity returns for the finale. A truly wonderful film from that hum-dinger of a country we call Australia!

An opportunity to use the word "nice" in a positive way.

[MoneyBaby! · 10/10 · 13 October 2000]

As with all "true story" movies, I have no idea how much of this is actually true - particularly in relation to the crises just before the actual moonwalk. But frankly, I don't care, because "The Dish" as a movie is a splendid experience.

Being heavily promoted as "from the makers of 'The Castle' " may get a few extra punters in the door - particularly here in Australia where the exploits of the Working Dog team are rightly well known and loved; but those expecting "The Castle 2" will be in for a surprise.

But a pleasant one. This film is much more ambitious, much larger in scope. As is to be expected, the writing here is very sharp - a likeable group of characters are defined very well very quickly, the simple plot flows smoothly, and there is a constant stream of funny (and some downright hilarious) moments. Much of the humour is distinctly Aussie, and much of it arises from the culture clash between the locals and the visiting Americans. Yet despite this, the film does not stoop to the level of "Ocker cliché" which plagues several other Australian films. There is a core of simple humanity here which makes it very engaging. It is for this reason also that I think the film will play very well in other countries.

The cast is also very impressive, from the habitually sound Sam Neill, who projects an immense dignity, and Patrick Warburton as the pressured NASA official sent to oversee the operation, right down to the Mayor's son, reeling off technical details of the spacecraft to his bemused dad. It is a credit to the cast, and to Rob Sitch as a director that I was rarely aware that I was watching a film, I was simply drawn into the experience.

Those, like me, who wanted to be an Astronaut when they were little, and maintained an interest in the space program, will enjoy seeing the famous footage again in a new light. Those looking for a comedy will find many laughs herein. Those curious to understand the nature of being Australian will find some clues. And those just looking for a film to make them feel good could do much much worse. In short, "The Dish" is one of those rare movies which will appeal to pretty much everyone. I can't really think of any serious criticisms, and left the cinema feeling... well, "nice". I have no doubt it will play well in Australia, but I also hope it does well overseas too, in the US and elsewhere. I'd recommend it to everyone I know, and everyone else.

When this one comes out on DVD I'll be getting a copy, and it'll be going straight to the pool room!

Geek movie that's funny and sweet and good entertainment

[Momcat_of_Lomita · 7/10 · 7 May 2011]

Sometimes I feel sorry for the people who didn't get to experience the excitement of the early days of the manned space program. The miracle of space exploration is all so routine to them, it's hard to explain what the "big deal" was all about.

This movie perfectly captures the excitement of the first manned moon landing, and does it from a point-of-view that most people never think about. It's funny: we see the images on our TV, and most of the time we never even think about how they got there. It's just TV, right? It comes out of a box (or, nowadays, a flat screen), right? It just comes through wires or through the air.

This movie is about one of the massive antenna assemblies that received the images from the Apollo XI mooncast, and about the people who made it work. And while that sounds more like something that you'd expect to see on a "how it's made" show on the Science Channel than in a movie, it's actually a wonderfully entertaining and funny movie about people who are engaging and funny, and who are doing a critical and fascinating job that made it possible for millions of people worldwide to watch, live, one of humanity's great milestone events.

And another nice thing about it: this is a FAMILY movie. There is no nudity, no violence, and although the movie has a PG-13 rating, I can't remember any language in it that was overtly offensive.

Sam Neill stars in this movie as Cliff Buxton, the guy who is in charge of the huge antenna dish that gives the movie its title. Neill is excellent in this. He does a superb job in bringing out the nuances of the character and in working with the other people in this movie. My only problem with him is that in the sequence that frames the movie, when he has to appear aged, a truly AWFUL job of makeup was done. It looked like something that might be done in an elementary school play by kids who borrowed their mom's makeup kit. Please, please try to ignore this cringe-inducing look, because it's very brief and Neill looks fine the rest of the movie.

The rest of the cast is also very good, although I don't think any of them are well-known or very familiar. They do well with the material, and there's a real sense of a group of people who like each other and care about each other, while at the same time occasionally getting on each other's nerves. They're mostly engineering/scientist types, which basically means they're aware that they're better with machines and numbers than they are with people. There's a little sub-plot involving romance that's very funny and sweet.

