Cast: Michael Caton, Anne Tenney, Stephen Curry, Anthony Simcoe, Sophie Lee, Wayne Hope, Tiriel Mora, Charles 'Bud' Tingwell
Director: Rob Sitch
Producer: Debra Choate
Screenplay: Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Jane Kennedy, Rob Sitch
Cinematography: Miriana Marusic
Music: Craig Harnath
U.S. Distributor: Miramax Films
Miramax's release strategy for The Castle could charitably be called "curious." The film was an audience favorite at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. Based on crowd reaction, Miramax shelled out enough money to acquire the rights, then let the print sit on the shelf for nearly one and one-half years, despite glowing reviews from the likes of Roger Ebert (who called it "this year's Full Monty" - referring to last year, of course). Now, with little fanfare and less advertising, it is being dumped into a handful of theaters for a quick showing before being transferred to video tape. Apparently, with Miramax devoting all of their time, effort, and money into stealing an Oscar for Shakespeare in Love, movies like The Castle become casualties of the box-office war.
Fans of quirky Australian fare like Strictly Ballroom and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert will appreciate The Castle's offbeat sense of humor. Despite being significantly different from Ballroom and Priscilla in content, The Castle has the same irreverent tone. The movie will probably not generate many belly laughs (although there are at least two hilarious sequences), but it will have all but the most die-hard curmudgeons smiling frequently. The feature debut of director Rob Sitch, The Castle represents a pleasant blend of gentle satire and feel-good comedy.
Michael Caton plays Darryl Kerrigan, the happiest homeowner in Australia. His abode at 3 Highview Crescent is his pride and joy, even though it's next door to an airport on one side and a high voltage tower on the other. Darryl lives in the ramshackle little house with his beloved wife, Sal (Anne Tenney), who makes the best meals of any woman on the face of the planet, and his two sons, narrator Dale (Stephen Curry) and "idea man" Steve (Anthony Simcoe). A third son, Wayne (Wayne Hope) is in jail, and a daughter, Tracy (Sophie Lee), has recently entered a life of wedded bliss. For the eternally optimistic Darryl, life couldn't be better. But storm clouds are on the horizon.
The airport wants to expand, and, under an agreement with the government, they demand the compulsory acquisition of Darryl's home. Instead of accepting their generous offer and moving, he and a few neighbors decide to fight back. They hire a lawyer, Dennis Denuto (Tiriel Mora), to challenge the constitutionality of the airport's case. Unfortunately, Dennis isn't a very good attorney - he can't even get his copier to work - and he botches things up. All is not lost, however. The venerable Lawrence Hammill (Charles 'Bud' Tingwell) takes an interest in Darryl's seemingly lost cause, and intends to pursue the matter to the highest court in the land.
Although The Castle is a comedy, it's not entirely without themes and serious ideas. The central conflict is a classic David vs. Goliath (big business infringing on personal liberties) - something that almost everyone (except Fortune 500 CEOs) can relate to. Also, the concept of a "home" is presented as a deeply personal thing. One individual's shanty might be another's dream house. It's not just a case of bricks and mortar, but the whole package: memories, feelings, and other associations (both good and bad). Buildings do not have identities, but homes do. We don't just exist in them, we live there.
The actors play every scene and say every line, no matter how outrageous, with perfect sincerity, and that's a key to the film's success. Everyone is a straight man. Like the characters in The Brady Bunch Movie, they don't know that their actions and attitudes are of synch with a cynical reality. Even the slightest hint of artifice or a sly wink at the audience would have spoiled the effect, so none is evident. The voiceover narration works because it's wonderfully corny. Like in Waiting for Guffman, we get a group of characters worth caring about even though we enjoy the way the script pokes fun at them. Yet, while we chuckle at their wholesome, old-fashioned family values and antics, we still find ourselves rooting for them to win their court case, vanquishing big business and striking a blow for the little guy. The Castle is not an overly ambitious motion picture, but it has a point to make, and does so in an undeniably entertaining manner.
© 1999 James Berardinelli