The Castle (1997)
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A blue-collar family fights to keep their home from being seized by the government for an airport expansion.
The story
The Kerrigan family lives in a modest home in the outer Melbourne suburb of Coolaroo, where they take great pride in their lifestyle. Their happiness is jeopardized when developers seek to compulsorily acquire their property to expand a neighboring airport. Despite the house being situated on a toxic landfill and adjacent to a runway, the sweet-natured patriarch Darryl believes it is a luxury. When the family receives notices of the acquisition, Darryl decides to fight the eviction, leading to a series of interactions with agents, neighbors, and an incompetent lawyer as they attempt to protect their treasured home.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The Kerrigan family, led by the optimistic Darryl, lives in a house in Coolaroo, Melbourne. While Darryl views their home as a luxury, it is actually located on a toxic landfill next to an airport. When the government issues notices for compulsory acquisition to expand the airport, Darryl refuses to sell. After a failed attempt with an incompetent lawyer, Dennis Denuto, the family is ordered to vacate within two weeks. However, they meet Lawrence Hammill, a retired Queen's Counsel who takes an interest in their case. Lawrence argues before the High Court of Australia that the Kerrigans have a right to just terms of compensation under Section 51(xxxi) of the Constitution, emphasizing that a home is built with love and memories. The court rules in favor of the Kerrigans, establishing a landmark precedent. The film ends with the family prospering happily and Lawrence becoming a lasting friend.
- Original title
- Casa dolce casa
- First release year
- 1997
- Runtime (minutes)
- 84
- Production countries
- Australia
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Rob Sitch
- Writers
- Santo Cilauro · writer; Tom Gleisner · writer; Jane Kennedy · writer; Rob Sitch · writer
- Cast and characters
- Michael Caton · Darryl Kerrigan; Anne Tenney · Sal Kerrigan; Stephen Curry · Dale Kerrigan; Sophie Lee · Tracey Petropoulous (née Kerrigan); Eric Bana · Con Petropoulous; Anthony Simcoe · Steve Kerrigan; Wayne Hope · Wayne Kerrigan; Tiriel Mora · Dennis Denuto
- Genres
- comedy; drama
- Themes
- Aussie battler; Australian Dream; settler identity; property rights
- Tone and mood
- comedy; deadpan; sentimental
- Premise and plot tags
- courtroom drama; family comedy; real estate holdout
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim in Australia, where it is considered an iconic classic and one of the greatest Australian films ever made. It received positive reviews overseas and has been recognized in various polls as a favorite comedy and Australian film.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 87% · review count: 38; Roger Ebert · score: 3 · scale: 4; Boxoffice Magazine · score: 4 · scale: 5
- Awards and nominations
- AACTA Award · Best Original Screenplay · win
- Production trivia
- The title is based on the saying 'A man's home is his castle'.; The name Kerrigan was chosen so tow trucks could be borrowed from an existing company with that name.; The film was delayed in the US for two years by Miramax to avoid competing with The Phantom Menace.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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