The tension in the movie comes from the fact that the giant antenna assembly that receives the lunar transmissions had to be pointed very precisely in order to get the reception, and that certain kinds of weather conditions made moving the giant antenna very dangerous. While most of the world was sitting in front of their TV sets, expectantly waiting for the "mooncast" to begin, there were a whole bunch of people in Australia, where the antenna was located, frantically working and making some very tough decisions to make it possible.

I have to say that the sequence when everyone is finally watching Neil Armstrong take his first steps on the moon really swept me back to when I was 12 years old and sitting spellbound on the couch in our living room, watching that shadowy shape on the TV screen make that "giant leap for mankind." I'd like to hope that maybe, through watching this movie, younger people who missed out on that magical moment will at least understand how transforming it was for the entire world. We don't have many moments like that in history. I'm glad I was there for this one. And this movie captures that moment, when just for a few heartbeats while we watched the blurry black-and-white image of a man in a spacesuit slowly coming down a ladder, literally everyone in the world was riveted and united by a sense of perfect awe.

And I'm glad this movie captures some of the magic of that particular event, and gives us some insight into what it took to bring it to the world on TV. That it almost didn't make it live onto TV was something I didn't fully appreciate until I saw "The Dish."

This is a great movie to enjoy with your family. I don't like to say "family movie," because that conjures up something silly and trivial and kid-centric, which this movie is not. I really enjoyed it and I think anyone who is into the space program or who can identify with engineers and scientists will like it too.

Aussie humour at its finest, in a gentle, joyful piece of comedy.

[0rbita1 · 9/10 · 10 July 2001]

At a time when the comedy genre is saturated with the crude, lewd and unsophisticated toilet humour of the U.S ('See Spot Run', 'The Animal', 'Say It Isn't So'), it's encouraging to watch a film that really makes you laugh out loud without wanting to cringe at the same time. Like it's antipodean predecessor 'Priscilla...', 'The Dish' takes the best aspects of Australian culture and the Aussie persona and uses them to create the finest comedy of the year so far. Much of the humour is brutally honest, delivered in the kind of relaxed, conversational style which has become an Aussie trademark. Paired with a homegrown cast (headed by a wonderfully understated Sam Neill) and filmed on location at the satellite receiver station in South Australia, the film feels refreshingly natural and unconstructed.

This sense of cultural identity gives 'The Dish' a surprising depth for such an uncomplicated film. Rather than resorting to the contrived, exaggerated Australian image of Paul Hogan, it revels in its roots without a hint of self-consciousness or compromise. Such an intense warmth towards its small-town location and everyman characters is shown that it is impossible not to share it, and from that grows a wonderful sense of intimacy. Despite the global importance of Apollo 11's mission, a real sense of the importance of it to the community and the individuals therein is present throughout. An American film may have made this subservient to the moon landings - here, the two are intertwined on an equal footing, and you care equally about each.

And in that lies the secret of why 'The Dish' is such a damn good film. It's not the well-paced, extremely funny and well-delivered script, nor the quality of the acting, nor the great location or period soundtrack. It's because the film has a real sense of soul. It makes you want to care about it and it's characters. In mainstream film, that's a rare achievement indeed. Let's hope the Farrelly brothers are watching...

8.5/10

Dish gets Apollo 11, Dish loses Apollo 11, Dish gets Apollo 11 again.

[threeJane · 7/10 · 28 March 2003]

Having gathered the above plot-line from the previews did not deter a huge Sydney crowd packing out the cinema for one of the first advance screenings of *The Dish*. They had post-Olympic expectations of Rob Sitch's film, and were prepared to forgive a cast that included actors from *SeaChange* and *GP*, and Sam Neill [the latter is a lot to forgive].

They were not disappointed. For those of us who were toddlers or not even born when man walked on the moon [I was two at the time, crawling round in front of a black and white telly just a few miles from Forbes and Parkes where much of the filming was done], watching *The Dish* was just like being there in 1969.

Actual [ABC] footage has been combined with an appropriate, upbeat sound track, and the comic script, superbly executed, has gags for the slowest to the quickest-witted. Sam Neill is almost warm, and the continuity stands up to scrutiny. If *The Dish* seems sometimes overstated to the Australian audience, it may seem underdone to the American block-buster audience.

The fact that it is internationally marketable [Working Dog deny that they filmed for an international market] was not at the expense of its success here. It has avoided the eternal dusk that *The Crossing* (filmed not far away about ten years previously) fell prey to, and the devices used to explain Australian slang fit fairly seamlessly into the dialogue. The Australian putting on an American accent is most hilarious.

