Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door

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.

No cringing here. This is vintage Australian movie making at its best. Script, casting, directions, delicate camera work - just a perfect production.This had all the ingredients for being soppy and clichéd, but tight scripting and direction keeps it together all the way to its simple ending. It recognizes Peter Allen career as being one filled with the gritty boringness of trying to make it,until his ship sailed in with the all-sails blazing Judy Garland, played in perfect balance by Sigrid Thornton, a role that could have so easily slipped into parody. The clever flatness of colour at times poignantly captures an era of post war Australia when all was not easy on the home-front, but new sounds and media were innocently arising. This series reveals how the Australian film industry has been so dreadfully neglected, as it showcases the ability of our homegrown talent to make world class entertainment.

As a 15 year old who is a MASSIVE Peter Allen fan, I absolutely loved this! Whoever gave it a 1 star review is clearly clueless. I loved every aspect of the mini series, the acting, the story and it even led to the surprising discovery that I might be related to Peter's first girlfriend! I laughed at some scenes and cried at many but one thing is for sure. I would happily rewatch it a million times! I would rate it 100/10 if I could and I will most certainly spread the word so other people can experience such an excellent series and also learn about the greatness of the one and only Peter Allen.

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.