The Dish (2000)

A remote Australian community, populated by quirky characters, plays a key role in the first Apollo moon landing.

Director:

Rob Sitch

Writers:

Santo Cilauro (conceived and written by), Tom Gleisner (conceived and written by)

Stars:

Sam Neill, Billy Mitchell, Roz Hammond

3 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sam Neill	...	Cliff Buxton
Billy Mitchell	...	Cameron
Roz Hammond	...	Miss Nolan
Christopher-Robin Street	...	Damien
Luke Keltie	...	Graeme
Naomi Wright	...	Melanie
Ben Wright-Smith	...	Nicholas
Beverley Dunn	...	Secretary (voice)
Grant Thompson	...	Mr. Callen
Bille Brown	...	Prime Minister
Bernard Curry	...	Newspaper Reporter
Kevin Harrington	...	Ross 'Mitch' Mitchell
Tom Long	...	Glenn Latham
Patrick Warburton	...	Al Burnett
Roy Billing	...	Mayor Robert 'Bob' McIntyre

Storyline

In the days before the July 19, 1969 space mission that marked humankind's first steps on the moon, NASA was working with a group of Australian technicians who had agreed to rig up a satellite interface. That the Aussies placed the satellite dish smack dab in the middle of an Australian sheep farm in the boondocks town of Parkes was just one of the reasons that NASA was concerned. Based on a true story, The Dish takes a smart, witty, comical look at the differing cultural attitudes between Australia and the U.S. while revisiting one of the greatest events in history.

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Plot Keywords:

cricket the sport | nasa | moon walk | satellite dish | australia | 

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Taglines:

Houston's other problem.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. (Flash version)

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 May 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Antena

Filming Locations:

Crawford Productions, Box Hill, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$70,612, 18 March 2001

Gross USA:

$2,252,970

Company Credits

Production Co:

Working Dog, Distant Horizon, Dish Film Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min 97 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Dish control console used in the film is currently displayed at the Parkes visitors centre.

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Goofs

The dish that was filmed in the movie is the up to date version of the radio telescope, with a larger diameter white portion in the center of the dish. The dish in the original old black and white photos behind Mayor Bob and the Prime Minister in the hallway had a much smaller white center portion to the dish antenna.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Worker: Excuse me sir, I'm afraid you've come in the wrong way.
Cliff Buxton: I'm sorry...
Worker: Yeah, this is the old entrance. The visitors center is back out and around to the left.
Cliff Buxton: Right well, I'll wander out then.
Worker: Well worth it. Some amazing times.

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Crazy Credits

The producers acknowledge the valuable assistance of the staff at the CSIRO Parkes Observatory and Visitors Centre, the Council and people of Parkes, New South Wales, and the Council and people of Forbes, New South Wales.

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Connections

Referenced in The Chase Australia: Episode #2.31 (2016)

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Soundtracks

Something In The Air
(1969)
Written by John Keen
© Fabulous Music Ltd, Westminster Music Ltd
Used by permission of Essex Music Australia
Performed by Thunderclap Newman
Courtesy of Polydor Ltd (UK)
Under license from Universal Music Australia Pty Limited

User Reviews

A great feel-good comedy.

This film was extremely hard for me to get into, but once I got interested, I couldn't turn away. The performances were great the story was pleasantly refreshing. After I had seen the small town Irish comedy WAKING NED DEVINE, I was in the mood for feel-good comedies. THE DISH was the next best thing. But, as it turns out, I liked THE DISH far better.

It is a small town comedy set in a rural Australian town during the days preceeding the Apollo 11 landing on the moon. When Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, it brought everyone on the Earth together. This film gives an idea as to what it must have been like to see that experience.

The film was a greatly pleasant movie and I was totally delighted to have a film as heartwarming and truly great as this. Sam Neill (JURASSIC PARK) and Patrick Warburton (SCREAM 3, BIG TROUBLE) who I feel are both very good actors take the leading roles of this delightful movie experience. Surely a film that you will want to watch over and over again. I recommend OCTOBER SKY and WAKING NED DEVINE.

THE DISH: 5/5.