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The Dish (2000)

Director: Rob Sitch

First Transmission: Film Information

Principal cast and credits
Release dates
Box office figures
Interviews with the filmmakers of The Dish
Reviews, critical essays and discussions in books
The Dish’s on-line presence

Second Transmission: Critical Review

Critical review
Critical uptake
Circumstances of its production and release and its box office
The Dish in relation to the subsequent or prior work
The Dish’s general position in relation to Australian films and their values
The Dish as a genre

First Transmission: Film Information

Principal cast and credits

(In order of appearance in the opening credits)

Sam Neill (Cliff Buxton)

Kevin Harrington (Ross ‘Mitch’ Mitchell)

Tom Long (Glenn Latham)

Patrick Warburton (Al Burnett)

Genevieve Mooy (May McIntyre)

Taylor Kane (Rudi Kellerman)

With Billie Brown as the Prime Minister

And Roy Billing (Mayor Robert ‘Bob’ McIntyre)

(In order of appearance in the closing credits)

Written, Produced and Conceived by:
Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Jane Kennedy and Rob Sitch

Executive Producer: Michael Hirsh

Line Producer: Debra Choate

Film Editor: Jill Bilcock

Music Composed and Conducted by: Edmund Choi

Performed by the: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Director: Rob Sitch

Casting: Jane Kennedy

Production Designer: Carrie Kennedy

Art Director: Ben Morieson

Director of Photography: Graeme Wood

Len: Andrew S. Gilbert

Marie: Lenka Kripac

Keith: Matthew Moore

Janine: Eliza Szonert

US Ambassador: John McMartin

Introducing Carl Snell as Billy

Production:

Dish Film limited (Australia)

Distant Horizons

Village Roadshow Production

Working Dog Productions, http://www.workingdog.com/

 

Distributors:

Roadshow (Australia)

Warner Bros. (America)

Country: Australia

Filmed on Location in Australia:

• Parkes and Forbes – New South Wales

• Old Parliament House - Canberra

• Melbourne Victoria and the Studios of Crawford Productions

Year Released: 2000

Language: English

Classification: M 15+

Approximate Running Time: 105 minutes

N.B. Information gathered from both ‘The Dish’ DVD release, Roadshow Home Entertainment and IMDB accessed on 17 March 2005, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0205873

Release Dates

On the 15 September 2000, The Dish’s world premiere was at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada. According to Australian Film Corporation website, The Dish was released in Australia just a number of weeks later on the 19 October 2000. Incidentally, this Australian release saw the film debut at number one.

Warner Bros. Pictures announced on the 7 November 2000, that they had acquired the American rights to The Dish, and this official news release can be viewed at http://movies.warnerbros.com/pub/movie/releases/dishdistribution.htm. The American release of The Dish was on the 14 March 2001, with video release on 31 August 2001. The 14 March release date was limited; however on the 27 April 2001, the film expanded to 60 screen viewings.

The Dish was eventually released around the world in the UK on the 11 May 2001, New Zealand on the 17 May 2001, Spain on the 15 July and in Germany on the19 July 2001.

Box Office Figures

The Dish took $ 2,996,726 in its first four days of release. The Dish is listed as the top grossing film of 2000, taking in $16,880,893 at the box office in that year. It appears in the top five grossing Australian films of 2000, followed in descending order by The Wog Boy, Looking For Alibrandi, Chopper and Me Myself I.

The Dish is listed as the 83rd highest grossing film in Australia earning a total of $18 million. The film is also number 6 on the top Australian made films of all time earning a total of  $ 17,990,148.

Interviews with filmmakers of The Dish

Mike Ward and Cynthia Fuchs, ‘Interview with Rob Sitch director of The Dish’, PopMatters (undated), accessed on 10 April 2005, http://www.popmatters.com/film/interviews/sitch-rob.shtml

Mike Ward and Cynthia Fuchs conducted an interview with Rob Sitch, director of The Dish. Rob is asked what drew him to such a topic as the moon landing, how accurate he believed the narrative should be, and details on the festival success of the production. The following are quotes featured in this interview…

Rob: ‘It went to Toronto. We were only weeks away from releasing it in Australia. Toronto has become such a big festival and the audience awards there have become so influential that when Crouching Tiger won, Billy Elliot was third and we were second…’

Rob: ‘Movies, for me, have to show some kind of truth as you believe it to be. So they’re always reaffirming something, don’t you think, even reaffirming your own cynicism.’

Planet Sick-Boy, ‘Rob Sitch Dishes on the moon, fame and sheep’, Planet Sick-Boy (undated), accessed on the 10 April 2005, http://www.sick-boy.com/sitch.htm

Planet Sick-Boy interviews Rob Sitch on his second directorial The Dish. The interview queries the amount of realism in the story, Rob’s opinion on the Hollywood system and his take on the ‘reality’ TV craze. The following are comments featured in this interview…

Rob: ‘We started going to the library, and found a book on radio astronomy, and in it was a chapter on the Parkes radio telescope and the Apollo 11 mission. It was really amazing reading, and we found the facts were more interesting than we were making up.’

Rob: ‘I do think that writing is the least appreciated part of Hollywood movie making.’

Elias Savada, The Dish – Interview with Rob Sitch: ‘Mr. Sitch Goes to Washington’, 4 April 2001, accessed on the 10 April 2005, http://www.nitrateonline.com/2001/fdish.html

‘On a sunny, breezy, near-spring day’, Elias Savada interviews Rob Sitch just three days before his birthday. Just two blocks from the White House, Elias talks to Rob about how the film was supposed to precede The Castle (1997), however it was too much to get it produced. They also discussed Rob’s qualification as a medical practitioner and how he opted to change careers. The following are comments feature in this interview…

Elias: ‘So you actually thought up The Dish first?’ Rob: ‘Yes, we wrote it then thought of making it. We backed away and filmed The Castle with the limited resources we had.’

