Rating: 
Summary: Typically Broad Aussie Comedy with a Warm Heart
Review: Rob Sitch has created a small comic gem in this unpretentious movie about an ordinary man's battle to save his family's home from compulsory annexation by the neighboring airport. Rife with the broad irreverent humor that practically defines the Aussies' national character (think of Paul Hogan's TV show or CROCODILE DUNDEE, or Baz Luhrmann's STRICTLY BALLROOM), the story manages to stay just one step ahead of farce. Though we can hardly take the characters seriously, they're good blokes nonetheless and it's easy to identify with their predicament.Darryl Kerrigan (Michael Caton) is a good-natured family man who lives by simple principles. He values his home & family above all else in life. When the billion dollar corporation that owns the airport tries to oust him from his home, he just knows it isn't right. And he's too ignorant to know what he's up against when he decides to fight. Though chuckles abound throughout the film, real belly laughs are in order when his hapless lawyer (Tiriel Mora) challenges the constitutionality of 'compulsory acquisition' in court. (His legal argument will doubtless soon become a fixture in law schools throughout the English-speaking world.) In fact, the story offers a solid critique of common law just as incisive and nearly as funny as Jonathan Swift's scathingly satirical critique in Gulliver's Travels. And it's expressed so plainly and clearly that anyone should be able to understand it--even poor benighted Darryl Kerrigan, whose command of legal jargon may be slight, yet who knows in his heart when he's right. 3 1/2 stars for this feel-good little comedy with its heart in the right place.
Rating:
Summary: Darryl vs Goliath
Review: This was very funny little movie set in Australia about a close knit family and what happens when the wheels are set in motion by powerful forces to take their home away from them. Darryl Kerrigan and his family live in what most of us would probably call a ramshackle abode next to an airport. When I said right next to an airport, I mean the runway is practically in their backyard. The Kerrigan house is one of a four or five small houses built on this less than ideal tract of land, part of a development that never really got off the ground. All this matters not to the Kerrigans, as it's not just their house, but also their home. The plot centers around a large big business/government consortium taking the land that the Kerrigans' and the other's homes are on for further development of the airport. This is done by what is called 'compulsory acquisition', or a fancy way of saying someone has the right to force you out of your home and off your land for the common good. Seemingly fair compensation was offered, but Darryl wants no part of it, as he feels his house is his home, and memories and experiences cannot be bought and sold. His home is his castle, and so he organizes his neighbors and leads the fight to stop this seemingly unstoppable force. One of the great things about this movie was the optimism of the Kerrigans, especially Darryl. It was like they had no real concept of the type of opposition they faced, but this helped them in that they saw themselves as equals, deserving equal and fair treatment, while most probably would have been resigned to their fate, deciding that they couldn't fight big business/government. And it wasn't just their optimism in their legal battles, but in life in general. Things most people would take for granted or not even recognize, the Kerrigans valued and cherished. For example, living so close to an airport would certainly be undesirable to most, but to also have power lines in close proximity would scare anyone away. For the Kerrigans, living close to the airport means they got a real bargain on their house, and also if they ever wanted to take a trip, they could just walk to the airport. And as far as the power lines, Darryl seems them as a testament to the modern world, a mark of man's achievement. Another wonderful aspect to the movie was the relationships between the Kerrigan family members. While not always the brightest bulbs in the box, their hearts where always in the right place, and the family ties were strong and solid, based on love, respect and complete acceptance of each other. No one member seemed more important than the other, and they seemed to exist in virtual harmony. As Darryl and his family struggle with the idea of having to leave their home, Darryl ends up taking his case to the highest court, with a little help from an unlikely source. Do they get to stay or do they get forced out? See for yourself, as this is a charming and often hilarious film that demonstrates a man's home is truly his castle, and the lengths some are willing to go to protect the inalienable rights most take for granted. A nice wide screen presentation, there is very little in the way of extras, only a couple of trailers and some movie recommendations. I would recommend this to just about anyone looking for a funny, sweet, and engaging comedy.
Rating: 
Summary: My all-time favorite movie! I like 'em off-beat .....
Review: Just a really super film! I watched it the first time with my family, and not everyone else "got it" to the extent I did. Many times I was laughing out loud, and nobody else was! But then, I typically choose the movies that most people have never heard of..... This is a great story of what it means to be a family, and the importance of a HOME, not just a house. If everyone in the world would place a bit more importance on family and home, we just might have world peace. The movie has some great lines that run through my head from time to time like: "Tell him he's dreamin!"; "Jousting sticks, whaddya need with jousting sticks?"; "It's the vibe .."; etc. And I really dig those Aussie accents too! Rent or buy this film!
| 
