Waste of time

I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Peter Allen. I remember him from HK when I lived there - the HK Hilton being one of the preferred ex-pat drinking grounds at the time. Latterly, I have seen and loved Hugh Jackman in The Boy from Oz and have been quietly wishing for a filmed portrayal of the life of Australia's greatest song writer. Thanks now to Network Seven, here it is and this intimate and hugely personal mini-series is pretty much perfect. It is riveting from beginning to end and God willing, it deserves to clean up at our next Logie awards ceremony.Much has already been written about the superb performances of Joel Jackson (Peter); Sigrid Thornton (Judy); Rebecca Gibney (Mum) and Ky Baldwin (who was simply AMAZING as young Peter) and to that, I would like to add the wonderfully understated Nick Farnell (Dad) in a role that no actor wants to play in 2015, given Australia's abhorrence of domestic violence.In other words, all the actors (leading and supporting) were brilliant. It can not have been easy for Jackson and Thornton to pretty much 'nail' the vocal and physical nuances of Peter and Judy; in truth, if they had not managed to get this right, the film was going nowhere.........but they did and the result was a triumph. The only real life visual evidence of Mum was on Peter's 'This is your Life' and clearly, Gibney came across as a much more attractive lady. That said, I would say that she was the rock upon which the film stands. She was your perfect mother of the time.I do not believe there is any need for me to re-tell the Peter Allen story, save to say (and to reiterate) what several other competent reviewers have already said......that the director/producers have gone to very great lengths to get all the elements of him and his life properly researched. The subtle reflections of country NSW in the 50's/60's are matchlessly put together and this great team of actors makes the resulting pastiche of the first 40 minutes or so (and what Australia was like, way back then) utterly believable.It was a perfect beginning and without wishing to give anything away, it made for a perfect ending to a marvelous film.When Peter left Australia of course and whilst still 'one of us', he was, then, in reality loved (and owned) by the entire world. His songs have stood the test of time and will go on giving pleasure for ever. If it weren't for Peter, Hugh Jackman would never have won a Tony for The Boy from Oz. Warts and all, Peter Allen was a consummate Aussie entertainer and this film shines the necessary light on what was a truly remarkable career. IT IS NOT TO BE MISSED.I can remember very well, flying into Sydney in the 80's/90's and after we had landed, hearing Peter Allen singing 'I Still Call Australia Home' throughout the cabin. And what about 'that Qantas commercial' for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, with those hundreds of white shirted kids singing it at Uluru and then around the world?! That truly Aussie commercial still brings tears to my eyes and I am man enough to say that this superb film did exactly the same. Watch it all in one go (and edit the ads if you can). I guarantee you'll be swept away and though there are some undoubted elements that might have been better handled, the overall effect is one that any Aussie and anyone else watching from overseas will love and remember for a very long time.

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.

Channel Seven has put up a show that they called "the event of the year". However, the person in charge of the marketing did a shocker of a job showcasing Peter Allen as this low budget, horrible acting mini-series. But I have it a go anyway and to my expectations, this show truly was awful. The acting is so cheesy along with its stale writing. Also I gave little or no care whatsoever to Peter Allen himself as he was portrayed in this show. In reality, people who were and are a fan of Peter Allen may find some merit in this show, but for a more modern audience who either don't know or don't care about a dead washed up performer will find nothing to enjoy. Definitely not targeted towards the younger demographic, and the older demographic should avoid this atrocity at all costs as well.

Joel Jackson puts in a flawless performance as Peter Allen. He's got the gangly dance moves, the voice, and best of all, he's a great actor, never stooping to parody in this - let's face it - unbelievable true story of a small town boy who becomes a huge international star. But all the actors in this lovingly made biopic are perfectly cast - from Ky Baldwin as the young boy Peter, to Rebecca Gibney as his mother, Sara West as Liza Minnelli, and Sigrid Thornton as Judy Garland. The direction is fabulous -- tight, absorbing and confident. The cinematography and costume design are perfect. And the musical numbers are entertaining without being overbearing, because they serve the story, and are not just there for thrills. You can tell the scriptwriters have gone into incredible detail in digging up little pieces of information -- about Allen's father's death, about Allen's relationship with Garland, and his development as a performer. Because of the stigma of AIDS and homophobia, when Allen died, his achievements weren't properly celebrated. This mini-series should put all doubts to rest. He was a great artist and a loving, genuine person.