Elisa: ‘How long did each of your films take to edit?’ Rob: ‘The first cut of The Castle took two weeks. We really moved quickly. The Dish took six months.’

Rob: ‘Yes, we shot it [The Dish] in 28 quick shooting days, but with a plan’

Kieran Moran, ‘The Dish – on the Plate’, Barfly (undated), accessed on the 10 April 2005, http://www.barfly.com.au/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&id=1117

Kieran Moran conducts an interview with Jane Kennedy who is casting director, as well as one of the writers and producers of The Dish. They talk about the expenses of filming, and the story’s link to the real drama of the Parkes telescope. The following are quotes featured in this interview…

Jane: ‘It’s actually recorded in the log books of the time that they lost contact for a couple of hours. We had to make it [the incident] longer of course for the film, but yes, it really did happen.’

Jane: ‘…the major expense in filming this was getting everyone to the locations’. Crew and cast had to fly to Sydney, then board a small plane for the flight to the Parkes Airfield where they would be ‘ met by the chauffer driven sheep tray’

Jane: ‘…it’s a universal story…I mean everyone can remember what they were doing on that day.’

Patrick Barkham, ‘Dishing up an Australian Legend’, Guardian Unlimited, 25 May 2001, accessed on the 17 March 2005, http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,4120,496701,00.html

Patrick Barkham travels to the Town of Parkes reporting on the dish’s historic claim to fame and the genuineness of local Australian characters. Although not major interviews, Patrick talks to the film’s director Rob Stich, as well as obtaining small comments from key personnel that work at the dish, namely Rick Twardy and John Sarkissinian. Barkham also talks to David Cooke who worked at the dish on ‘that day’ in 1969. This perspective provides further insight into the real life inspiration for events, American ‘conflict’ and characters such as Cliff Buxton. The following are comments featured in this article…

‘The telescope “feels like a bit of an urban legend until you actually go and see it,” says Rob Sitch, The Dish’s director and one fifth of what he calls the Working Dog “cult”.’

“I call it the most beautiful radio telescope in the world,” says Rick Twardy, the radio telescope’s visitor manager.’

Patrick: ‘The dish is also the number one tourist attraction in the region, well ahead of Pioneer Park’s “fabulous collection of historic agricultural implements” (which includes the first and only tractor to be steered with reins…)’

Rob: ‘The Dish came second at last autumn’s Toronto film festival, behind Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and ahead of Billy Elliot.’

‘As Cooke says: “It wasn’t just another day in the office. We had our own little part to do and we did that. Afterwards when I went outside and looked at the moon and realised they were up there. I thought that was pretty special.”

Reviews, critical essays and discussions in books

Newspaper reviews

Movie Review Query Engine, List of online reviews, some access to reviews are constricted, http://www.mrqe.com/lookup?^Dish,+The+(2000).

This search engine provides 121 reviews on The Dish. Some of the newspaper reviews on this site include…

Robert Ebert, The Dish –review, Chicago Sun-Times, 6 April 2001

‘The Dish has affection for every one of its characters, forgives them their trespasses, understands their ambitions, doesn’t mock them and very funny.’

Ron Weiskind, ‘The Dish takes an offbeat angle on Apollo 11 mission, 4 May 2001.

‘The Dish focuses mainly on the smaller picture, often with a bemused eye…The Dish humbly reminds us of the grandness we can accomplish, if we are willing to try.’

Bob Graham, ‘Down Under ‘Dish’ Revisits Moon Walk Docudrama tells story behind image that almost wasn’t, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 April 2005.

The Dish becomes a quirky character study of the four-man team, led by Sam Neil as the crew leader who seems surrounded by an aura of sadness…’

The Age, List of Australian newspaper reviews, (subscription to access is required,

Essays

Mark Freeman, ‘Packaging Australia: Working Dog’s The Dish’, (undated) accessed on the 17 March 2005, http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/01/12/dish.html

Mark Freeman is a teacher and writer on film studies at Latrobe University. His essay on the packaging of Australian film that appeals to overseas markets takes a direct focus on the success of The Dish. Mark discusses the criticism of Australian films, the successful ideology of The Dish and the failure of The Castle (1997) to communicate with the overseas market.  The following are quotes featured in this essay…

‘The Dish conforms to such ideals, and makes its overture to the overseas eye in a number of ways. In terms of narrative, the film conventionally ‘Hollywood’ in structure, possessing identifiable signposts that fit comfortably into American mould.’

‘The Dish, however, aims to have a finger in both pies by serving up a quaint grotesque comedy as well as catering to the foreign gaze.’

Andrew Bunney, ‘From Wogboy to Mallboy: The Good, The Bad and The Lovely’, Senses of Cinema, (undated) http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/01/12/australian.html

Andrew Bunney discusses Australian cinema’s identity in relation to its success in the local and domestic market. The essay mentions The Dish through its relationship with American as well as its lack of strong masculinity. The following quotes featured in this essay…

‘The Dish glorified 'old-fashioned values' yes, but these were larrikinism, workplace democracy and lying to authority. It also playfully subverted the moralistic posturing of our party system depicting an ineffectual but well-meaning local MP and an evil, visiting PM.’

‘The Dish didn't have a 'male' title, but it was probably the blokeyist of the lot, revolving around an all-male scientific team with only one female (bimbo) character getting any screen time.’

