Oh dear. That this was written and directed by someone - Ben Elton - that I used to love and admire so much is bitterly disappointing. It has all the hallmarks of a twee, naive Australian comedy that can be done entertainingly - witness "The Castle" or "Muriel's Wedding" - but is more often than not a cringe-worthy embarrassment filled with poor dialogue, manufactured awkward script and atrocious acting.Ben Elton is for me the man who saved Blackadder - his input into Series 2 lifted the show and who displayed socially progressive views early in his career, but this bloated, embarrassing thief of time is indicative of how far Elton has fallen. I can't fault the actors: they had such appalling dialogue I swear I could see in their eyes a fear and horror that their careers could be over as the words left their lips.I am fully supportive of the themes in the film - the need for kindness and compassion in society, taking care of refugees and supporting Aboriginal land rights but the absolute lack of subtlety and the preaching smarmy way these things were delivered made me recoil.

I loved this movie! I loved the romance and the fact that it was set at the festival over 3 years. That was quite different. I loved the key messages about diversity in the community and celebrating our differences.

I think Ben Elton nailed it in this movie about attendees returning to a large folk festival, Westival, held annually in W.A. The audience were reacting with out-loud laughs and even applauding at the end. The script was well written and Magda Subanski as the local radio announcer was superb. The characterisations were exaggerated but, I thought, honest, and anyone who likes camping or caravanning will have come across these exact people at times, although perhaps not in the guise of Morris Dancers with Michael Caton as their leader. It covered romance, bigotry, racism and refugees but in such a way as to be inoffensive. The musical score was also very good even if you aren't a fan of the theremin..

Ben Elton has done a terrific job of capturing everyday Australians; the good and the bad. This movie had so many of laughs along with serious moments. I find that some movies depend on big names to carry it but this is just not the case with Three Summers. I wonder how many takes they had for some of the scenes with Magda Szubanski. Her dialog was hilarious and she did it with a straight face but I don't know how. Peter Rowsthorn did the same scene 3 times in the movie and it just got funnier and funnier. Michael Caton did such a credible job of the older bigoted Australian that all I could see was my father-in-law until the turnaround at the end. I could go on and on but I don't want to spoil it. Go see it for yourself. There's something for everyone; young and old. I haven't even mentioned the music. Go see it for yourself. I'm getting the DVD when it comes out. I just loved it. It's going to be a classic, like The Dish.