My Films: Day 15

FB still seems to have it in for me.

The Dish, 2000

I haven’t yet disclosed my penchant for Aussie films, have I?

Not sure what it is about the Down Under film industry but I have rarely watched an Aussie film that failed to capture either my interest or my imagination. They seem to answer my requirement for something just that little bit different and rate far higher on the Quirkiness scale than anything coming out of the Hollywood factory. Australia even turns out musical films that I enjoy.

I first saw The Dish at a cinema in Leeds. I had won tickets for a preview showing, with members of the cast on hand to answer questions afterwards. I dared to hope, but my hopes were dashed…

…one of my all-time favourite actors stars in this film – Sam Neill, the Thinking Woman’s Crumpet. Sadly, he did not appear at the viewing that we attended.

The impact delivered by this film is unique in my experience. It actually changed my mind about something, You see, when I was a po-faced teenager in 1969, I was much aggrieved by the wicked waste of money spent on the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. I did not watch the landing and I kept on banging on at anybody who would listen regarding the starving millions that might have been fed.

Hey, I was 16. I was meant to be idealistic, wasn’t I?

This heavily fictionalised account of the Parkes Laboratory’s part in the moon landing somehow managed to make me feel the enthusiasm for and the wonder of it all and I finally regretted not having been in on it at the time.

If you don’t know this film there is a very good write up on its Wikipedia page. I don’t intend to rewrite it here.

The Dish is a fun film and Sam Neill channeling Knitting Pattern Man is enough to make some of us weak at the knees.