Good entertainment.

A great feel-good comedy.

[Jack the Ripper1888 · 9/10 · 20 April 2003]

This film was extremely hard for me to get into, but once I got interested, I couldn't turn away. The performances were great the story was pleasantly refreshing. After I had seen the small town Irish comedy WAKING NED DEVINE, I was in the mood for feel-good comedies. THE DISH was the next best thing. But, as it turns out, I liked THE DISH far better.

It is a small town comedy set in a rural Australian town during the days preceeding the Apollo 11 landing on the moon. When Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, it brought everyone on the Earth together. This film gives an idea as to what it must have been like to see that experience.

The film was a greatly pleasant movie and I was totally delighted to have a film as heartwarming and truly great as this. Sam Neill (JURASSIC PARK) and Patrick Warburton (SCREAM 3, BIG TROUBLE) who I feel are both very good actors take the leading roles of this delightful movie experience. Surely a film that you will want to watch over and over again. I recommend OCTOBER SKY and WAKING NED DEVINE.

THE DISH: 5/5.

Enjoyable movie about the Aussie technicians who manned the satellite dish bringing one of the greatest deeds in history

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 13 March 2008]

This agreeable story is based on a true events, it tells the days before the July 19, 1969, and concerns about a group of local Aussie scientific. NASA was working with Australian technicians , as they manned the satellite dish responsible for bringing to Television sets around the world the first moon walk. But the receiver in United States became useless and the Aussie bunch goes into action. Despite wind guts of over 60 m.p.h. ,the crew of Parkes, along with their colleagues at Honeysuckle Creek provided an uninterrupted flow of pictures from the moon. Parkes remains a part of NASA mission to this day and it's still in the middle of a sheep paddock.

The film packs the spectacular event about Apolo 11's flight path that marked mankind's first steps on the moon , adding local customs with comedy, good feeling , emotion, and dignity. Furthermore, explores the differing cultural habits among Aussie and US scientific and authorities . The movie includes various deeds, such as a blackout, a botcher band music, an agreeable romance, the US Ambassador's visit, among them. Casting is frankly well,though unknown for the great public with exception of Sam Neill, as acting splendidly players as Patrick Warburton as the NASA scientific, Billie Brown as Prime Minister and Roy Billing as the Mayor. Atmospheric and emotive musical score by Edmund Choi. The motion picture is well directed by Rob Sitch, getting nomination for Academy Award. He's a nice Australian director, working usually for television series : Thank God you're here, Front line, Late Show and occasionally for cinema.

What a Pleasant Surprise...

[MovieAddict2016 · 7 April 2003]

Once and a while a true surprise comes along. A film that is pleasantly surprising and enjoyable. Well, that's what "The Dish" is. It never takes itself too serious and never takes itself too lightly. It is just right.

It is centered around the true story of the largest satellite dish in the world, found in the middle of a sheep paddock in Australia. The dish, at one time, broadcast the Apollo 11 moon landing to the world, and this is the story of the problems the men who ran the dish went through.

Sam Neill and Patrick Warburton lead the group of four that manage the dish; the characters are all nice and pleasant and likable. No one is unlikable in this film.

Sam Neill is a great actor; I've liked him in films since "Dead Calm," but my real respect for his performances rose after he brought Dr. Allen Grant to life in "Jurassic Park."

Patrick Warburton, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated comedic actors in Hollywood. He always gets throwaway roles ("MIIB," "Big Trouble,"=etc...), but in this film he gets a leading role (sorta) and handles it excellently. He proves he really can act--serious or comedic--in films.

One thing that is so nice about "The Dish" is that it doesn't try to really prove anything extremely memorable. It's not trying to be the next big hit. It sticks to the facts while presenting some great actors and a twist of humor. And because of this, it is, possibly, one of the most pleasant film experiences I've had in recent years. Sometimes it's nice to sit back, relax and just watch a movie.

A charming little film

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 5 October 2013]

A remote Australian radio telescope plays a key role in the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing. The team must deal with power outage, and wild windy weather.

It's a charming nice little film staring Patrick Warburton and Sam Neill.

It's mostly cute and quaint. That goes for the pace, the humor, and the story. It doesn't really have great intensity. What it does have is charm coming out its ears.

It takes a little known part of this historic event, and finds the human drama and joy.

This wonderful movie is a quiet work of genius.

