Quirky 'Castle' has delights for those who seek it out

"The Castle"

Directed by: Rob Sitch

Starring: Michael Caton, Anne Tenney, Stephen Curry, Anthony Simcoe, Sophie Lee, Wayne Hope

Rated: R

Occasionally, a small-budget, yet well-developed little film will come along and grab the attention of the American movie-going public. Most recently, releases such as "Waking Ned Devine" and "The Full Monty" come to mind.

On the other hand, for every "Ned" or "Monty," there are half a dozen or so equally worthy small films that end up with but a core cult following, and find themselves being touted by (ahem) insightful critics to little avail. Films such as Mike Leigh's "Life is Sweet," or the terribly overlooked "Withnail and I" can be found at the larger video outlets, but remain mostly unseen.

If there is any justice in movieland, "The Castle" will end up in the ranks of "The Full Monty." But my guess is it will play here (at Wehrenberg Theatres' Battlefield Mall 6) for a week and fade back into obscurity. The fact that its official release was in 1997 (in Australia) and it's making the rounds now may be a good sign.

"The Castle" reminds me of the best aspects of Mike Leigh's portrayals of real, if somewhat offbeat, families combined with Zhang Yimou's tale of a commoner fighting the bureaucracy in "The Story of Qiu Ju."

"The Castle" (as in "A man's home is his ...") is the story of the Kerrigans, a happy family living in a neighborhood that never quite made it as a subdivision. This is due mostly to the fact that the area sits precisely at the end of a huge airport's main runway. Never mind. The house, as narrator and youngest son Dale puts it, "Is worth nearly as much today as it was when we bought it."

Patriarch Danyl spends his time endlessly adding on rooms, patios, kennels and gadgets. He and the rest of the Kerrigan clan (save for Wayne, who's doing time) are unbelievably happy.

Not what one would call normal, but entirely functional. Think of the Kerrigans as a combination of the Cleavers, from "Leave it to Beaver," and Roseanne's family on her sitcom.

Trouble comes the Kerrigans' way when the airport, under the wing of the federal government, tells Danyl they'll have to move. The property is being taken over by means of eminent domain. While the airport offers the Kerrigans a decent monetary settlement, they'll have none of it. This is, after all, the family's castle.

Danyl, ever the complimentary optimist, hires the local lawyer the same member of the bar who unsuccessfully defended son Wayne to take his case to Australia's highest court.

In a non-Hollywood type movie, the ending is not always a foregone conclusion, so let me stop here in regard to plot.

In regard to characters, "The Castle" is rich. Mom is into all sorts of cheesy crafts that Dad honestly believes are marvelous. Middle son Steven constantly scours the pages of the local buy-sell-and-trade magazine for deals on things no one would ever possibly use. Danyl always advises on prices: "Hundred-fifty? He's dreamin'!" Daughter Tracy is the pride of the family, having gotten a degree ... from the local cosmetology school.

All of these characters and situations fit together nicely for an offbeat, funny, and at times, heartwarming, film that is on my list of favorites for 1999. It's one of those things I give a don't-miss status.

On another subject, DVD is slowly but surely becoming the de facto standard for watching movies at home. The keyword is watching. VCRs will still be around awhile and share a relationship with DVD much like that of the CD and cassette recorders.

The DVD format offers incredible features, including the ability to put both the wide screen and pan-and-scan versions of a film on one disc, multiple language subtitles, alternate audio tracks with commentary from the filmmakers, perfect freeze frame and slo-mo and it all comes on a disc the size of a CD.

One release that might give the DVD format a big shot in the arm is the restored version of the 1968 animated pop classic "Yellow Submarine."

The soundtrack, originally monophonic, has been painstakingly remixed for surround-sound. The visuals have been restored and enhanced with up-to-the-minute digital technology. The techniques used here have brought the vivid OK let's tell the truth, the psychedelic colors back to life. The results, for Beatles fans or animation lovers, is breathtaking.

The price for DVD players has fallen to about $250 and the discs themselves are not much more than a premium CD.

If you've been waiting, stop. The time has come.

(Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.)