Essay Questions

Although the movie is ostensibly just a sweet-natured quirky slice of life, what very serious global issue is it actually addressing?

The filmmakers disguise their very powerful political critique in the guise of a quirky comedy. The characters are definitely not standard operating procedure for politically-motivated stories, but beneath the veneer of its slice of life portrayal lies a potent political analysis of an issue both specifically Australian and global in application. Specifically, the story of a strange little family being forced out of their home at the bequest of government interference in the name of capitalist expansion is really a metaphor for the land grab perpetrated against the indigenous aborigines of Australia. It does not take much of a leap, however, to apply the same metaphorical coverage to the taking of the land of Native America tribes by the American government.

The humor is this comedy is often so subtle as to go overlooked on a first or even second viewing. What is one example of this subtlety?

A running gag throughout the film has one of the Kerrigan sons coming to his father with a for-sale listing in the paper. Usually, the things are being sold are objects that would find limited appeal to buyers such as jousting sticks. Regardless of the absurdity or non-essential quality, Darryl always makes an inquiry into the asking price and if it turns out to be too high, his reply is simply a dismissive “Tell he’s dreaming” or simply “dreamer.” On one of these occasion, he dismisses the dreamer asking too much for an overhead projector but, as always, notably does not dismiss the idea of buying such a seemingly useless machine for home use. A few scenes later, however, he has invited some of the homeowners over to discuss their plan for fighting back against the interests looking to force them to sell their homes and what is using in his presentation, but an overhead projector. The funniest thing about this scene is its subtlety: absolutely no attention is brought to the fact that he obviously did buy the project. There is also no attempt to explain whether he simply changed his mind immediately or whether he decided to buy it for that particular use. It is just there, left for the audience either pick up on the gag or not.

How does the film wring so much of its humor from the simple act of repetition?

There is nothing inherently funny about repetition. Repeating a phrase can, after all, be utilized for the purpose of dramatic impact or even to underline the tragedy of a situation. But when done right, repetition can become the foundation for comedy and this film is a textbook case of how to do that. For instance, Darryl several times repeats as assertion to his son that he is “an idea man.” The phrase itself carries absolutely no comedic weight at all, but when placed in juxtaposition to the absurd inventions that Steve has made based on his ideas and then flavored with his father’s obvious sincerity, the repetition becomes increasing hilarious. Then there is the repetition of the dinner table scenes in which the absolutely lovable Darryl goes on and on to his boys about the spectacular talent for cooking of their mother. The repetition comes in the form of his asking what these incredible dishes are that she is serving them and the answer is always painfully obvious: meatloaf and chicken, for instance.