[NativeTexan · 10/10 · 5 July 2002]

This wonderful movie is a work of genius. My husband and I watched it two straight times in succession, alternately laughing and crying, especially at the end which is one of the "perfect moments" in film.

Sam Neill, always perfection, is the linchpin of this fine cast. The other Australian actors -- Roy Billing, Kevin Harrington, Tom Long, Genevieve Mooy, Tayler Kane, Bille Brown -- are superb, as is literally EVERY person cast in this movie. Patrick Warburton and John McMartin are equally wonderful as the only American actors in this superbly written and directed movie.

It left me feeling that I wanted to meet and know all these people. If you haven't had the good fortune of knowing any Australians, you'll be planning your next vacation there in hopes of meeting people like those so perfectly and honestly portrayed here.

Understated and very Pleasant

[joehemmings68 · 7/10 · 15 January 2015]

The Dish is not a film you'll be shouting about afterwards, but it's certainly not one you'll be complaining about. It's about a small Australian community hosting the TV recording of the moon landings from the Southern Hemisphere. The film focuses around the four guys who run the giant dish that's being used. The film is very lightheartedly funny throughout, and it makes the film very watchable. I found the film very well scripted, with the jokes not coming across as over scripted or over performed. Similarly the film doesn't go overboard on exposition, giving hints, but lacking the common overindulgence of backstories. All the characters feel real, because nothing is really overblown. It's all very refreshing.

On top of all that, the shots of the dish are absolutely fantastic. They're lovingly and inventively done, and necessary to a film that takes place primarily indoors. I also really loved how they actually put the real moon landing footage in.

There's nothing mind blowing here, but it's a really nice tale and a really enjoyable watch. Everything about this film feels lovingly handled and it doesn't feel forced.

A delightful comedy/drama

[War514 · 10/10 · 18 January 2007]

This film hooked me the first time I saw it. I have watched it many times since and never tire of it. My reaction is why don't we get more films from Australia here? The humor that comes across during this tense time is what holds this film together. The acting is first rate from Sam Neil all the way down the line. The town of Parkes is proud to be part of the moon landing, but all in all takes it in stride.

Tayler Kane as Rudy was a delight. When he thought that Neil Armstrong was actually on his walkie-talkie, I really laughed. The scene was priceless. Likewise Tom Long as Glenn, the computer expert played his role to perfection. When he jumps to take off his glasses whenever Janine comes into the facility is too much for words. The final bit of hilarity came when Mayor Bob asks everyone at the dance to remain "upstanding" for the American anthem, and the band breaks into the theme for "Hawaii Five-O." The looks on the faces of the American ambassador and Patrick Warbourton are priceless. It doesn't get any better than that.

Yet, the seriousness of the mission still comes across and the pride felt by the crew of the dish is readily visible. When it looks like the wind storm might take them out of the mission, you really feel for Cliff Buxton and his guys. You know he's going to go for it because he earlier said that "This is science's chance to be daring." This is one movie I will never get tired of viewing. It is funny, it is serious, it is poignant, all without being mawkish or overly sentimental. Having lived through the entire U.S. space program (I was 21 when Apollo 11 landed), I know the excitement shown by the characters in the film as Apollo 11 first lifted off, and then when Armstrong came off the LEM and stepped onto the lunar surface. It was an exciting time and the final point of the movie that I enjoyed, was that this event affected many people outside the U.S. This is something that is often overlooked and it was great to see how the people of Parkes and in particular, the crew of the dish, helped bring the pictures from the moon to the rest of the world. Well Done!!!

Charming Little Story of Eccentric Small Town's Place in History

[noralee · 7/10 · 20 December 2005]

"The Dish" is one of those amusing, charming Ozzie movies about idiosyncratic small towns down under (like "Muriel's Wedding," "The Coca Cola Kid," etc. with no dark undertones).

This one pads out a bit the story of how an incongruous radio satellite in a sheep paddock played a crucial link for the Apollo moon landing TV telecast. Only a couple of things really happened to make any suspense, so eccentric characters are thrown in. Their irreverence and down-to-earth attitude, especially about politicians, keeps it from being schmaltzy.

"Puddy" from Seinfeld does the NASA guy quite nicely.

It's odd for an American to see a movie about the Apollo mission with only a brief shot of Walter Cronkite as he's so synonymous with watching all the space flights on TV.

