The Castle (1997 Australian film)

The Castleis a 1997 Australiancomedy filmdirected byRob Sitch, and written by Sitch,Santo Cilauro,Tom GleisnerandJane KennedyofWorking Dog Productions, all veteran writers and performers onABC'sThe Late ShowandThe D-Generation. The film starsMichael Caton,Anne Tenney,Stephen Curry,Anthony Simcoe,Sophie LeeandWayne Hopeas the Kerrigan family, as well asTiriel Mora,Robyn Nevin,Eric Bana,Costas KiliasandBud Tingwell.
The film's title is based upon the English saying, repeatedly referred to in the film, "a man's home is his castle". Its humour plays on the nationalself-image, most notably the concept of working-class Australians and their place in modern Australia.
Shot in 11 days on a budget of approximatelyA$750,000,The Castlegained widespread acclaim in Australia, where it is considered one of thegreatest Australian filmsever made. It grossed A$10,326,428 at the box office in Australia.
The Kerrigan home, in the outerMelbourneblue-collar suburb ofCoolaroo, is filled with love as well as pride in their modest lifestyle, but their happiness is threatened when developers attempt thecompulsory acquisitionof their house to expand the neighboringairport.
The Kerrigan house is built in a largely undeveloped housing tract, on a toxic landfill, and directly adjacent to an airport runway. Despite all this, sweet-natured family patriarch Darryl (Michael Caton) believes that he lives in the lap of luxury. Blissfully unaware of his family's lack of style or sophistication, he busies himself by driving a tow truck, racing greyhounds, and constantly adding tacky renovations to the house. The rest of the Kerrigan clan shares and supports his enthusiasm in every way.
One day, a property valuer arrives to inspect the house. Though he hasno wish to sell, Darryl points out all the features of the property, believing they will add value to the appraisal. A few weeks later, he receives a letter informing him of the compulsory acquisition of his house for the sum of $70,000. His neighbors (elderly Jack, divorcee Yvonne, and Farouk and Tabulah, recent immigrants fromLebanon) all receive similar notices. Believing in the common principle that the government cannot evict him unwillingly from his treasured home, Darryl attempts to fight the eviction. Agents from the airport try to bribe and bully the family into giving up, but their actions only stiffen the Kerrigans' resolve. Darryl hires an incompetent lawyer acquaintance, Dennis Denuto (Tiriel Mora), but Dennis's meagre argument that the eviction goes against "the vibe" of the Constitution does not go well in court. While awaiting the court's final decision, Darryl makes pleasant small talk with a man whom he meets outside the courthouse, Lawrence Hammill (Bud Tingwell), who has come to watch his barrister son perform in court in a different case. The court rejects the family's appeal and gives them two weeks to vacate. The purchase price for the home is scarcely enough to cover a small apartment. Dejected in defeat, the family begins to pack.
A new breath of hope comes with the surprise arrival of Lawrence, who reveals himself to be a retiredQueen's Counsel. Lawrence has taken an interest in the Kerrigans' case, in part due to his extensive experience in constitutional law, and offers to argue before theHigh Court of Australiaon their behalf,for the public good. Lawrence makes a persuasive case that the Kerrigans have the right to just terms of compensation for the acquisition of property underSection 51(xxxi) of the Australian Constitution. He closes by paraphrasing Darryl's own comments that his house is more than just a structure of bricks and mortar, but a home built with love and shared memories. The court rules in favour of the Kerrigans, and their case becomes a landmarkprecedenton the subject. Anepilogueshows that the Kerrigans continue to prosper happily, and Lawrence becomes a lasting friend of the family.
According to Santo Cilauro, the film took five weeks from its original inception to the final cut. The screenplay was written in two weeks, shot in ten days, and taken to rough cut in two weeks.
The Castlewas filmed mostly inMelbourne, Victoria during July 1996. The external shots of the Kerrigan household were shot at 3 Dagonet St,Strathmore, and airport footage was shot atEssendon AirportandMelbourne Airport. Location shots ofBrunswickfeature in the film, includingBrunswick Town Halland Rocky Porcino Pharmacy at 720 Sydney Rd (Dennis's office). Melbourne's200 Queen Streetand theSupreme Court of Victoriaare featured along with theHigh Court of AustraliainCanberra. Some of the film is set inBonnie Doon, and a very small portion of it was shot there.
