Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door

I have never written a review before, but I feel compelled to do so after reading an insipidly negative review that was obviously written by a person with absolutely no idea.

This two-part movie has an intangible quality (like most good Australian films), that makes it distinctive and appealing to watch; the acting was excellent, the cinematography was excellent, and the costume design was excellent. Peter Allen was a beautiful person whose life was beautifully depicted here with honesty and integrity. It made me laugh and cry.. and then cry some more... I highly recommend you watch this.

Peter Allen grow up in a time in Australia that was extremely difficult to be gay , while his talent was aways there from a young age it was always going to be hard for him. Most bio pictures tend to gloss over the extremely difficult parts of a persons life . This film tell Peter story as like a Greek tragedy turned into a success story. The acting is honest and well played, Joel Jackson portrayed Peter Allen was mesmerising, Rebecca Gidget as Peters mum was both touching and beautiful, Sigrid Thornton Brough Judy Garland back to life . The only drawback to this two part min series was Greg Poppleton who's wooden performance brought the standard down , his stilted wooden performance as an amateur judge was something this production didn't need.

Having read some of the reviews posted here I am greatly disappointed by the first one posted by someone who seems to be homophobic. It was apparent from his head shot that he is far to young to even remember the time Peter Allen lived in. His struggle for success in USA was always over-powered by the presence of Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli both of whom dominated at the time.

Having worked in the entertainment industry all my life and lived through all those years, what was depicted in this TV movie was absolutely the way it was. The performances were great. Young Ky Baldwin has a very successful career ahead of him.

Great TV viewing and thank you 7 for bringing the life of Peter Allen to us all.

On another note I have been watching the Sunday reruns of A Place to Call Home -- Australia's Dynasty - Disappointed to hear Season3wille o Foxtel as I do not subscribe there. Love this show as I also remember those years with great clarity.

Just finished watching this moving tribute to a great of the Music, Theatre industry a movie that gives people more insight into the great achievements of Peter Allen. Even as a fellow Australian I didn't realise all the songs he wrote for so many successful artists.

That said the filmmaker takes you on an emotional ride that presents so honestly, you could be hearing it straight from Peter's mouth.

The scenery and film direction is a true picture of Australia (well for those scenes in Australia). The acting and cast were great and Joel Jackson as Peter Allen really gave the movie the energy that Peter Allen brought to everything he did along with numerous great performances to name a few, Sara West, Sigrid Thornton, Lucy Honigman . A wonderful heartwarming film worth watching, buying on DVD and keeping.

I read the review from user (Michael Radny (Perth, Australia)) all I can say is this person must be a homophobia as they state "who cares about the dead) well I do, Pablo Picasso, Mozart, Winston Churchill and that is to name lees than 1% of the people who have been a part of making the world a better place as did Peter Allen.

I thoroughly enjoyed this portrayal of Peter Allen's life. Having lived through the 70's, I distinctly remember many of those hit songs. He really was a classic songwriter like so many of his contemporaries at the time. I worked in the fashion industry then and I am sure he played a role in the bright summer sunny fashions of the seventies, as everybody tried to copy that Rio look.

His early years of growing up in Armidale were beautifully portrayed by this great production team. It was captured so well. Also, the young Peter Allen was priceless. He was so talented just like you could imagine the young Peter was. The older Peter was of course brilliant too and unbelievably talented as well.

Who would have ever thought Sigrid Thornton would ever play a middle aged Judy Garland? She looked and played the part so well. I was glad this part of the story was carefully played out as it was a part of his life I was always curious about. It really showed the pressure that Judy had lived under all her life, as she pushed herself constantly to perform which eventually caused her undoing. It's funny but there were three performers in that family who were all going through their own private traumas which was very well portrayed. It was such a unique situation. It gave us a glimpse into the what the life of Liza Minelli and her siblings must have been like as children of the great Judy Garland.

I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. It never got boring as was Peter's life. He was a person who lived his dream and left a great legacy of songs behind him. Well done Channel 7.