The Dish (2000)

I may have watched this Aussie film much closer to when it came out, since have always like Sam Neill, but I had no memory of it and we gave it a look. It is very entertaining in a quiet way. The bursts of humor are short, occasional and subtle, and it works.

Of course it is based on actual events and feature a few news archive clips as well as actors playing historical characters, sometimes almost as a cameo.

It features some restrained tension and suspense as the crew at the telescope try to live up to their commitment to passing audio and video from the moon landing on to NASA and the world. Among the supporting cast we also have a radical political daughter and a clumsy young couple trying to initiate a new romance. It all adds flavor to the main plot.