IMDb > "Kings in Grass Castles" (1998)

"Kings in Grass Castles" (1998) More at IMDbPro »TV mini-series

Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   30 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
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Director:
John Woods
Writers:
Mary Durack (book)
Tony Morphett (writer)
Release Date:
29 March 1998 (Australia) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
A Saga of Hatred and Tragedy, Wealth and Romance . . . (DVD)
Plot:
The life of an Irish immigrant family in Australia in the second half of the 19th century.
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
2 wins more
User Comments:
A stirring tale to make all Australians feel good, or anybody else who has ever migrated. more (1 total)

Cast

  (Series Credited cast)
Rafe Andrews ... M. P. (aged 7)
Stewart Armstrong ... Mr Robbins
Craig Ashley ... Jarrold
Maurie Barlin ... Dinnie Skehan
Donal Beecher ... James Maguire
Michael Butcher ... Maloney
Alan Cinis ... Auctioneer
Peter Corbett ... Darby

Imelda Corcoran ... Poor Mary
Cormac Costello ... Skinner
Max Cullen ... Mr. Costello
Margaret D'Arcy ... Mammy Amy
Essie Davis ... Mary Costello
Conal De Huggard
Michael K. DeVaney ... Young Michael
Stephen Dillane ... Patsy
Ernie Dingo ... Jimmy
Peter Driffield ... Vicar
Marcus Eyre ... Fruin
Fionnula Flanagan ... Bridget Durack
James Fox ... Longman
Patrick Frost ... Clerk of Works
Sean Gilroy ... Father McAlroy
Marc Grey ... M. P. (aged 21)
Derek Halligan ... Rent Collector
Trevor Jamieson ... Boontamurra Youth

Nick Jasprizza ... Big Johnnie
Wayne Scott Kermond ... Stumpy Michael
Ningali Lawford ... Valley
Julian Leather ... Long Michael
Alice Livingstone ... Margaret Darby
Tom Long ... Pat Tully
Scott Lowe ... Inspector Gilmour
Susan Lynch ... Sarah
Elspeth MacTavish ... Mrs Longman
Des McAleer ... Michael
Peter McDonald ... Game Keeper

T.P. McKenna ... Lord Dunraven
Ingrid Menge ... Kate McInnes
Stanley Mirindo ... Dinnakin
Sharon Mitchell ... Koorie Jane
David Ngoombujarra ... Burrakin
Vicki Ngurruwuthum ... Burrakin's wife
Niki Owen ... Maid
Damian Pike ... John Costello
Susan Rigg ... Mrs Robbins
Brian Rooney ... J. W. (aged 19)
Paul Shillingsworth ... Koorie Bill
Robert Simper ... Sergeant Moreton
Ritchie Singer ... Mr Emanuel

Carl Snell ... J. W. (aged 5)
Maggie Steed ... Mrs Costello
Gary Vincent ... Photographer
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Additional Details

Runtime:
USA:200 min (DVD)
Country:
Australia
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Sound Mix:
Stereo
Filming Locations:
Bourke, New South Wales, Australia more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The title is derived from a complete line in the source novel which reads: "If it's kings we are, it's kings in grass castles that may be blown away in the wind." more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful.
A stirring tale to make all Australians feel good, or anybody else who has ever migrated., 9 June 2002
6/10
Author: Keith F. Hatcher from La Rioja, Spain

I myself emigrated to Australia near 40 years ago and have very fond memories of the country; thus I do not pass up any opportunities of seeing Australian productions which come by here, usually on our regional Basque TV Channel.

Based on a novel of the same name (Corgi Books, 1967) written by a grand-daughter of the main protagonist of this story – Patsy Durack – the film narrates the hard life of some Irish peasants who fled the potato famine in 1853 and emigrated to Australia. However, on arrival in the land of promise, they soon found that life there was also going to be rather hard. However, they persevere and get their own spread `in the back of beyond' near Thargomindah (the name is changed in the film, can't think why) in the deep south west of Queensland. From extreme to extreme, the saga unrolls, beautifully filmed and sometimes really well acted, reaching its forseeable conclusion without too many problems.

The best was a very loveable David Ngoombujarra as Burrakin, aborigine who became Patsy Durack's lifelong friend.

From a rainy windy Galway, Western Eire, the film miraculously dumps us in the middle of the splendid scenery of the Blue Mountains, not far from Oberon I rather fancy, overlooking the majestic Kurragorang Valley. Later we see the great empty plains of south west Queensland, and a few views of the beautiful Kimberlies can also be seen. As I have said, some beautiful filming: sunsets and a few wild animals, well-reconstructed street scenes, billabongs – made me almost feel `home' sick!

There is some play on how aborigines were badly treated, thrown off their lands, but this theme was not very much gone into. However, on a recent trip to Australia I noticed that now these people run their own lands and the booming tourist business.

Whether this film is very genuinely a story of the hard lives the early immigrants led may be a little debatable.

Try to get a copy of Ernestine Hill's `The Territory' (Angus and Robertson) for a truly authentic and beautiful book about people opening up the interior of Australia, especially the north.

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