The Dish

The Dish, which told a highly romanticized version of the Australian role in the first Apollo moon mission was an enormous popular success but pilloried by many Australian critics, for, if I remember correctly, being patronising. Not the word I would have used - simplistic, sentimental, even laboured, yes, but no more patronising than any Australian small town film.

The film is an object-lesson in commercial film-making (the production team, Working Dog, are also responsible for the hit TV talk show The Panel):  a 98 minutes running time, slick photography, a sound-track of Top 40 golden oldies, familiar character types, nostalgic setting, a feelgood message (they even run two versions of it, one when they regain contact with Apollo 11, two when then they move the dish against the wind) and a bit of romantic interest - gee, there's something for everyone to like.

If you were expecting more of the team's previous hit, the The Castle you'd be disappointed, The Dish is very tame in comparison. To its credit, the concept, apparently fact-based, is a worthy subject and the production design re-creating 1960s Parkes is excellent (the Mayor's home is fab and where did they get all that retro scientific equipment?) but the film itself is so anodyne as to be immediately forgettable.

 

Want something different?