Groups in ’the Castle’

The attitudes, values & beliefs of the Kerrigan family in The Castle, represent the central theme of family through the way in which they’re portrayed by the director, Rob Sitch. The Castle is a visual text about a battling Australian family living in a low socioeconomic area, near an expanding airport. The owner of the airport, Air Link, wants to grow its business and the Kerrigan family home amongst others is in the way of the development. Daryl Kerrigan, his family and friends, mount a high profile, engaging in a high court battle in a successful attempt to protect the homes of his family and friends. This ‘David and Goliath’ battle highlights the Australian attitudes in relation to family and the family home. The concept of the family home as more than a building is reinforced by Wayne Kerrigan’s longing to be back in the family home, the love within the family and the home and the Kerrigan’s fight for justice.

When threatened with the compulsory acquisition of the family home, the Kerrigan family and large corporation, Air Link, highlight the contrasting values between a house and a home. The Kerrigan family values the family home as being a sacred place, full of love and memories. On the other hand, a large corporation, expanding an air port will view this family home as a tradable asset, rather bricks and mortar, as opposed to, bricks and mortar bound by love and fond memories. This opposition in values is most pronounced by the character ‘Daryl’, father and husband. Daryl shows this contrasting of values through the dialogue “You can’t buy what I’ve got!”. Mr. Kerrigan is exclaiming to his first, slightly dodgy lawyer, Dennis Deniouto, who is strongly recommending the Kerrigan’s’ to take the substantially increased offer for their home. Daryl refuses, he doesn’t believe that the $25,000 increase would fairly compensate his family for the loss. Daryl believed that the family home was a non-tradable asset. The values of the Kerrigan family and their attitude towards the family home, illustrates the idealistic Australian attitude on the subject of the central family and the family home, as well as the non-superficial attachments between the family and its home.

The importance and relevance of the family home is further reinforced by those who live in it. Rob Sitch conveys these beliefs through the way he portrays the central characters within the family home, however in The Castle, the absence of a character from the family home plays a more significant role. Wayne, the oldest son is in prison, though his family believes in him all the same. This strong, seemingly unbreakable bond between the Kerrigan’s is shown by the photograph of the family home on Wayne’s cell wall. This symbolism represents the Kerrigan’s beliefs that family will remain together through thick and thin. Through the combination of these beliefs the viewer is shown the home is where is the heart is and is of paramount