The name Kerrigan was chosen for the family so that tow trucks could be borrowed from an existing Melbourne tow truck company with that name. The company still operates today.
In January 2011, 3491 Maintongoon Road, Bonnie Doon was listed for sale. The property appeared in the film as the Kerrigan family holiday house.The property's real estate agent reported that many people called and after requesting the vendor's asking price, replied with a quote from the movie: "Tell him he's dreamin'."
The film refers to theland rightsmovement ofAboriginal Australians, with Darryl Kerrigan drawing an explicit parallel between his struggle and theirs. It also draws on one of the few rights protected in theAustralian Constitutionfor subject matter, the right to just terms compensation for acquisition of property unders51(xxxi). Also interspersed in the film are many references to famous Australian Constitutional Law Cases, such asMaboand theTasmanian Dams Case. The film also deals withsection 109of the Constitution which provides that in the case of an inconsistency between Federal and State law, the Federal law shall prevail to the extent of the inconsistency.
For the purpose of the drama, some of the relevant legal principles are simplified. For example, the law relating to compulsory acquisition can be complicated and raises more questions than are noted in the film. Section 51 (xxxi) of the Commonwealth Constitution applies to acquisitions only by the Commonwealth, not by the States, and the latter are more likely to compulsorily acquire property.Similarly, in contrast to Kerrigan's idea that the value he places on his own home cannot be bought, the law regularly places a monetary value on intangible human values.
The Castlecan be seen as a social study on the lives and aspirations of the inhabitants of suburban Australia. The central character, Darryl Kerrigan, ties into the stereotypical depiction of an "Aussie battler", a man who will protect and serve his family through bold and sometimes ruthless assertion.The Aussie battler will at times face challenges or adversity, often in the face of an oppressive government or economic hardship. Kerrigan, and to a lesser extent his wife and children, are committed to their pursuit of theAustralian Dream,a concept considered somewhat outdated.The Castlehas also been seen as "a canonised text for Australian settler identity".
In the US version, there were several minor changes to the dialogue. "Rissole" was changed to "meatloaf", "two-stroke" was changed to "diesel", references to the Australian TV showHey Hey It's Saturdaywere changed to the more genericFunniest Home Videos(which existed in both markets), and brand names of various cars in the driveway were changed from uniquely Australian cars like theCamirato ones sold in both countries like theCorolla.
Australian broadcasts for "before-8:30pm screening" have profanity either removed or, where possible, masked by aircraft noises or redubbed when lip movements are not visible. When shown after 8:30pm, all explicit language is intact.
The Castlepreviewed on 34 screens in Australia and grossed A$122,256 ranking 14th at the Australian box office for the week.It officially opened on 10 April 1997 on 86 screens and grossed A$1,137,703 for the week, ranking fourth. Its per-screen average of A$13,229 was second only just behind the opening of the special edition ofThe Empire Strikes Back.It became one of thetop-10-grossing Australian films of all timewith a gross of A$10,326,439 at the box office in Australia,over 13 times its A$750,000 budget.
Paramount Picturesbought distribution rights to the United Kingdom and South Africa, and was also offered North American distribution rights, which it refused to buy. A bidding war for North American rights took place, withGramercy Pictures,Miramax Films, andLIVE Entertainmentbeing the frontrunners andColumbia TriStaralso expressing interest in buying the rights.Ultimately, North American rights were bought by Miramax for a rumoured $6 million.The film grossed $877,621 in the United States and Canada.
In Australia, the film received critical acclaim, is considered an iconic classic, and is frequently listed as one of the greatest Australian films ever made.In 2011,Time Out Londonnamed it the 25th-greatest comedy film of all time.The film is a text studied in secondary education in Australia.
The Castlereceived positive reviews from overseas critics. It has an 87% approval rating from the review-aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes, based on 39 reviews, with aweighted averageof 6.99/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Home is where the heart is in The Castle, a rousing Australian comedy that gives audiences an endearing family to root for."
Roger Ebertgave the film 3 stars out of 4, calling it "one of those comic treasures likeThe Full MontyandWaking Ned Devinethat shows its characters in the full bloom of glorious eccentricity".Elsewhere around the world, especially in non-English-speaking countries not familiar with Australian humor, mores or issues, the film made little impact.
InAdam Elliot's 2024 stop-motion animation feature,Memoir of a Snail, one of the businesses featured in early street scenes is for 'Dennis
Denuto, Chartered Accountant', referencingThe Castle's lawyer.