The Castle (movie)
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The Castle is a 1997 Australian film that gained widespread acclaim in Australia, but that was not well understood by those unfamiliar with Australian humour and values. The Castle starred Michael Caton and Anne Tenney, and featured a cameo appearance by Charles Tingwell. Directed by Rob Sitch, the screenwriting team comprised Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner and Jane Kennedy, of Working Dog Productions.
The creators are well known for producing high quality television programs and films on low budgets and tight filming schedules. The name of the family appearing in the film, the Kerrigans, was borrowed from the towing company that lent them the trucks used in the film. The Castle was filmed in 11 days on a budget of approximately AUD$500,000.
Filming locations
The Castle was largely filmed in Melbourne, Australia. The external shots of the Kerrigan household were shot in Strathmore with other footage being taken of both Essendon Airport and Melbourne Airport. Location shots of Brunswick also featured in the film, including the Brunswick Town Hall. The High Court of Australia was also used during filming.
The story follows the exploits of Daryl Kerrigan, a tow-truck driver living in Melbourne, and his family. Unfortunately, the local airport wants to expand and plans to evict Daryl's family and their neighbours by way of compulsory purchase. Daryl attempts to foil the expansion in order to keep his home, and he ends up in a legal battle that goes all the way up to the High Court of Australia.
The Castle is a courageous story about one man's obsession with his "castle" and his loathing of officialdom. The humor in The Castle plays on the self-image of Australians, most notably the concept of "the little Aussie battler". The movie title is named for the English saying, repeatedly used in the film, "A man's home is his castle." The film also refers to the Land Rights movement of the Australian Aborigines, with Kerrigan drawing an explicit parallel between his struggle and theirs.