If a movie is described as heart-warming there is an expectation of a certain amount of sentimentality or overdone romance, but The Dish is neither of these whilst remaining true (mostly) to its historical roots. It’s the story of a team at a radio telescope in Parkes, New South Wales, 200 miles west of Sydney, Australia. Not the stuff of legends? Well, maybe not obviously, but Parkes Observatory tracked the progress and relayed part of the footage of the 1969 moon landing back to Houston; TV pictures which were shown around the world.

The staff at the Parkes dish are stationed in a remote small town and their usual round of scientific tasks are fairly routine and well-rehearsed, However, the arrival of a NASA representative on site gives them pause and emphasises just how widely important their job is really going to be.

Aussies are well-known for their robust attitude generally and there’s plenty of that on show, and the humour to suit. There’s the questioning of authority and standing up for themselves, but it‘s the gentler side of the people involved that shines through, the sense of community, friendship, and a little stumbling romance that is well represented and played out without being cutesy or twee.

As the moon landing approaches, the team find they have made a bit of a miscalculation which is going to leave them without any coverage of the landing from Parkes unless they own up and depend on the NASA rep to cover for them. Everyone has to rely upon the good nature of others and this plays out in NASA’s favour in the final stages of the movie.

This is a true all-rounder, and a decent, enjoyable, family watch with loads of Australian faces you know you’ve seen somewhere before, all making very solid, natural and believable characters come to life.

Although Sam Neill and Patrick Warburton are pushed as the stars on some of the posters, this isn’t a vehicle for Hollywood actors to be shown off, or for others to give them room – they are here on an equal footing, and the load is spread across a number of fine actors we should see more of, all giving living, characterful performances.

Certificate: 12
1 hour 41 minutes
Prime (£2.19)
Director: Rob Sitch
Cast: Sam Neill, Patrick Warburton. Tom Long, Kevin Harrington, Roy Billing, Eliza Szonert