Backbencher

The Dish refers to the gigantic, 1000-ton radio telescope within a remote sheep farm in the small Australian town of Parkes. The dish is out in the middle of a paddock filed which is very interesting. It was the most powerful receiving dish in the Southern Hemisphere. In 1969, NASA intended to use the Australian receiver as a back-up to its primary dish located in Goldstone, California. However, a last second change in the flight plans for the famed Apollo 11 mission facilitated the use of the back-up dish, making it directly instrumental in conveying to the world Armstrong's first steps on the moon. The citizens of Parkes are preparing for the biggest event in the town's history. In the movie a group of kids are supposed to play America’s National Anthem for the U.S. Ambassador, but instead play some other hip song. Some technical difficulties occur which threaten the worldwide broadcast of the history making event. The power in the town ends up going out and the dish looses its information and Apollo 11. The men working in the dish try hard to re-install the data and hide it from NASA. They end up finding Apollo 11 again but a huge wind storm with 60 mph winds comes. The men are able to get the pictures of Neil Armstrong landing on the moon and taking the first steps. When Buxton tells Burnett about his recently deceased wife and how much she would have loved seeing their endeavor the two men are placed atop the dish as it slowly points itself toward the heavens. It's a beautiful shot that echoes the sentiments being conveyed. The movie captures some of Australia but the movie was rather boring and I would like to of seen more of Australia.