Jo Keenan, Critical Review and Bibliography of Australian Film, Danny Deckchair (2003), (undated), accessed on the 10 April 2005, http:///wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au/ReadingRoom/film/dbase/2004/danny.htm

This critical essay, compiled by Jo Keenan, refers compares the success of The Dish compared to that of Danny Deckchair (2003). The following is a comment featured in this essay…

‘…Danny Deckchair may find some inspired audiences, but for Australian audiences this formula is nothing new, and the successful comedies of The Dish, The Castle, Muriel’s Wedding and the like were far more superior.’

The Dish’s on-line presence

The American distributors, Warner Bros. have an official website devoted to The Dish at http://thedishmovie.warnerbros.com/index_flash.html. This site contains production notes, information on the story, the filmmakers and the cast, and a picture gallery. The following is a comment featured in this article…

‘We invited some of the employees who had worked at Parkes during the moon landing’ says Tom Gleisner. ‘You could just see on their faces as they walked in – it was like walking into a time tunnel. They couldn’t believe that we recreated every door and every knob and every ashtray as the photos depicted them in 1969.’

A comprehensive list of websites for The Dish is available at a Google directory page. The sites include links to IMDb, HARO online and rottentomatoes.com.
For the full list visit http://directory.google.com/Top/Arts/Movies/Titles/D/Dish._The/

CSIRO, Media Release, ‘The dish in the paddock at Parkes’, 12 October 2000, accessed on the 19 April 2005, http://www.csiro.au/index.asp?type=mediaRelease&id=PrParksscience

This media release from the CSIRO in 2000 offers the background information to the real radio telescope in Parkes. This page provides interesting facts about the telescope’s construction, contribution to science and how the telescope is currently being used to ‘make a new map of galaxies in the southern sky from observations of neutral hydrogen’. The site also contains a detailed list of CSIRO staff associated with the telescope as well as a web address connecting readers to images of the dish and detailed reports of the Apollo 11 mission. The following are comments featured in this article…

‘The CSIRO Parkes radio telescope in western New South Wales was opened as a National Astronomical Observatory in1961.’

‘One of the earliest successes with the Parkes telescope was its contribution to the discovery of quasars in 1963.’

Megan Spencer, The Dish – film review, ABC Online, Triple J, (undated), accessed on 17 March 2005, http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/review/film/s213426.htm

The following critical (and cynical) review of The Dish is from the website of Triple J. The review critically compares the film to local and oversees productions, mainly questioning the suggested poor presentation of Australian culture and lacking the ‘irony and insight we’ve come to expect from Working Dog comedies’. The following are comments featured this article…

‘The Dish is a pretty hard pill to swallow. Overwhelming by sentiment, nostalgia and an over simplistic portrayal of Australian culture, The Dish is by and large a pretty ordinary film…’

‘The Dish elevates Australia’s involvement in the 1969 moonwalk to mythical proportions as our apparently most overlooked national achievement, and the time when Australia came of age as a nation.’

‘…for this reviewer at least The Dish is a bafflingly naïve movie, which pans out as a compressed, conservative tribute to something known as ‘the good old days’.’

Mary-Lou Zeitoun, Sundance Film Festival (The Dish – Review), (undated), accessed on the 17 March 2005, http://www.filmfestivals.com/servlet/JSCRun?obj+FicheFilmSundance&CfgPath+ffs/filmweb&id=1138

‘While Sitch engages our attention on the minutiae of these people’s lives, he can also pull back dizzyingly to the moon landing. The satellite dish itself is shot beautifully, an immense patient beast moving at the behest of these small men’.

Steven Hampton, The Dish (review), The Zone, (undated), accessed on the 10 April 2005, http://www.zone-sf.com/dish.html

‘Rob Sitch avoids both mawkish self-congratulatory backslapping and postmodern cynicism, and creates an absorbing piece of cinema to explore ironic yet likeable characters – while also successfully celebrating the staggering achievements of the space era’

Second Transmission: Critical Review of The Dish and its Literature

Critical Review

Synopsis

The story of The Dish (2000) is set around the events of July 1969, namely when the first human walked on the moon. The film focuses on the personnel situated at the largest radio telescope in the southern hemisphere; located in Parkes, New South Wales. The Dish nostalgically reflects on how these scientists were chosen by NASA to transmit the historical and iconic vision of Neil Armstrong taking his first step on the lunar surface. The film also provides glimpses into the lives of the town’s people of Parkes, presenting the ideology of this culturally isolated Australian community.

The film opens with Cliff (Sam Neill) travelling to the radio telescope in Parkes; presumably current day. While viewing the dish, Cliff reflects on the events of July 1969 and through Cliff’s flashback, the story proceeds to an exposition detailing the space race and the lead up to the historical moonwalk. The story (now focused on July 1969) sees Cliff and the other employees at the telescope commence as the back-up receiver; relaying communications from Apollo 11 to the American telescope.  After a town-wide blackout, the staff of the dish must work together to survive the set backs that develop including the loss of Apollo 11’s telemetry, the visiting US Ambassador (John McMartin) and the subsequent search for Apollo 11. When the American receiver is unable to obtain the transmission of Apollo 11, the Parkes dish becomes the primary transmitter of Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon. The staff of the dish must transmit the footage knowing the increasing winds could threaten to bring down the whole telescope.

