The Castle: Father's Day

Bad jokes. Good vibes. Passion projects. Darryl Kerrigan (Michael Caton), the novelty-jumpered underdog of The Castle (1997), is a classic daggy dad. He cherishes the small pleasures of life with his family at 3 Highview Crescent, Cooloroo. But when his ‘castle’ is threatened by an airport expansion he's forced into action, even though he’d much rather be feeding his greyhounds or relaxing at Bonnie Doone.   

The Castle is narrated by Darryl’s son Dale (Stephen Curry), and we see the family through his admiring eyes. In this clip, he introduces us to two of their cherished traditions – Father’s Day and presents – and explains one of his dad’s sayings, ‘Straight to the pool room’. A panning shot over said pool room reveals a lovingly assembled tableau of Aussie kitsch, from a Marlboro racing-helmet clock to a picture frame obviously made by childish hands out of matchsticks.   

Director Rob Sitch and his collaborators at Working Dog Productions used such closely observed details of decor and vernacular to build an affectionate portrait of unassuming suburban life that went straight to audiences’ hearts. The Castle became part of the culture, with phrases like ‘Tell him he’s dreaming’ and ‘How’s the serenity?’ enshrined in the Aussie lexicon. 

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