The Australian Dream

The Australian Dream is a good movie worthwhile seeing - 7/10. The segments of the movie relating the Adam Goodes story were excellent and gave both sides of a divisive issue. I felt that too much time was devoted to the diatribes of Andrew Bolt and the preachings of Stan Grant. The latter was inevitable given that Stan Grant wrote it and was determined to have his say. In fact, he said a whole lot too much in the final 10 minutes as the movie began to focus more on Stan Grant's beliefs than on the Adam Goodes issues. The TV special shown in Australia, The Final Quarter, covered pretty much all of the Adam Goodes story with pretty much the same footage without having to listen as much to Andrew Bolt and Stan Grant, whose rantings detracted from the impact of The Australian Dream. As I said, it's a good movie worthwhile seeing - but not unmissable.

This is a very engrossing documentary. Works very well on the telly (where I watched it) but I suspect not as much in the cinema. It really helps to understand the whole saga and the trauma experienced by Goodes. It should be used in schools.

Powerful, gutsy, honest, brutal, uncompromising, completely distressing and utterly brilliant. Stan Grant wrote an incredible script. The edit blew me away - so detailed, so many cuts, seamless and fully emotive. I personally am more 'Australian' because of this film. Please go see this film - take friends with you - a story that is not going to go away.

A must watch film for Australians. It is a national shame what indigenous Australians have been put through on the sporting field and beyond. We have so far to go. Adam Goodes and all those a part of this film thank you. We hope that the Australia your daughter grows up in will be a kinder more understanding country, that acknowledges our past & works to reconciliation.

Pair this with John Pilger's Utopia, make all Australians watch both, and as a nation we'll be convinced to change the date of Australia Day. No one wants to take away a holiday- let's just do it on a nicer day, that doesn't resurface any group's historical trauma; any other day, really.

Australia is more segregated than America from what I can tell, and for sure the world has been focusing on America and the injustices against African-Americans. But can say as a white Australian, we don't see them in movies, tv, or even in day to day life much at all. Less representation than is offered to African-Americans from what I can tell, and they're still arguably underrepresented at that.

Hopefully a well-made documentary like this can sway people. I know my attitudes towards race and Indigenous issues have changed in the past decade or so- it can happen. I don't doubt this documentary is one-sided, but the point is that we need to consider Adam Goodes' (and other Indigenous Australian) perspective more often.

It's eye-opening and if shown to enough Australians, could influence genuine, positive change.