Personal Commentary

The opening frame in The Dish (2000) is a long camera shot across a large farm paddock outlining a car approaching on a dusty, dirt road. The framing of this shot focuses on the rich blue sky, while only showing a small amount of the paddock in the foreground. This shot introduces the pure journey of this film, the wonder and mystery of the skies above. This opening shot of the sky fills two-thirds of the frame while only leaving a small remainder for the paddock. As the camera pans left, following the car, the inclusion of trees reduces the framing to half and half; then slowly building to full Australian trees and shrubs, showing only little pockets of blue sky. I feel, from this simple opening, the film frames the human exploration of this world, while suggesting a further yearning, endeavour and success of discovery within the sky above.

When Cliff (Sam Neill) looks at the telescope, his face is beautifully framed by the up swell of music and close-up of the wrinkles on his face. Music is used in the film to highlight the beauty of the dish itself, as well as give the object grace. The opening music connotes the size of the dish, by using a full orchestra to create a feeling of its enormity. The majestic beauty of the dish is paralleled by Cliff’s obvious respect and admiration for this very important object. By viewing the dish, Cliff literally remembers his time as part of the historic event through a flashback and the story is told to the audience through his reflection. This pastiche, or yearning for the past, drives the focus of this film. The exposition of the film is extremely vital as it sets up ‘a specific range of possible causes for and effects of what we see’ (Bordwell & Thompson, 2001: 68). The use of real newsreels, cut with official NASA footage, highlights the historical context of this film. The footage gives the realism by pointing out to the audience that the events of the space race shown did actually occur. This footage also explains the plot, detailing America’s dominance in the space race.

The viewers are re-introduced to the motif of the film; this recurring image is the dish itself. The film uses a parallelism to present the satellite dish as a pivotal part of the story’s focus. A parallelism is an intertextual film cue that compares ‘distinct elements by highlighting some similarity’ (Bordwell & Thompson, 2001: 53). After the exposition in this film, a girl is shown in her Sydney school with a model of the Parkes dish. The next image of the dish is a framed picture that is held in the hands of the Prime Minister (Bille Brown). These scenes introduce the intrigue and scepticism of such an important (and expensive) piece of equipment; and the questioning of the competency of its staff. This is also the introduction of satire in the film.

As this film is primarily a comedy, humour through incongruity is essential to its structure. Incongruity is the blending of two elements ‘that seem to be not belong together’ ;  ‘being unsuitable and inappropriate’. In The Dish, the telescope’s positioning in the middle of a paddock in some rural community is an excellent example. ‘What’s that Dish doing in the middle of a sheep paddock?’ A billion dollar telescope, located in rural New South Wales highlights this satire. The most ingenious example of humour occurs when the staff play cricket on the dish itself. It truly seems out of place to play cricket on such an expensive piece of equipment. This continuous satire is also established by the status and relationship of many members of the community. The Major (Roy Billing) occupies a position of supposed intellect, and like Darryl Kerrigan in The Castle (1997), he appears ‘as the ‘backbone’ of the family’ (Crilly, 2004:25).  After all this, the Mayor fails to comprehend simple observations and knowledge; in fact his son appears to be more intelligent. The Mayor’s naivety is also perpetuated by his relationship with his offsider, Len (Andrew S. Gilbert). Len is positioned as ‘the straight guy’, similar to the style of vaudeville comedy. The two opposing elements of the straight and funny guys produce a combination of humour due to their obvious mismatch. The various statuses of the dish staff are also important.

 The relationship between Mitch (Kevin Harrington) and Al (Patrick Warburton) is one of the most interesting in the film. They represent the larrikin Australian attitude of Mitch versus the firm and sensible American approach of Al. ‘Whilst for the majority of the film they seem to bumble around their workplace like Laurel and Hardy’; both characters provide important dynamic, and incongruous, elements to the film. These characters represent equal sides of the narrative, Australian vs. American, funny guy vs. straight guy, unprepared vs. organized, thus personifying a David vs. Goliath relationship. It is Cliff that holds the personnel, and the film, together. Cliff provides the audience with ‘a reassuring authority figure at a time in the contemporary world where its absence, both physically and symbolically, is much a problem of concern’ (Crilly, 2004:25) The narrative resolve and bonding of this relationship embodies the structure and purpose of the film; namely the event that stopped, and brought together, the world.

The film focuses on the naïve community of a rural town to highlight the simplicity of humanity. This naivety is juxtaposed with the imposed status of the American citizens, the expensive telescope and the suggested ‘greatest achievement ever’; walking on the moon. The inclusion of Glenn (Tom Long) (a capable scientist who can talk to women) and Rudi (Taylor Kane) (a security guard who thinks he can talk to Neil Armstrong on his CB radio) presents endearing and childlike characters who are easily identified as personifications of innocence. The Dish reiterates the ‘ideology of childhood innocence’ (Jenkins, 1998:136) supposedly possessed at this time, positioned against the mystery and the epic nature of such a historic and monumental even

Critical uptake

The Dish presents a stylised version and celebration of humanity’s past, however the film achieves this by reflecting and stereotyping selected aspects of Australian culture. The film emulates the established representation of the Australian character from films like Crocodile Dundee (1986) and The Castle (1997). Mark Freedman’s essay on the packaging of Australian films highlights the way these films position their characters to reflect the idiosyncrasies of Australian society. In this sense, The Dish presents Australian culture in this way as a means of ‘moulding’ the Hollywood structure of ‘the story of the little person making good’. The criticism of The Dish, and most Australian comedies, is that success is achieved by the constant devaluing of Australian society to create humour.

‘The people of Parkes are all goonish, inept nitwits, dithering around, making social faux pas and ignorant comments, and insistently pandering to the notion of Australia as lacking in culture and intelligence, exemplifying a gormless a gormless parochialism that leaves them permanently out of the global loop’.

