The Castle Movie Review (Australia-1997)

“We’re going to Bonnie Doon!” You say those 5 words around any Australian and I guarantee you that you just became their favorite foreigner. That is quite possibly the most famous movie quote in Australia and is instantly recognized across the country. The movie which this quote is derived from is called The Castle, a fun and odd comedy based on the lives of ordinary working class Australians, or Aussie battler.

The Castle is about a typical Aussie battler family who happen to live directly next to an airport in Melbourne, and by next to I mean that the runway ends about 100-200 yards from their house. Their family is extremely happy and almost every member of the family seems to be living a satisfying and ‘fulfilling’ life. All is well until one day the father, Darryl Kerrigan (Michael Caton), is approached and is told that he must sell his house because the airport is expanding. After an initial fuck off, Dale realizes that this is a serious threat and decides to fight the big business and take everyone to court. The result is a comical journey of the Kerrigan family struggle to keep their house and remain a tight knit happy family.

Before watching this movie there are a few disclaimers I have for people. Meet an Australian and find out what the cultural norms are because it will help greatly with understanding some of the humor in the film. The key things that helped me understand most of the humor was that battler’s are like stereotypical American rednecks or hicks (that is the easy thing to notice), secondly the Trading Post is like a newspaper version of Craigslist where people can sell anything and everything, and finally guns are practically nonexistent in Australia. Unlike in America where in Texas you may see a gun rack in the living room, in Australia people would be freaked out by that because NO ONE, and I mean about 99% of the population, doesn’t have a gun. If they do nobody would know about it because only cops are the ones seen and expected to have guns. This key fact will help you understand and laugh at one scene in particular.

As for the movie itself, it was simply ok and took some time to adjust to. The movie is narrated by the youngest son, Dale Kerrigan (Stephen Curry), who really served no purpose other than narrating and brought almost nothing to the table. The acting was ok throughout the movie and is on par with what I had expected. It isn’t the funniest movie in the world, (don’t tell that to the Aussies), but it will make you chuckle throughout because it will amaze you how much a lack of education can bring you down in Australian society and how kindness can bring you up. The story, although simple, was scripted really well in my opinion and brought a level of authenticity that you rarely get to see in film anymore. Finally, there was one really surprising aspect of this movie that I was not expecting at all; it stars Eric Bana in his first feature film. He was a quirky and successful character who tried to sound smarter than he was but regardless of that it was still funny to watch him in his first feature film. At its core this movie is about love, family and friendship and how the bonds created from those relationships can be anyone’s strongest asset.

While I and Australians alike agree that the film industry in Australia isn’t anything special, this is one movie that can truly stand out as a cult classic amongst a population of Australians and friends of Australia. This movie is funny, heartwarming and should be watched if you ever plan on visiting Australia.

Rating: A foreign and very blue collar comedy about friendship and family

Opening scene from The Castle: