Based on a True Story About Apollo XI

The Dish

(2000)

Based on a true story about Apollo XI

through the Australian Eye

A Critical Review and Bibliography

Director - Rob Sitch

Produced by Working Dog-

Debra Choate - line producer

Santo Cilauro - producer
Tom Gleisner - producer
Michael Hirsh - producer
Jane Kennedy - producer
Rob Sitch - producer

Scriptwriters –

Santo Cilauro

Tom Gleisner

Jane Kennedy

Rob Sitch

Primary Cast –

Sam Neill – CLIFF BUXTON

Kevin Harrington - ROSS 'MITCH' MITCHELL
Tom Long - GLENN LATHAM
Patrick Warburton - 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

Cinematography - Graeme Wood (director of photography)

Production Company - Warner Bros/Working Dog/Distant Horizon

RUNTIME: 101 min

CERTIFICATION: Australia:M / PG-13

RELEASE DATE: 19 October 2000 in Australia, 27 April 2001 in USA

Box Office Figures:

Opening week: AUD 2,995,500 (Australia), $70,612 (USA)

Gross: AUD 17,900,000, $2,252,970 (USA)

Awards / Nominations for The Dish (2000)

- Won at the ARIA Music Awards for Best Original Soundtrack Album. 2001

-Nominated at the Australian Film Institute in 2001 for:

Best Film

Santo Cilauro

Michael Hirsh

Tom Gleisner

Jane Kennedy

Rob Sitch

Best Original Music Score

Edmund Choi

- Won at the Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards in 2001 for:

Best Music Score

Edmund Choi

Tied with Cezary Skubiszewski for Bootmen (2000).

Best Screenplay - Original

Santo Cilauro

Tom Gleisner

Jane Kennedy

Rob Sitch

- Nominated at the FCCA Award for:

Best Male Actor - Sam Neill
Best Cinematography - Graeme Wood

Best Director - Rob Sitch
Best Editing - Jill Bilcock
Best Film

Best Supporting Female Actor - Genevieve Mooy

Best Supporting Male Actor - Roy Billing

Bibliography details of interviews with filmmaker

Nguyen, Ky N. "Moment. In: Time: 'Dish' Director Rob Sitch Tries to Capture History with Apollo 11 Mission.". In: The Washington Diplomat (USA). (May 2001. Pg. B8. NP), Vol. 7, Iss. 5

When it opened in Australia, "The Dish" became the number one highest grossing Australian film in the history of Australian cinema. "The film has had a phenomenal response from both critics and audiences alike and I felt that it has potential in every market," said Singh. "It is also a pleasure to work with the tremendously talented group of filmmakers at Working Dog."

- Anant Singh of Distant Horizon (http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~plucas/forbes.htm).

Bibliography details of reviews

Ehretsmann, Xavier. The Dish. In: L'Annuel du Cinéma 2003 (France), Les Nouvelles Fiches du Cinéma, 2003, Pg. 2-85056-637-3, (BK)

Hamacher, Rolf-Ruediger. "The Dish". In "film dienst" (Germany), Vol. 54, Iss. 15, 17 July 2001, Pg. 16

Nguyen, Ky N. "A Day That United the World.". In: The Washington Diplomat (USA). (NP), Vol. 7, Iss. 4, April 2001, Pg. B16

Schwarzbaum, Lisa. "Shoot The Moon (A-)". In: Entertainment Weekly (USA), Vol. 1, Iss. 588, 23 March 2001, Pg. 80, (MG)

Stevenson, William. "Video: The Dish (B+)". In: Entertainment Weekly (USA), Vol. 1, Iss. 612, 7 September 2001, Pg. 142, (MG)

On-line Presence

Ebert, Roger. “The Dish”. April 6, 2001 Chicago Sun-Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20010406/REVIEWS/104060304/1023.

