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The Dish

Based on the Apollo 11's mission, this charming movie details the collaborative, and often hilarious, efforts between NASA and the satellite dish crew in Parkes, Australia. Cultures clash with Cliff Buxton (Sam Neil) heading up the quirky staff of down-under and uptight NASA represenative Al Burnett (Patrick Warbuton ) supervising the project.

Anyone who has followed the Apollo missions knows that yes, Neil Armstrong did walk on the moon, and yes, that wonderful moment in history was televised for the world to see. The great adventure of this flick doesn't necessarily happen on the screen, but rather in the viewer's mind and emtional body. In fact, the big action sequence is the satellite dish slowly rotating to thumping rendition of "Classical Gas.'" Director Rob Stich masterfully provides a safe, warm, and humorous backdrop for the audience to explore personal aspirations of space travel, patriotic roots, and the building of global community. "The Dish" is a feel good movie, in fact, I felt so great after watching it that I didn't even get through the credits before viewing it a second time.

The opening is brilliantly done, bringing the viewer quickly up to speed on the acomplishments and failures of previous Apollo missions, engaging flag-waving patriotism, exciting dreams of space travel, and most significantly, reinforcing the ideal that we can achieve what we set our minds to acomplishing. These are all strong themes throughout the movie.

This is an Australian flick and not suprising takes place in Parkes, Australia where in 1969, they had the largest receiving dish in the southern hemesphere and because of the timing of the moon walk they would carry the televised signal. Needless to say, this event put Parkes on the proverbial gloabl map and the townsfolks were 'over the moon' that their small community would play such a vital role in this great acheivement.

It was only through the commitment to something greater than the individual self the these people were able to overcome the multitude of obstacles which came their way. Technicial glitches, personality clashes, eager astronauts, and even Nature, herself, were just a few of the impediments this resourceful crew met.

Every actor deserves accolades for no matter how small their part each character felt fully developed and added more color to an already magnificent landscape. It was an ensemble cast in the truest sense in that each character acted out an important emtional theme while maintaining a sense of a whole, multi-dimensional person. There was a love story, issues of death, fear, and failure. There were political 'kiss-ups," bumbling scientists, social climbers, teenage angst, childhood wonderment, and great humor at every turn. In the 101 minutes of running time, there were no meanspirited plots, however, it is rated PG-13 for Brief Strong Language. I wouldn't have it any other way. The strong language was occasionally used to emphasize a point and was in no way used to excess.

Seeing the costumes was fun, bringing back many memories. Oh, the hair styles... I remember trying to achieve the perfect flip! The prop crew did their job well right down the those hideous coffee cups, which I understand are all the rage now. The movie makers really nailed the time and I felt like I had stepped back to 1969. It was a hoot! Did we really wear those horrible clothes? The music was "right on, man'" --a pleasent mix of uplifting tunes and lachrymose nostalgia. The 1960s was a time of ending innocents and the director was able to effective convey that fragile paradigm.

But, I do have two criticisms. There were several scenes in which the camera would alternate shots between two separte stories occuring at the same time. The editing was a bit sloppy in that it looked quite choppy and abrupt. I'm wondering if it was an after thought to splice these scenes together for there didn't seem to be enough lead time between shots and it felt like the scene would change at mid-sentence. My second complaint is not with the movie, but rather the DVD itself. I enjoy special features on DVDs and there is a genuine lack of them on this one. There are a few such as the theatrical trailer--the basic stuff. I want cast interviews, behind the scene documentaries, and an extended gag reel, and because I can enjoy these features just as much as I enjoy the movie, I tend to only buy DVDs that have an abundance of special features.

Summary.

I could happily spend my life watching these types of sweet, warm, feel-good movies that go well beyond surface issues and, in fact, are deeply moving. "The Dish" is an fine example of what good direction, crisp scripting, and superlative acting can accomplish. No super-dooper special effects or stunning action sequences were needed to tell this charming tale. That this story plays so well without all that razzle-dazzle is testimony to film making excellence.

Cast:

Sam Neil (Cliff Buxton) Kevin Harrington (Ross 'Mitch' Michell) Tom Long (Glenn Latham) Patrick Warbuton (Al Burnett) Genevieve Mooy (May McIntyre) Tayler Kane (Rudi Kellerman) Bille Brown (Prime Minister) Roy Billing (Mayor Robert 'Bob' McIntyre) Andrew S. Gilbert (Len Purvis) Lenka Kripac (Marie McIntyre) Matthew Moore (Keith Morrison) Eliza Szonert (Janine Kellerman) John McMartin (U.S. Ambassador Howard) Carl Snell (Billy McIntyre) Billy Mitchell (Cameron)

Written by: Hilary Thomas

Reviewers Rating: 9.5
Reader's Rating: 8.60
Reader's Votes: 17

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