Although it is a positive response, Mary-Lou Zeitoun’s review of the film refers to Parkes as ‘an unsophisticated town’ and Megan Spencer refers to the film as ‘an overly simplistic portrayal of Australian culture’. Spencer goes on to say that ‘The Dish has appealed to many as a piece of populist entertainment (or as a nationalist, post-Olympic group hug, whatever the case may be)’. These opinions are contrasted by the views Mark Freedman once again points out that this is done to attract the overseas market. ‘Certainly there is a strong sense in The Dish that the image of Australia is a constructed one, a representation that is not representative’.

The film’s story, and its flashback (i.e. Cliff reflecting the time the world stood still) are also questioned. The critical review on the film by Megan Spencer blatantly queries the need for such a story by suggesting that the story elevates Australia’s involvement to ‘mythical proportions as our apparently most overlooked national achievement’.   Most reviews indeed praised the representation of events as ‘an absorbing piece of cinema’ and a charming ‘source of nostalgia’. The film doesn’t challenge the status quo; in fact it highlights the importance and achievement of the Australian and American cultures. There are more comments explaining why the narrative was further constructed to meet the needs of the overseas market.

‘This demarcation caters to both the Australian audiences who tend to feel comfortable laughing at ‘themselves’, and the potential US audiences, who are represented far more favourably, and are clearly more worldly wise than the Australians that populate the film’.

Conflict between the two of scientists (Mitch and Al) was, to some degree, constructed. Only some of the ‘‘narkiness’ between the Australians and the Americans had been invented’ as David Cooke ‘insists there was never any tension’. In this sense, the need to create dramatic tension was of more importance than actual facts; this is also an example of the writer’s failure to disconnect their knowledge of contemporary Australian/American issues.

Circumstances of production, release and box office

Initially, the concept for The Dish came before The Castle (1997) was even conceived. Financial and producer backing was the major setback, The Castle itself was only filmed on a ‘shoestring’ budget. The Dish’s conception, planning and script writing are stated as vital steps in creating the film. What is interesting to note is that the film was storyboarded in great detail, because of the expenses of film.  As Rob Sitch comments at the beginning of the audio commentary, ‘every single shot was storyboard, planned’ and these storyboards can be viewed on the DVD release.

The commencement of filming also saw a number of expense problems effect the production. Issues with music rights and travel became obstacles that appeared during the process.  As far as locations go, Forbes was used as it reflected Parkes 30 years ago and filming with the Prime Minister (Billie Brown) was actually filmed in the old Parliament house. In addition, the natural light that came through the windows was enough to appropriate light the set.   Even a full orchestra is used to communicate the telescopes grace and grandeur.   In postproduction, the editing took about six months, compared to only two weeks for The Castle. The final production was released first at the Toronto Film Festival and only a few weeks later in Australia.

Originally The Wog Boys (2000) was the number one grossing film for 2000.    This was until the release of The Dish dropped The Wog Boys into second position for the year. The Dish’s initial success saw a news release from Warner Bros. confirming the acquisition of the American rights to the film. The following extracts detail certain production, release and box office circumstances in relation to The Dish…

 ‘We were sitting around one day, and this was in the days before The Castle, discussing ideas for films and Tom Gleisner (another team member) told us this amazing story about how he had read that Australia was one of the key players in the televising of those famous images from the Apollo mission to the rest of the world. And none of us knew anything about it…’

Elias Savada: You all share screen writing credit. How well did you work with each other? Rob Sitch: We do it pretty well now. Two of us will write a draft, which you have to do with comedy. You can’t do it by yourself. We structure it pretty carefully. The draft follows. Then the others will script edit. Then we’ll put it up on the blocks (his arms motioning as if it were an automobile) and pull scenes out. Dismantle them and put them back together. Even the, you still make changes’.

‘While researching and writing the screenplay, the team discovered the sheer magnitude of the Parkes radio telescope and the challenges filming on it would present’.

‘Even more daunting than the size of the dish itself was the idea of approaching the staffers of the imposing telescope. ‘We realised early on that we had to get permission of the operators of the dish, or we could never have made the film’ says Gleisner. ‘For awhile we considered posing as a group of Canadian astronomers.’

‘The film is set in the town of Parkes, in New South Wales, Australia, but was actually filmed in Forbes, which is a neighbouring town a few miles down the road. The reason for the re-filming is because Parkes has changed over the last 30 years, but Forbes hasn’t changed as much – Forbes still looked like a 1960s town, like Parkes did 30 years before’.

Shot on location at the Radio Telescope located in Parkes and at Forbes, Kennedy says that ‘the major expense in filming this was getting everyone to the locations’.  Crew and cast had to fly to Sydney, then board a small plane for the flight to the Parkes Airfield where they would be ‘met by the chauffer driven sheep tray.’

‘Plus getting (the rights to) Bonanza was proving difficult. So we thought of Hawaii Five-O. Which was better and more quickly recognizable.’

The Dish in relation to the subsequent or prior work

With the exception of The Castle (1997), the co-creators related with The Dish have mainly been associated with television production. Although the following filmographies may fail to look at Working Dog filmic contributions to Australian cinema, however the repetitive choices and alignment of producers, actors and crew become importantly highlighted.

