SL: The Castle is about a family called the Kerrigans, who have a very happy life and a very loving family, and they live right next door to the airport in Melbourne. And when I say right next door, I mean the runway backs onto their backyard. But anway, that's beside the point. They love their house. And one day, the government tries to compulsorarily aquire their home because they want to extend the runway. And the story is really about the father, Darryl Kerrigan, taking on the system, and the little guy fighting the big corporation to keep his house, which he cherishes. You know, his home is his castle, sort of feel.
PS: I love these heartwarming movies. Waking Ned Devine, which came out a couple months ago, had the same feel. I was watching the movie, and I kept thinking that there's gotta be someone in the family who's like, "Oh, stop being so cheery. How can you be that satisfied?" But there wasn't. And even the character you play, Tracey, is the breadwinner of the family, being that she graduated from beauty school.
SL: (with a beautiful smile) Yeah.
PS: I don't know about it, but is this a typical Australian family, or is it-
SL: It's certainly not typical any more of any place. There's so many fractured families and divorced parents and dysfunctionality and what have you. That's what I think is so refreshing about a film set in the suburbs. And it's about a family that really get a kick out of each other's existences, and there's so much positive affirmation and...great parenting, I think; really supportive, nurturing parents. I think saying something's a great family movie sounds cheesy, but in it's proper context I think it's a really heartwarming thing.
PS: It's almost like those films back in the 40s, like Frank Capra's stuff. All the family loves each other through thick and thin. It's not like these days where everybody's gotten divorced, and there's nothing really good to look forward to-
SL: -- and everything's bleak, and everything's gloomy. Yeah.
PS: The filmmakers: there's not one person who's the sole creative force behind the film. It's four-
SL: A group of people.
PS: Who are they?
SL: Okay. They're called Working Dog. That's the name of their production company. But they're actually a group of people who've been together for a very long time now. They met at University. They're all highly intelligent people with degrees. But when they were at University, they became involved with the Uni Review in their spare time. And they then formed like a comedy group, which went on to like a "Saturday Night Live" kind of show, which was incredibly successful. I think they work as a really well-oiled machine because they know each other so well, they work with each other so well. I think when they sit around and write - I've never witnessed what it's like - but I think they're very comfortable with each other. They're very highly respected in Australia. They created a series called "Frontline", which is a bit like - I don't like to make comparisons - but it's a bit like "The Larry Sanders Show". It's a satirical look at inside the making of a current affairs show. And very funny, but very biting satire, so it's fantastic. And this was their first film, and I think they submitted their script to a big production company, or film distribution company, who said the usual thing of, "If you change this, and you cast so-and-so", who would have been completely wrong. And they said, "Well, if not, (giving the middle finger) we're not doing it. We'll hawk our credit cards and we'll make it in eleven days for just no money at all." And it was an incredible success, because it's a great script.
PS: I heard they voted on who was going to be the director and who was going to be cameraman. But was this really one person taking one job, or was it more the group saying, "Let's do this, let's do this..."
SL: Well, actually no, Saito operated the camera and Rob [Sitch] directed and Jane Kennedy was involved in casting and producing. So yeah, they did allocate each other tasks, which I think is a fairly sensible way to do it. And I think that that probably makes sense; if everybody was dabbling into everybody else's job, that wouldn't quite work. But I think they really operate as a great team. And I think maybe on the next film, Rob will operate the camera and the other one will-
PS: Interesting. I like that. You yourself: did you start out in the theater?
SL: I started out, actually, in television, really, doing a series called, (she laughs) "The Flying Doctors". I don't know if you've heard of it. Probably not.
PS: It rings a bell.
SL: (laughing) Oh, does it? Okay, well, it's a show about the Flying Doctors Service in Australia. Because there's vast amounts of outback, and there's really remote and isolated farms, so they need an airborne doctor to come and help them when...they've been bitten by a snake or something like that.
PS: Was it a comedy or drama?
SL: (she starts laughing) No, it was a drama. Why, is it sounding funny? (continues laughing) That's how I started out, anyway...(mocking) The Flying Doctor!
PS: (how can I not laugh?) Oh.
SL: No, it was very serious. I'll send you a tape if you like.
PS: (smiling) Do. Please.
(She laughs again.)
PS: So you're doing theater now, then.
SL: Yes, I have been doing quite a lot of theater over the past five years, especially a lot of new Australian theater. I was involved in a fledgling kind of fringe theater group with a new Australian playwright, and that was really enjoyable. But of course you don't get paid any money for that, so...(laughs) You know I'm trying to earn a dollar, as well.
PS: Which you earned in Muriel's Wedding.
SL: Yeah.
PS: I'm sorry. I haven't seen it in five years, since it came out in theaters. But who were you in it?
SL: I was the really awful girl, you know, the horrible bitchy girl, who made everyone's life hell.
PS: Ah ha. What do you prefer, theater or film?
SL: Well, I have to say that it's always been my dream to be in a great Australian film, so I get a real buzz out of filmmaking. And it's kind of like a dream come true, if you like - I'm sorry to sound cheesy. But theater also is extremely gratifying because you get to...you know, having four weeks rehearsal time to really explore the play and the subtext and to really sort of unlock the door into the character you're playing. It's immensely satisfying.
PS: The night after night routines?
SL: I still, I like that because you get to tell the story from beginning to end and everything...there's a ritual involved, and I enjoy that as well. But maybe, I think the longest run I did was about seven months, and it started to get a little bit too long.
PS: How long have you been in the States?
SL: Just a couple days.
PS: Really?
SL: Yeah.
PS: How do you think everybody's going to respond here?
SL: Okay, well I was at Sundance when the film was there. And the response was fantastic. And the humor really translated, so it was a really happening experience. And also in New York, I sat in on the screening, and people were laughing just exactly the same way as Australian audiences were.
PS: It was a huge success in Australia. It broke records, didn't it?
SL: Yeah. I think it was the number one box office smash for that year. So here we're going up against The Phantom Menace, and I think you know we got a shot.
(We both start laughing.)
PS: No you're not. I'm sorry. But actually that's not that bad becauseThe Castle will play in all the arthouses and The Phantom Menace will play in all the malls, and that kind of crap.
SL: We hope.