Graham, Bob. “Down Under 'Dish' Revisits Moon Walk
Docudrama tells story behind image that almost wasn't” San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/04/06/DD239259.DTL.

Lyons, Tom. “How outback techies saved the moon landing”. 03/08/01. http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_03.08.01/film/dish.html.

Official website for The Dish. http://thedishmovie.warnerbros.com.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0205873/

Plot

Based on a true story, The Dish (2000) recreates the emotional journey of Apollo XI. The Dish is a funny tale of Australia's contribution in making it possible for millions to actually see one of man's greatest accomplishments. Over 4 days in July of 1969, 4 men were dedicated to represent Australian in the effort to televise the first steps on the moon. They were unwilling to lose coverage and credit for their work in recording Neil Armstrong’s first monumental steps. They would stop at nothing, including 60 mph winds, to broadcast the historical lunar landing to the entire world. Cliff Buxton played by Sam Neil, has dedicated his life, since the death of his wife, to expanding Australia’s recognition in the communication world. His two sidekicks, Kevin Harrington (Ross “Mitch” Mitchell) and Tom Long (Glenn Latham), are joined by a NASA representative, Patrick Warburton (Al Burnett), during this historical event. Some hostility occurs when the Burnett joins the team since NASA has overshadowed Parkes, Australia but they soon realize they are all after the same goal; coverage of the first steps on the moon. The original plan of NASA was to use Australia dish as a back-up to the Goldstone, California satellite. This dish, which is located in the middle of a sheep paddock in Parkes, is the most powerful receiving dish in the Southern Hemisphere and it was given the opportunity to show its power when the astronauts schedule changed and NASA in California became inefficient. The Dish is a touching, true story comedy about one of the most significant events in history.

This film is filled with quirky subtle humor, intense historical moments and footage, dynamic characters, pride driven locals and real life experience. The Dish is a great memorable account of a true event from the Australian point of view. I think The Dish is a great attempt at recapturing history in a comical and interesting way. I especially enjoyed the real footage that was placed throughout the film. It helped create a sense of realism and made the film more meaningful and touching especially to those who personally remember this event. Each character created a different dynamic that made the movie more intriguing. The subtle puppy love story, the widowed husband, the weird solider neighbor, the fashionable flashy wife, politically loud daughter and the nervous mayor father, all helped heighten the historical event that was about to take place. On the contrary, I think The Dish lacked some crucial features. The plot was a little vague and hard to follow at times. The McIntyre’s role in the film was not established until later in the film and the humor detoured from real emotion. Compared to Apollo 13, The Dish was not as “tear-jerking” and rich. I felt the comedy of The Dish helped create a sense of Australianism and lightness to the film but took away from depth that could have been illustrated. Overall, The Dish was a good movie and is enjoyable enough to watch several times. It is educational in a humorous way which is a plus in my book! I would recommend it to a mate!

Critical Uptake:

When the film was released on March 14, 2001, New York Post calls The Dish "Australia's most enjoyable film export since Crocodile Dundee" (Movie Reviews 1). The Toronto Stars quotes, "If you're old enough to remember the first moon landing, The Dish is guaranteed to leave you with a lump in your throat, as memories flood back of those heady days of discovery. And even if you're not, the movie turns a history lesson into great entertainment." (Movie Reviews 1) From the day it was released, The Dish has been given a great deal of positive reviews in the Australian population and around the world. There have however been some negative comments about the film. Max Messer, an established film critic, commented that elements of better movies i.e. Apollo 13, October Sky and The Right Stuff, were constantly in his head while watching this film. He continued to comment that The Dish lacked in some crucial element i.e. drama. (Messier 1) Messier probably voiced the opinion of many who viewed this film especially those who have been personally touched by this historical event. The humor lightens the “tear jerking” moments making it an easier film to view. Overall, The Dish has had wide critical acclaim and has gone on to either win or be nominated for awards in Australia and around the world. Its combination of drama and comedy is a dichotomy that contributes to Australianism in the film.

