“He reckoned we were the luckiest family in the world.”

Justin’s rating: In Australia, even your kids are your mates

Justin’s review: The Kerrigans of Melbourne, Australia have a dream home. It’s in a subdivision that never got made, airport-adjacent, and butting up against power lines. Also, the family patriarch keeps embarking on all sorts of ambitious building projects to make the house even better. It is, to this cheerful and tight-knit family, a true castle.

And like many a medieval castle, this particular one comes under siege — not by barbarians but by the government that wants to claim the land for an airport extension. Instead of taking a chunk of money to move, the Kerrigans decide to dig in and fight to save their home.

I don’t think I’ve seen a movie where we’re given such a group of wildly lovable, wholesome, and mutually supportive family members like The Castle. Sure, they might not be rich or even that smart (one of them’s in prison for armed robbery while the daughter is the only one with a degree… from a hairdressing academy), but the Kerrigans genuinely adore each other like they all got blasted with an overdose of Care Bear shines. And they believe so thoroughly that they have the absolute best life in the world and that everything — from seasoned chicken to fake chimneys — is worthy of effusive praise.

Their spirit is crucial to the movie, too, because it immediately gets the audience on their side as they go toe-to-toe with the mighty Australian government and corporate stooges. We want them to win against the nastiness of eminent domain. Oh, yes we do. When the father, Daryl, encounters a city clerk who tells him that this is a done deal, he barks, “It’s not gonna happen!” I was rubbing my hands in glee for the fight to come.

The Castle is, from what I hear, a national treasure of Australia’s cinema. Everyone seemed to latch onto it and quote it to death, and I can totally see why. It’s blue-collar Australia through-and-through but as powerfully optimistic as can be. Even though the audience feels smarter than the Kerrigans — who are often clueless about certain common-sense facts or what is perceived as cool — we can admire how they don’t give a rip about wealth, popularity, or status. Their family is their passion, and that’s why their home means so much to them.

I was agreeing with a statement that I read the other day about how most modern comedies are just mean. Their jokes come at the expense of everyone’s dignity, they’re crude, and they try to shock laughs out of the audience. That’s why I prefer to hop back to times like the ’90s when movies like this one don’t seem to have a mean bone in their body.

Need a wholesome bath with a few chuckles to soak in for an hour-and-a-half? It doesn’t get any more heart-warming than The Castle!

Intermission!

• Living next to an airport is convenient if you ever are going to fly… you know, one day
• He’s called the “Ideas Man” because he has a lot of — wait for it — ideas
• The kickboxing wedding topper
• Fake chimneys add charm
• “What do you know about lead?”
• “You defended Wayne.” “Yeah, and he got eight years!”
• “What do you call this?” “Chicken.” “It’s got something on it?” “Seasoning.” “SEASONING!”
• “Tell him he’s dreamin’!”
• “This is going straight to the pool room!”
• Dad really likes the word “serenity”
• It’s Eric Bana in his film debut!
• “You can’t buy what I’ve got.”
• “It’s just the vibe of the thing.”
• The lawyer asking the judge for help is cute
• “It’s got a pretty good gate!”