Rob Sitch is the director of The Dish and part of the Working Dog team, as well as co-writer, co-producer and part of the conception team. His directorial debut was The Castle (1997); he was also a writer for the film. His history in Australian television includes Russell Coight’s Celebrity Challenge (2004) (writer, executive producer) Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventures (2001 – 2002) (writer, producer) The Panel (1998 – current) (panellist, executive producer), A River Somewhere (1997 –1998) (writer, executive producer, director), The Campaign (1996) (producer), Funky Squad (1995) (co-creator), Frontline (1994 – 1997) (writer, actor, producer, director), The Late Show (1992 – 1993) (writer, actor, director (uncredited), The D Generation Goes Commercial (1988) (writer, actor) and The D Generation (1986 – 1987) (writer, actor). For further information on Rob Sitch go to… http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0803203

Santo Cilauro is another member of the Working Dog team and is credited with being a co-writer, co-producer, second unit director and also part of the conception team of The Dish. Santo also collaborated on The Castle (1997) as a writer and a camera operator. Santo has a strong history in Australian television including Russell Coight’s Celebrity Challenge (2004) (writer, director, executive producer, camera operator) Herman, the Legal Labrador (2004, animated) (voice), Welcher and Welcher (2003) (actor) Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventures (2001 – 2002) (writer, director, executive producer, camera operator), The Panel (1998 – current) (panellist, executive producer), A River Somewhere (1997 –1998) (producer), The Campaign (1996) (writer, director, executive producer, cinematographer) The Funky Squad (1995) (co-creator, writer, actor, director, producer), Frontline (1994 – 1997) (writer, director, producer, cinematographer), The Late Show (1992 – 1993) (writer, actor, cinematographer, director (uncredited) and the editor on various short films), The D Generation Goes Commercial (1988) (writer, actor) The D Generation (1986 – 1987) (writer, actor, camera operator) and Billy’s Shout (1991) (director). For further information on Santo Cilauro go to… http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0162274/

Tom Gleisner is a member of the Working Dog team and is credited with not only the co-conceiving the idea of The Dish, but also the co-writer and co-producer.

Tom is also credited in The Castle (1997) as writer, and like Rob and Santo, has a similar background in Australian television. These include Russell Coight’s Celebrity Challenge (2004) Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventures (2001 – 2002) (writer, executive producer, director), A River Somewhere (1997 –1998) (writer, executive producer, director) The Panel (1998 – current)(host, executive producer), The Campaign (1996) (producer), The Funky Squad (1995) (co-creator, writer, producer, actor, director), Frontline (1994 – 1997) (writer, producer, actor, director), The Late Show (1992 – 1993) (writer, actor, director (uncredited), The D Generation Goes Commercial (1988) (writer, producer, actor), The D Generation (1986 – 1987) (writer, actor) and While You’re Down There (1986) (writer, actor, script consultant). For further information on Tom Gleisner go to… http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0322467/

Jane Kennedy is credited with being the casting director and the music producer for The Dish, as well as the co-writer, co-producer and co-conceiver of the film. Also being another member of the Working Dog team, Jane was a writer and casting director for The Castle (1997) and her voice can be heard as a ‘Parliament House Tour Guide’ in Bad Eggs (2003). Her background in Australian television includes Russell Coight’s Celebrity Challenge (2004) (casting director), The Panel (1998 – current) (panellist, executive producer), The Campaign (1996) (executive producer), The Funky Squad (1995) (actor, producer, writer, director), Frontline (1994 – 1997) (actor, producer, writer, director) and The Late Show (1992 – 1993) (actor, writer, director). For further information on Jane Kennedy go to… http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0448088/

Michael Hirsh is sometimes referred to as the ‘fifth member of the Working Dog group’ and is credited with the title of executive producer for The Dish. Michael is also credited as the executive producer of The Castle (1997), Russell Coight’s Celebrity Challenge (2004), The Panel (1998 – current), A River Somewhere (1997 –1998), The Campaign (1996), The Funky Squad (1995) and Frontline (1994). He also worked on The Late Show (1992 – 1993) (associate producer), Billy’s Shout (1991) (producer), Sky Pirates (1986) (producer, editor), A Slice of Life (1983) (producer) Breakfast in Paris (1982) (associate producer) Pacific Banana (1981) (first assistant director, actor (uncredited) and Nightmares (1980) (associate producer, production accountant, production manager). For further information on Michael Hirsh go to… http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0386651/

Graeme Wood was the Cinematographer for the film The Dish. His previous connection with the Working Dog team was only in the creation of the ‘Five in a Row’ music film clip that The D-Generation compiled for Degenocide in 1997. His other Australian productions as cinematographer (both film and television) includes Bad Eggs (2003), Subterano (2003), Envy (1999), Crash Zone (1998), The Genie From Down Under (1996), Say a Little Prayer (1993), Round the Twist 2 (1992), More Winners: Boy Soldiers (1990) and Ghosts…of the Civil Dead (1988). He was also the director, writer, producer and editor for the 1989 film Teenage Babylon. For further information on Graeme Wood go to… http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0939728/

Jill Bilcock was the film editor of The Dish, this was her first (and only to date) collaboration with Working Dog; a job that took 6 months to complete. Her credits on film editing include The Libertine (2004), Japanese Story (2003), Road to Perdition (2002), Moulin Rouge! (2001), Harry’s War (1999), Elizabeth (1998), Head On (1998), Romeo + Juliet (1996), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), I.Q. (1994), Muriel’s Wedding (1994), Erotique (1994), You Seng (1993), Say a Little Prayer (1993), Strictly Ballroom (1992), Till There was You (1990), A Cry in the Dark (1988), Dogs in Space (1987), The More Things Change… (1986) and Strikebound (1984). Also on Romeo + Juliet,Jill was the title designer and associate producer. For further information on Jill Bilcock go to… http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0082162/

