AustLit logo

AustLit

image of person or book cover 1421769087886191784.jpg
This image has been sourced from IMDB
form y separately published work icon The Australian Dream single work   film/TV  
Issue Details: First known date: 2019... 2019 The Australian Dream
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'From shy country kid to two-time Brownlow medallist and Australian of the Year, Goodes is an inspiration to many. The footy field was where he thrived; the only place where the colour of his skin was irrelevant. Goodes’ world fell apart when he became the target of racial abuse during a game, which spiralled into public backlash against him. He spoke out about racism when Australia was not ready to hear the ugly truth, retiring quietly from AFL heartbroken.

'Using the stunning athleticism of Goodes at the peak of his powers as well as the game itself as the film’s backdrop, THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM prompts questions about Australia’s relationship with racism and its ability to confront its own past. This compelling, provocative and cinematic film uses interviews from both sides of the debate to ask probing and fundamental questions about what it means to be Australian and what it takes for any individual to stand up for what they truly believe in. Featuring Goodes and all the key players from his story, including Grant, Michael O’Loughlin, Brett Goodes, Natalie Goodes, Tracey Holmes, Nova Peris, Nicky Winmar, Gilbert McAdam, Linda Burney, Paul Roos, John Longmire, Nathan Buckley, Eddie McGuire and Andrew Bolt, THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM is also a deeply personal and comprehensive exploration of Goodes’ own journey which saw him retreat from everyday life only to return determined to rise above the ugliness he had been forced to confront.

'The Australian Dream is something people reach for and many people obtain, but there’s an emptiness at the heart of it because Australia has not resolved the questions of its history. If the Australian Dream is rooted in racism, what can be done to redefine it for the next generation?' (Production summary)

Works about this Work

Adam Goodes, in Retrospectives Celeste Liddle , 2020 single work essay
— Appears in: Eureka Street , 23 February vol. 30 no. 4 2020;

'Last year, two documentaries regarding the Adam Goodes booing fiasco were released mere weeks apart: Shark Island Productions’ The Final Quarter and Madman Films’ The Australian Dream, anchored by Stan Grant. These two films took different tacts reflecting on this public example of racialised harassment and how it manifested using the power of retrospect. While The Final Quarter relied entirely on archival footage to construct the narrative, The Australian Dream primarily relied upon interviews and talking heads to set the scene.' (Introduction)

Walking Away No More Stephen Romei , 2019 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 17 August 2019; (p. 14)

— Review of The Australian Dream Stan Grant , 2019 single work film/TV

'When it comes to arguments about racist language, we think too much about the intention of the person saying the words, rather than the feelings of the person hearing the words. That’s a paraphrase of a brief but significant discussion in The Australian Dream, a must-see documentary about indigenous AFL star Adam Goodes.'(Introduction)

[Review] ‘The Australian Dream’ Craig Mathieson , 2019 single work review
— Appears in: The Monthly , October no. 160 2019; (p. 55)

— Review of The Australian Dream Stan Grant , 2019 single work film/TV
'In Australia the battlefield and the sporting ground are where national myths are forged, and also remade as political necessity requires. It’s fitting then that The Australian Dream, a documentary about the racism and double standards that drove champion Indigenous player Adam Goodes out of the Australian Football League in 2015, explores the certain similarities these two spaces share. The abuse that Goodes suffered, while playing and while protesting, was a continuation of a mindset readily traced back to colonial dispossession, tempered in conflict.' (Introduction)
Australian Dreaming Kim Scott , 2019 single work essay
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , October no. 415 2019; (p. 36-37)

'Stan Grant’s comment on the prolonged booing of the Australian Rules football star Adam Goodes – featured in Daniel Gordon’s new documentary, The Australian Dream (produced by Grant himself) – has attracted much interest, including more than one million hits on one website:

We heard a sound that was very familiar to us. We heard a howl. We heard a howl of humiliation that echoes across two centuries of dispossession, injustice, suffering, and survival. We heard the howl of the Australian dream and it said to us again, ‘You’re not welcome.’' (Introduction)

Why Have Local Audiences Abandoned Adam Goodes and The Australian Dream? Cameron Williams , 2019 single work column
— Appears in: ABC News [Online] , September 2019;

'When the credits rolled on The Australian Dream after its premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival, it was met with a 10-minute standing ovation.'(Introduction)

[Review] ‘The Australian Dream’ Craig Mathieson , 2019 single work review
— Appears in: The Monthly , October no. 160 2019; (p. 55)

— Review of The Australian Dream Stan Grant , 2019 single work film/TV
'In Australia the battlefield and the sporting ground are where national myths are forged, and also remade as political necessity requires. It’s fitting then that The Australian Dream, a documentary about the racism and double standards that drove champion Indigenous player Adam Goodes out of the Australian Football League in 2015, explores the certain similarities these two spaces share. The abuse that Goodes suffered, while playing and while protesting, was a continuation of a mindset readily traced back to colonial dispossession, tempered in conflict.' (Introduction)
Walking Away No More Stephen Romei , 2019 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 17 August 2019; (p. 14)

— Review of The Australian Dream Stan Grant , 2019 single work film/TV

'When it comes to arguments about racist language, we think too much about the intention of the person saying the words, rather than the feelings of the person hearing the words. That’s a paraphrase of a brief but significant discussion in The Australian Dream, a must-see documentary about indigenous AFL star Adam Goodes.'(Introduction)

The Australian Dream Is Must-see for Lovers of Football and This Country Noni May , 2019 single work column
— Appears in: The Conversation , 1 August 2019;

'The Australian Dream is an affectionate portrait of a man, his sport, and his country. The documentary, which has premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival, examines the racist booing of Indigenous AFL player Adam Goodes in 2015.' (Introduction)

Why Have Local Audiences Abandoned Adam Goodes and The Australian Dream? Cameron Williams , 2019 single work column
— Appears in: ABC News [Online] , September 2019;

'When the credits rolled on The Australian Dream after its premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival, it was met with a 10-minute standing ovation.'(Introduction)

Australian Dreaming Kim Scott , 2019 single work essay
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , October no. 415 2019; (p. 36-37)

'Stan Grant’s comment on the prolonged booing of the Australian Rules football star Adam Goodes – featured in Daniel Gordon’s new documentary, The Australian Dream (produced by Grant himself) – has attracted much interest, including more than one million hits on one website:

We heard a sound that was very familiar to us. We heard a howl. We heard a howl of humiliation that echoes across two centuries of dispossession, injustice, suffering, and survival. We heard the howl of the Australian dream and it said to us again, ‘You’re not welcome.’' (Introduction)

Adam Goodes, in Retrospectives Celeste Liddle , 2020 single work essay
— Appears in: Eureka Street , 23 February vol. 30 no. 4 2020;

'Last year, two documentaries regarding the Adam Goodes booing fiasco were released mere weeks apart: Shark Island Productions’ The Final Quarter and Madman Films’ The Australian Dream, anchored by Stan Grant. These two films took different tacts reflecting on this public example of racialised harassment and how it manifested using the power of retrospect. While The Final Quarter relied entirely on archival footage to construct the narrative, The Australian Dream primarily relied upon interviews and talking heads to set the scene.' (Introduction)

Last amended 16 Mar 2021 13:47:02
X