As director of The Castle, Rob Sitch understands why Australians voted it most popular Aussie film

If I had to choose my favorite outcome of making Castle – the movie that is among the readers’ favorites Age And Sydney Morning HeraldThe 50 Best Australian Movies survey – probably related to the public’s embrace of the film’s language. Some things entertained us from the first draft. “The Vibe” seemed, at the moment it was proposed, like the funniest legal concept ever invented. “Jenny Jenny or Microwave Jenny,” the distinction people make when they have two friends with the same name, was always just something to entertain us. Then we heard about a band calling their band “Microwave Jenny”. It made our day beautiful. After using every line for 40 years This Spinal TapIt’s nice to know that we’re giving something back to that universe.

We are not immune either. I find myself using lines from the movie without realizing it. After one of our kids completes even the smallest task, I reflexively say, “Dale dug a hole.”

Sometimes I’m not sure if these lines are repeatable because they’re memorable, or if they’re just repeated. Repeatedly. We have Channel 9 to thank for this. Every year for over twenty years they have started their program with two things; Carols by Candlelight and Saturday night repeat Castle.

The movie-loving public is great at breaking down a movie into its basic repeatable parts. Seems to sum up all the humor in the sentence “This is not a knife” Crocodile Dundee“Rule 303” sums up all this great drama Crusher Morant. No matter how many drafts you complete, the final version is in the hands of the public. When this happens, comedy movies take on a different life.

Funny set pieces are like favorite songs. Sometimes I find myself on a plane fueling a Richard Curtis movie and watching a series of hilarious scenes that I never tire of. Crocodile Dundee the same. Filmmakers don’t have much of a say in the matter. This is where the audience comes into play. Of all these hits this one still entertains me Warm August Night, Sweet Caroline It became an anthem. Neil Diamond should scratch his head.

One of the best compliments starts like this: “I was hooked on your movie (on Nine on Saturday night!) and thought I’d only watch a few minutes. I ended up watching the whole thing!” I do this with this Die Hard.

This process was a chance for us. Actually, it was a very lucky project from the very beginning. I look back at the cast and still wonder why they all said “Yes”! We didn’t have enough money for film stock, so I politely reminded everyone that we could only do two takes, three at most. Imagine telling Bud Tingwell, Michael Caton, and Anne Tenney that you could only do two takes. I grew up with these stars. Luckily, even their rehearsals were perfect.

Lack of money helped our choices. The film is a child’s memory, so the environments and shooting style had to be simple and uncomplicated. Dale Kerrigan was at an age when kids thought their parents were heroes. But it’s only in later years that you realize that your dad is a bit of a jerk sometimes, that the neighbors are a bit crazy, and that your neighborhood is a little lower on the Most Livable list than you thought. We have Stephen Curry to thank for getting this right.

The location was easy. My cousins ​​lived near that airport and we would run to the end of the runway every time we visited. I still remember thinking this was the best place in the world to live. Imagine watching jet planes land outside your bedroom window every day. Then I grew up and this turned into a funny anecdote.

The film is a child’s memory, so the environments and shooting style had to be simple and uncomplicated.

Rob Sitch

The script was born out of our love for childhood anecdotes. We’ve replaced dozens of them over the years. Many found their way into early drafts. For example, I grew up in a suburb where there was a greyhound racing craze. It wasn’t until I was on my way to school in a leafier suburb that I saw a dog without a muzzle.

Santo Cilauro’s Italian parents practiced law just meters away from where Dennis Denuto was found. These stories were not only funny, they had a warmth, a community spirit, and an underdog quality that is clearly reflected in the film.

In the years following the film’s release, we were frequently encouraged to make a sequel. Once you’ve created a fertile comic book world, why not come back to it? Strangely it was never brought up seriously. We still joked about the stories. One idea was to kidnap a terrorist at the airport, which Darryl intervened in. To be honest, it started to amuse us so much that 24 hours passed and the subject was not spoken of again.

Probably the only possible spinoff would be a TV series directed by Dennis Denuto. Tiriel Mora perfectly portrayed the overstressed suburban lawyer. His unfortunate setbacks, at the encouraging behest of Darryl Kerrigan, created a character who could live on. The film’s eventual victory was no guarantee of continued success.

To show off his success, we asked him to get out of an expensive car that the budget couldn’t allow. The only person we know of who owned such a vehicle was Eddie McGuire, who had just traded in an unroadworthy Datsun 120Y. The movie is sprinkled with goodness. Larry Emdur filmed an episode with Tracey Kerrigan The Price Is Right and still jokes about not getting paid. At least I hope you’re joking!

I mentioned at the beginning that this was a serendipitous project and that it started before a single word was written. It came from frustration and faith in the audience. Executive producer Michael Hirsh, distraught over unproductive meetings on several of our film projects, arranged a meeting with me, Santo, Tom Gleisner, and Jane Kennedy. The idea was simple, if a little scary. We would set a budget that we could afford and within that cost, we would make a film with the sole purpose of entertaining the audience. Back the comedy and back the audience. That’s it. It remains a profound insight.

For all the mega-musicals traveling the world, all you need in the world of stand-up is a microphone and an audience. Castle It showed that sometimes all you need is the right audience. This is where we got really lucky. Thank you Australia.

Castle It airs on Stan, which is owned by Nine, the publisher of this masthead.

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