Sam Neill’sfirst, and only collaboration to date with Rob Sitch and the Working Dog team is on The Dish. He has however worked with Mick Molloy (one of the members of The Late Show (1992 – 1993) and a Panel regular) on two Australian productions. In The Brush-Off (2004) and Stiff (2004), Sam was the producer for both productions, and the director of The Brush-Off. Sam Neill plays the role of Cliff Buxton, a role based on John Bolton; a real employee at the dish during that time.   Sam’s extensive thirty-year film history (and 75 roles) includes many overseas and Australian movies. Some of his acting appearances were in Merlin (1998), Sirens (1994), Jurassic Park (1993) and The Piano (1993) to name just a few! It is also interesting to note that Sam was up for the role of James Bond, Twice! Once when Roger Moore left the role, and a second time when Timothy Dalton retired. Sam also provided the voice to ‘Malloy’ in a 1994 episode of The Simpsons called ‘Homer the Vigilante’. For further information on Sam Neill go to… http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000554/

Charles Bud Tingwell has a great association with Australian cinema and television. Charles also has a minor involvement with the Working Dog team. Besides appearing in The Dish, he also appears in The Castle (1997) and made guest appearances in Frontline (1994), and various The Late Show episodes (1993). His filmography of similar Australian films includes The Wog Boy (2000), The Craic (1999), and Malcolm (1986) to name only some. Charles extensive acting roles number to over 90 and counting, and he has also credited with director, producer and writer on various other productions. For further information on Charles Bud Tingwell go to… http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0863968/

The Dish’s general position in relation to Australian films and their values

The Dish is an example of Australian comedy, emphasising the position of ‘ordinary characters in extraordinary circumstances’ (Paice, 1981:19). The film relies on the naivety and sweetness of its characters to tell an extraordinary story. In this sense, the film is similar to other successful Australian films such as Crocodile Dundee (1986) and The Castle (1997). These films, like The Dish, focus on the ‘little guy’ in an almost David and Goliath struggle. ‘This was, of course, the charm of Dundee that worked so well for American audiences. His lack of social awareness and astonishing naiveté, though, is compensated by an ability to think quickly and resolve problems with a direct and bullshit-free approach’. The Dish reflects the social naivety its characters thus connoting ‘an ideology of childhood innocence and a utopian fantasy’ (Jenkins (ed), 1998:136) that communicate to an audience on a global scale. These characters are non-threatening, and therefore approachable, thus fulfilling a yearning for the ‘sentimental larrikins’ (McCarthy, 2003:4). The Mick Dundee’s character also ‘asserted a new Australianness’ (McCarthy, 2003:5), by repositioning the Australian male in a new way. In The Dish, the cultural positioning is easy to identify for a worldwide appeal, unlike the producer’s previous production.

‘Working Dog’s previous feature The Castle (1997) famously ran into some difficulty in its translation to American audiences. Culturally specific terminology and in-joke Australian references stymied the film’s universality, and necessitated changes to the dialogue to assist in this cross-over process. The Dish, of course, carefully eradicates all such culturally specific problems, with terminology and location painstakingly explained throughout the film, therefore avoiding such conflicts and obstacles once it does appear on American screens.’

This is also true for other Australian productions at the same time. ‘Essentially, and in contrast to films like Looking For Alibrandi and Chopper, The Dish is consciously designed and constructed to break into overseas markets, and to do so, it employs a range of tactics to appeal to this foreign gaze’. The Hollywood structure and global references allowed The Dish global spectatorship. The film also reflects ‘quirky’ characters that have also traditionally achieved overseas success. ‘With films like Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Strictly Ballroom, the Australians have shown a gift for offbeat, charming comedy that travels well’. For an Australian comedy like The Dish to be funny, it must be ‘respectful of characters, critical of some aspects of Australian society and affirming of others’ (Enders, 2004:100)

Festivals

The Dish premiered at the 25th Toronto International Film Festival in September 2000.

The Dish was screened in the World Cinema Section of the Sundance Film Festival in January 2001. The other Australian films also shown that year include Chopper (2000) The Big House and In Search of Mike

Awards

The Dish received second place for the People’s Choice Award, at the Toronto International Film Festival.

At the 2001 Australian Film Critics Circle of America, The Dish won Best Screenplay and Best Music Score.

It is interesting to note that The Dish was not entered into the 2000 AFI Awards.

The Dish as a genre

The Dish (2000) has been described as a gentle comedy, a comedy-drama hybrid, and even a comedy, historical. The Dish is a satirical comedy that extenuates the lives of the people of Parkes; achieving humour through the ‘representation of everyday life’ (Neale, 2000:66). The film presents stereotypical, eccentric Australian characters, highlighting their quirky habits and their innocence, arrogance and naivety. The dry wit of the film reflects the continuos and similar work that the Working Dog company has produced in Australia.

Comedy becomes a funny mirror for reflecting upon one’s cultural weakness. It allows one to admit that one longs for a more exciting life without threatening the life one is leading. Through parodies one can indulge one’s fascination with another, more exciting culture, while stimulating dismissing as a joke’ (O’Regan, 1996)

There are many elements in The Dish that define the film as a comedy. The incongruity of a Radio Telescope in a sheep paddock, playing cricket on the dish and the pairing of opposing characters (like Mitch and Al) creates much of the comedy in the film. The film’s humour is also highlighted by the US Ambassador’s visit to the telescope, just after the staff lost complete radio contact with Apollo 11. The situation that unfolds not only mocks the perceived status of the Ambassador, by also highlights the staff’s Aussie ability to ‘pull-a-prank’; even on this technical scale. The film also contains a musical joke when the US Ambassador is played the American National Anthem. The ‘Hawaii 5-0’ song is not only a funny and unexpected addition to the film. The film also parodies the presentation of politicians; mocking the Town Mayor (Roy Billing) and the Australian Prime Minister (Billie Brown).

