Funny 'Castle' Worth Defending By Desson Howe Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, May 14, 1999

A happy family tries to protect their "Castle" from downunder. (Miramax) Director: Rob Sitch Cast: Michael Caton; Anne Tenney; Stephen Curry; Anthony Simcoe; Sophie Lee Running Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes Contains profanity

In "The Castle," a hilarious comedy, they're proud of their heritage, proud of their livelihood (particularly Dad's tow truck business), proud of each other (especially daughter Trace, who just got her beauty school degree) and even prouder of their lovely home, a very modest fixer-upper with a leaking roof, plastic trim and a gigantic TV antenna.

Does life get any better than that? As far as the Kerrigans are concerned, they're on Cloud Nine. So what if their house is located at the edge of an ear-shattering airport and on top of a toxic landfill? In fact, they feel a bit sorry – to be honest – for the outside world, which doesn't seem to understand their bliss.

But there's trouble in Paradise when Darryl (Michael Caton) – that's Dad – gets word from the government that his castle has been "compulsorily acquired" to make space for further airport expansion.

With the blessing of his family and neighbors, Darryl decides to take his fight all the way to Australia's Supreme Court, if necessary. He immediately pays a visit to his trusted friend and lawyer, Dennis Denuto (Tiriel Mora). But when Dennis protests that he doesn't even practice constitutional law, Darryl will hear none of it.

"You defended Wayne," Darryl says proudly, referring to the Kerrigan son who was accused of bank robbery.

"Yeah," says Dennis, "and he got eight years."

"The Castle," shot on Super-16mm in 11 days, certainly won't be confused with a big-budget picture. In fact, its production values are roughly on a par with, say, "America's Funniest Home Videos."

But the satire and inventive wit of Working Dog, the Australian comedy team behind this (led by director Rob Sitch), are right on the money. If you're looking for straight-ahead belly laughs – as Darryl and Dennis build their case on the slogan "It's the vibe of the thing" – I advise you to pay the Kerrigans a visit.