An enjoyable mini-series / TV movie that was originally shown over two weeks on Australian TV. Morgan Griffin is especially good as the young Olivia and Delta Goodrem plays Olivia from aged 22 to 2008 when the movie ends. Olivia Newton-John does not feature.
Obviously, don't take it too seriously, some of the dialogue is clunky and who really knows what is said behind closed doors? The details are reasonably accurate, taken from press cuttings and TV interviews, although the writers have got the sequence of some events in the late 80s mixed up. As a fan of Olivia you are never really convinced by Delta playing Olivia but at least Delta is a good friend of Olivia's. Olivia didn't really give her approval for the making of this but in the end agreed as they were going to make it anyway and her proportion of the proceeds went to her Cancer and Wellness Centre appeal.
At the time Olivia told The Australian Women's Weekly: I probably won't watch it. When they told me they were doing it, I was horrified.
Olivia also admitted she was worried about people in her personal life being dramatised on-screen. It's not their fault they were married to me or were my boyfriend, so I didn't want it to happen,
she said. However, she spoke warmly of Delta, saying: I think she's a really good actress and a great singer so that made it okay, because we're friends.
The following month, Olivia revealed she had made peace with the idea of the film. She told the Herald Sun: I made a decision. In life, if you're fighting something, or resisting something, it just causes stress inside you.
This is best watched in one go if you can afford almost 3 hours out, it makes good lazy Sunday afternoon viewing. The series also propelled Olivia to finally publish her own auto-biography, long after this TV movie is forgotten we can thank it for this alone.
There was an accompanying CD released of Delta's covers of Olivia's tracks, the highlight of which are the inclusion of two duets with Olivia.
Total running is 170 minutes
Label: Fremantlemedia Australia
Country: AU
DVD Catalog#: R-123369-9
Released: 2018
DVD: Region 4, PAL