Unlike most Australian comedies, the film relies on actors as opposed to comedians in the major roles. Stars like Paul Hogan (Crocodile Dundee, 1986), and Nick Giannopoulos (The Wog Boy, 2000) have traditionally starred in films as comedians rather than under the title of an actor. This is where the aspects of drama and comedy in The Dish can become blurred, as the principle star, Sam Neill, and most of the supporting cast, are primarily actors. The film relies of these actors to not only supply the humour by also anchor the drama, and even relay the historical elements. Over 70 hours of NASA footage was sourced to create a realistic representation of the period. The Dish is a comedy, but not in the sense that it presents a laugh-a-minute parody, rather that it features an affectionate and nostalgic reflection of Australia’s past.

Film: The Dish (2000) Director: Rob Sitch, DVD, Widescreen Edition, Working Dog Presentation, Roadshow Home Entertainment.

Filmography:

Crocodile Dundee (1986) Director: Peter Faiman
Chopper (2000) Director: Andrew Dominik
Danny Deckchair (2003) Director: Jeff Balsmeyer
In Search of Mike (short drama) Director: Andrew Lancaster
Looking For Alibrandi (2000) Director: Kate Hoods
Me Myself I (1999) Director: Pip Karmel
Strictly Ballroom (1992) Director: Baz Luhrmann
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) Director: Stephan Elliott
The Big House (short drama) Director: Rachel Ward
The Castle (1997) Director: Rob Sitch
The Wog Boy (2000) Director: Aleksi Vellis

References:

Barkham, Patrick. ‘Dishing up an Australian Legend’, Guardian Unlimited, 25 May 2001, accessed on the 17 March 2005, http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,4120,496701,00.html

Bordwell, David and Thompson, Kristin. (2001) Film Art: An Introduction, Sixth Edition, McGraw-Hill: New York.

Bunney, Andrew. ‘From Wogboy to Mallboy: The Good, The Bad and The Lovely’, Senses of Cinema, (undated) http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/01/12/australian.html

Crilly, Shane. (2004) ‘Gods in our own world’: representations of troubled and troubling masculinities in some Australian films, 1991-2001’, Adelaide University, http://adt.caul.edu.au:12000/CMD/get?mode=advanced&nratt=2&number=4&att1=DC.Identifier&op0=%2B&op1=%2B&val1=edu.au&att0=DC.Creator&val0=Shane+crilly&submit=Search

CSIRO, Media Release, ‘The dish in the paddock at Parkes’, 12 October 2000, accessed on the 19 April 2005, http://www.csiro.au/index.asp?type=mediaRelease&id=PrParksscience

Enders, Mark. (2004) ‘No Laughing Matter: An Exploration Of The Role Of The Protagonist In Australian Feature Films Classified As Social Comedies’, Queensland University of Technology, http://adt.library.qut.edu.au/adt-qut/uploads/approved/adt-QUT20050224.101747/public/02whole.pdf

Freeman, Mark. ‘Packaging Australia: Working Dog’s The Dish’, Senses of Cinema, (undated) accessed on the 17 March 2005, http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/01/12/dish.html

Hampton, Steven. The Dish (review), The Zone, (undated), accessed on the 10 April 2005, http://www.zone-sf.com/dish.html

Internet Movie Database, The Dish (2000): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0205873/

Jenkins, Henry (ed) (1998) The Children’s Culture Reader, New York University Press: New York and London

Keenan, Jo. Critical Review and Bibliography of Australian Film, Danny Deckchair (2003), (undated), accessed on the 10 April 2005, http:///wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au/ReadingRoom/film/dbase/2004/danny.htm

Moran, Kieran. ‘The Dish – on the Plate’, Barfly (undated), accessed on the 10 April 2005, http://www.barfly.com.au/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&id=1117

Movie Review Query Engine: http://www.mrqe.com/lookup?^Dish,+The+(2000).

O’Regan, Tom (1996) Australian National Cinema, Routledge: London and New York.

Paice, Eric. (1981) The Way to Write for Television, Elm Tree Books: London.

Planet Sick-Boy, ‘Rob Sitch Dishes on the moon, fame and sheep’, Planet Sick-Boy (undated), accessed on the 10 April 2005, http://www.sick-boy.com/sitch.htm

Savada, Elias. The Dish – Interview with Rob Sitch: ‘Mr. Sitch Goes to Washington’, 4 April 2001, accessed on the 10 April 2005, http://www.nitrateonline.com/2001/fdish.html

Sharp, Helena. ‘The Tracker’, Critical Review and Bibliography, Oz Film Database, (undated), http://online.murdoch.edu.au/MED231s1/index.html

Spencer, Megan. The Dish – film review, ABC Online, Triple J, (undated), accessed on 17 March 2005, http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/review/film/s213426.htm

McCarthy, Greg. (2003) ‘The Obstinate Memory in Australian Films’, School of History and Politics, University of Adelaide, http://www.utas.edu.au/government/APSA/GMcCarthyfinal.pdf

Neale, Steve. (2000) Genre and Hollywood, Routledge: London and New York.

Ward, Mike and Fuchs, Cynthia. ‘Interview with Rob Sitch director of The Dish’, PopMatters (undated), accessed on 10 April 2005, http://www.popmatters.com/film/interviews/sitch-rob.shtml