Production:

The Dish is base on a true story with real people and locations. The original location of the dish was in Parkes, New South Wales, Australia and the name of the actual Parkes satellite dish director was Dr. John Bolton. Even though the events of Apollo XI occurred in Parkes, the production crew found it necessary to film in Forbes, a neighboring town a few miles down the road. The reason for the change in location for the film is because Parkes has changed over the last 30 years. Parkes has become more economically advanced and the architecture has changed. It is crucial to the movie that the actual dish be placed in the middle of a sheep farm during the late 1960’s. Therefore, Forbes was chosen since little change has occurred. Forbes could still pass for a 1960s town so for the authenticity and accuracy of the film, shooting was done in Forbes. The entire movie was filmed in Australia, in Victoria, New South Wales, and Canberra.

Trying to manipulate over a 100 ton satellite dish proved to be no easy task. The crew struggled to move the device and properly convey its magnitude. (Warner Brothers.) The comical nature of this production group was proven evident as they tried to manipulate the operators of the dish. Gleisner spoke of the producer’s ploy to pose as Canadian astronomers to gain permission of operation for the dish. Although they were caught and were forced to confess, they gained permission and production commenced. The film was then shot almost entirely in Forbes on location. (Warner Brothers) Although the location was changed for the production, the movie still looked authentic and accurate to history.

The Warner Brother’s Official Website for The Dish describes in more details the extensive lengths this production crew took for the success and authenticity of the film. Also, the site is complete with a set of archival photos and interesting facts and an inside look to the making of The Dish. Check out < http://thedishmovie.warnerbros.com>.

Prior Work:

One of Rob Stich’s most significant prior works was his debut film, The Castle (1997). According to the Warner Brother’s Official Website, "The Castle went on to become one of the most successful Australian motion pictures of all time, grossing 10 million at the box office in less than 20 weeks when it was first released in 1997. The film earned Working Dog an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Original Screenplay, and was subsequently greeted with a standing ovation at its screening at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival” (1). Prior to this work, Rob Sitch was mainly involved and noted for work in the television industry. Sitch, along with other producers of Working Dog, Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Jane Kennedy, Rob Sitch, Michael Hirsh, all worked together on the critically acclaimed and multi-award winning series Frontline (1994-1997).

In 1997, “A River Somewhere” was produced between the making of The Castle and The Dish

This has been highly appreciated for its comical value and yet was also noted for its stylishly informative nature. This seems to be the focal point of Working Dog Production. They try to incorporate humor with an educational purpose. Working Dog has also worked in T.V., producing various series’ and documentary style shows. However, The Castle and The Dish are thus far Rob Stitch’s only feature length films and arguably his most significant works.

Position of Australian Film & Value

The Australian values seem to be questioned, tried and proven throughout The Dish. These noble 3 men are at a disadvantage to NASA at a monumental time in the world’s history. Their involvement in Apollo XI was belittled when recognized as a backup to the great and powerful NASA in America. The power and significant of the most powerful dish in the Southern Hemisphere was not shown until it was tested. The 3 Australian and the one NASA representative took it upon themselves to make history in Australia. A sense of unity and teamwork pulled this team together and proved that Australia was more than a dish in the middle of a sheep farm. The dish was defining factor in televising of the first steps on the moon and proved to be more than just a backup.

Another aspect of Australian values in film is the use of comedy in an educational manner. As previously mentioned, it appears that Working Dog Production has been known for their emphasis on comedy and informative material. This comical element appears in many different genres in Australian films i.e. Dirty Deeds. It appears that humor is repetitively used to lighten the situation even if based on true events.

Memorable Quotes:

Reporter: No offence, but NASA spends fifteen years, hundreds of millions of dollars so that we can watch man walk on the moon and in the end it falls to you blokes! I mean, how do you feel about that?
Ross "Mitch" Mitchell: A lot better before you opened your trap!