Via Satellite

"An effervescent, deftly paced and hilarious gem which will, if there is any justice, take its place alongside Geoff Murphy’s marvellous road riot, Goodbye Pork Pie, among our best indigenous comedies." – Peter Calder

Via Satellite, New Zealand, 1998

Director/Writer: Anthony McCarten
Co-writer: Greg McGee
Executive Producers: Chris Brown, Chris Hampson
Producer: Philippa Campbell
Director of Photography: Simon Riera
Editor: John Gilbert
1st Assistant Director: David Norris
2nd Assistant Director: Donna Hawke
Continuity: Rachel Davies
Sound Recordist: Ray Beentjes
Production Designer: Clive Memmorr
Costume Designer: Chris Elliott

With: Danielle Cormack (Chrissy / Carol), Tim Balme (Ken), Rima Te Wiata (Jen), Brian Sergent (Brian), Jodie Dorday (Lyn), Karl Urban (Paul), Donna Akersten (Joyce)

35mm, 90 minutes, M-Contains sex scenes & offensive language

Twenty-year old Carol Dunn seems all set to win a surprise medal for New Zealand in the Olympic Pool. Back home, along with the rest of the nation, her family is caught up in the euphoria and nervously awaits the arrival of television director Brian Stanning. No one is prepared for the riot of recrimination and revelation that erupts during the build up to the fateful broadcast. Finally the television pictures that emerge from the Dunn household moments after Carol’s amazing feat, are, in spite of everything, glorious. Together, with Carol, beamed into their lives via satellite, the Dunn’s celebrate the awful, awesome triumph that is family life.

“...Via Satellite is an effervescent, deftly paced and hilarious gem which will, if there is any justice, take its place alongside Geoff Murphy’s marvellous road riot, Goodbye Pork Pie, among our best indigenous comedies [...] McCarten, an unobtrusive and unpossessive director, has the benefit of a uniformly wonderful cast” — Peter Calder, “A Star is born”, Weekend Herald, 10/10/1998

“A fine ensemble of eccentric Kiwi characters - not caricatures - makes this tale of trans-global fraternal rivalry and miscommunication a hilarious ad touching delight that treats suburban Kiwiana with considerable respect [...] Via Satellite comes as a breath of fresh air to audiences starved for local product. Without pretension to high art or pandering to a particular demographic, Via Satellite is proof that we can tell stories that are as funny, moving and as well-crafted as anything Hollywood or Britain can muster, and we can do it on a shoestring.” — Matthew Grainger, “Via Satellite proves we can match Hollywood’s humour”, The Dominion, 16/10/1998

“This modest Kiwi outing offers a few fresh twists to basically familiar material in which members of a dysfunctional family are forced into an uneasy reunion. Thanks to strong performances, especially from lead actress Danielle Cormack, the film builds to a satisfying, emotional climax... While Olympic swimmer Carol Dunn wins an important race on the other side of the world, her twin sister, Chrissy, drags herself out of a strange man's bed. With Carol set to swim for gold later that day, her reluctant sibling finds herself involved in the plans of a local TV station to arrange a live satellite hookup in which the athlete – victorious, they hope – will be reunited with her proud family back home. Chrissy's problem is that she has little in common with her widowed mother, Joyce, and her older sisters, Jen and Lyn. Joyce lacks anything much in the way of personality (and is the film's weakest character). Jen is married to the oafish Ken and desperately wants to get pregnant, which makes her resentful of the younger Lyn, who is nine months pregnant but has never identified the father. While TV director Brian wearily sets about arranging for the satellite hookup, Chrissy, who has announced that she won't cooperate in the broadcast, is taken in hand by TV cameraman Paul, who turns out to be the man she slept with the night before. The family undergoes plenty of comic misfortunes as the day wears on and the time for the all-important race nears. Family ties are threatened by a series of painful revelations, none of them entirely unexpected. Predictable as much of this material is, it's to the credit of McCarten and his cast that the final scenes pack quite an emotional wallop, and bring the uneven film to a strong conclusion. Cormack's skilled playing as both the distressed Chrissy and the exhausted Carol contributes enormously to the film's success. Production values are exceedingly modest, with much of the drama unfolding in the Dunns' suburban home; the material's origins on the stage are evident in many scenes.” – David Stratton, Variety, 17/8/1998

Screening: Via Satellite screened on 13 August 2008 during the Beijing Olympics.