Ghost Light Monday--The Dish film on DVD

I can thank my mother for this entry. I vaguely remember hearing about the film The Dish when it was released in 2000, but I had long forgotten it, and would never had put in on my Netflix queue. On a recent trip to Australia, my mother saw a screening of this film and thought my father and I would like it, so she had it on hand for us to watch this weekend during my visit. Yes, this scenario might seem like a new millenium version of the Norman Rockwell painting where the family is gathered round the radio.

Well, The Dish would fit in well with Rockwell's world--it is a charming film full of delightful quirky characters whose interacting form the finest parts of this film.

The story involves an Australian satellite dish that played a significant role in the Apollo 11 moon landing by receiving the television signal sent from the LEM Eagle. Sam Neill stars as the director of the Australian facility. Patrick Warburton (who knew he had done anything other than voice-over work and sit-coms?) is the American NASA respresentative watching over the satellite's Apollo involvement. A cast of quirky small town characters fill out the story.

The Dish
Directed by Rob Sitch
Released by Warner Bros. in 2000
Cast: Sam Neill, Patrick Warburton, Billy Mitchell, Kevin Harrington, Tom Long