The Dish
Australia’s largest satellite dish, located in a sheep field in the rural town of Parkes, has been tasked with receiving the TV transmission from the Apollo 11 moon landing.
Off the back of Fly Me to the Moon1 it felt right to revisit this old Aussie comedy, which covers the same subject but down here on Earth. Sam Neill is on great form as the man in charge of the radio telescope.
The Dish is a gentle film that first and foremost tells the story of a community proud to be a crucial part of an historic event, but its charming self deprecating tone is really what endears it to the audience. Much of the comedy comes from the small-town Aussies (who play cricket on the dish, but still take the job seriously) having to deal with the Americans (who take themselves seriously).
There’s not a lot that happens in The Dish, and even then some of what you see didn’t happen in real life. But it’s a well acted, well directed story told with affection and a warm sense of humour.