The Australian Dream

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.

Written by Stan Grant and directed by Daniel Gordon this film is more about the bad report card Australia has deservedly received on its treatment of our First Nation people since settlement in 1778 .The Final QuarterI felt had more impact in telling Adam Goodes appalling treatment by racist fans and commentators. Saying that The Australian Dream is well worth a look for its main message of tolerance equality and recognition of our Indigenous people. It had an optimistic conclusion that through Adam Goodes trials and tribulations that Australia may be hopefully at a turning point in race relations. As the legislation and overwhelming support for same sex marriage in 2017 hopefully bought the attention to Gay hate speech to the public notice Adam Goodes story will promote conversation and hopefully new healthy attitudes towards vilification and hate speech of all kinds. My ancestors arrived in Australia as Convicts against their will never to see their homeland again. They made sacrifices and forged new lives for themselves and those who followed .It doesn't matter what Day we pick to celebrate our Nations Birthday as long as we can encourage Unity and reconciliation . Acknowledging that there was a culture and population here before The First Fleet arrived and that atrocities occurred as in every resettled Nation on Earth. We surely and hopefully can still recognise and not have to diminish the contribution that White Settlement has made to the development of our Lucky and Great Country.

Having very little prior knowledge of AFL, aboriginal history, or racism within Australia, this documentary film offered a great insight into the personal journey of Adam Goodes in this context. I would recommend this to sports fans especially, as we consider crowd behaviour, but in present times I think it is a worthwhile watch for anyone.

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.

All Aussies should watch this movie. Beautifully produced and filmed. It's hard to watch at times. But if you don't learn something important, you're not listening.

This film highlights how deeply racism is entrenched in what so many will call "just a joke". Adam Goodes, Stan Grant showed plainly that Australia needs to face up to the reality of its history and the pain it continues to inflict on Indigenous Australians. Most importantly it shows that we must work together to truly heal.