(originally written 4/14/2001)

A thoroughly enjoyable movie

[Imnozy · 8/10 · 21 May 2003]

This offering from the makers of The Castle far exceeds its predecessor in every way. Where The Castle verged on the hysterical, The Dish is laid back and in most instances avoids turning its characters into caricatures.

Just how much of the story is true is doubtful. Not the general facts-for Parkes certainly did feature greatly in the transmission of pictures from space in the first moon landing. As one who was around at the time - and yes - we did sit glued to our TV sets - I remember very well just how much the experience took over our lives.

Whether or not the actual story is true, the movie is greatly entertaining, the characters are believable and it gives to today's cynical viewers and idea of just how completely overawed and interested the world was in what was going on in outer space. I really recommend it as a gentle, humorous enjoyable movie.

A nice quiet polite movie

[rjfromtoronto · 7/10 · 30 January 2021]

I never would have seen this movie had I not grabbed it off the shelf at a charity shop in Grimsby Ont, it's a nice quiet town just like in the movie, with a lot of old folks who live across the street from the Benevolent Fund Store who when they pass must have their dvds donated, lots of old gems turn up there, Minnie and Moskovitz, The Conversation, TCM movie packs, James Bond sets, so it's nice to watch things old timey to take a break and just enjoy that I would never see otherwise. I can't do any better at describing the movie or people than anyone else, but I think if you like movies like Tucker and some of the 80s and 90s types based on a true story movies you will enjoy this, it's a Sunday afternoon type movie for me, nothing too deep or involving, just a good waste of a couple hours that brings back simpler times. I would have been a year and a half old when this story took place, interesting to see what went on then and how far we have come in technology.

Much more interesting than Apollo 13 if you ask me.

[Ellie-23 · 10/10 · 24 February 2003]

Don't get me wrong, the film Apollo 13 was interesting but this was much more engaging. We often forget that astronauts, space scientist and the crews that support the Space Age are just regular people. This Australian made film reminded me of the many people around the world who watched or listened that day in 1969. I can remember some about that day and how fantastic it must have been for those in Park Australia to be struggling to make things work. This is a must see for anyone interested in the Space program. Also if you find the dish itself interesting we have a Very Large Aray (VLA) near Socorro, New Mexico that I have seen. It is awe inspiring just to walk near one and see how huge they are.

Good, not groundbreaking

[azaro666 · 7/10 · 12 May 2001]

I'd love to have given this movie a higher recommendation than the following words but the fact is that it just didn't try to be anythin special. It is a small story of a huge event which is loveable, really loveable but just not enough.

It has obviously had a small budget and that is very apparent, but for all its smallities it is a great film. The story itself is in no way depleted from, not even in the possibilities of national heroicism. The cast is made up from almost unknown actors, with the obvious exception, I say unknown, but that is limited to the amount of irregular movie-goers, for it is made up from very capable character actors, who have been sorely mis-used over the years. That is the films true striking rich gift. None of the actors try in any way to over-shadow the others. Even the smallest roles are executed perfectly, with enough comic timing to applaud.

However, as I mentioned, that is the movies downfall. It never tries to be too challenging, the plotting is slight, which lends itself to being a character led comedy. Whereas the volume of material is never really too substantial, the delivery of lines is almost perfect. There is a definite knack of how to give the line and reward must be given to the director for this. The acting, aside form the comic elements are fairly accomplished.

The bottom line must be brought back, once again, to the fact that there is never too much to focus on. Leaving the theatre you are sure to be saying to yourself that there was nothing wrong with the movie, which is true. However, there are many movies that have nothing wrong with them, but at the same time do not try too make much all right.

Go away from the cinema realising you have seen a good film which will, within a few weeks just blow away and hardly anyone will see.

Its a shame that suck movies are neglected but in the age of the block-buster you need to push boundaries.

CHARM OFFENSIVE

[kevin c · 5/10 · 13 May 2001]

An old-fashioned type comedy, that hits all the right notes with it's charm offensive. A more universal tale than it's stablemate production "The Castle". The strength to this film are the supporting characters. They are all well-written and amusing, and you feel the story could veer off in one of their directions at anytime. Probably the best satellite film you'll see this year.

Wonderfully Pleasant Movie

[jymcgr · 14 December 2003]

I am a die-hard movie buff and I had never heard of this movie until my brother brought it to Thanksgiving. After watching it I was very pleased. A very fun movie with a great story and a delightfully quirky cast. The movie is worth watching just for Rudi, the security guard. Enjoy.