Erskineville Kings (1999)

Barky, 25, lost soul, left home two years ago to escape his abusive father leaving behind everything in the world that was important to him; now that his father's dead, he thinks it's safe to come home.

Director:

Alan White

Writer:

Marty Denniss

Stars:

Marty Denniss, Hugh Jackman, Andrew Wholley

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marty Denniss	...	Barky
Hugh Jackman	...	Wace
Andrew Wholley	...	Coppa
Aaron Blabey	...	Trunny
Joel Edgerton	...	Wayne
Leah Vandenberg	...	Lanny
Marin Mimica	...	Kane
Lauren Clair	...	Ruby
Paul Dawber	...	Father
Louise Birgan	...	Natasha
Roy Billing	...	Ticket Officer
Roxane Wilson	...	Lady
John Alansu	...	Hairdresser
Mercia Deane-Johns	...	Barmaid
Bob Gould	...	Book Store Owner

Storyline

Barky, a lost soul of 25, returns from the Australian cane fields to his hometown, inner-city Erskineville. Barky left two years ago to escape his drunken and abusive father, leaving behind everything in the world that was important to him. His brother Wace. His girlfriend Lanny. His life. Now that his father's dead, he thinks it's safe to come home, but Barky soon discovers that if staying home was hard, coming home is harder. Wace is bitter. Barky ran away just like their mother. Wace toughed it out. Alone he stood by his dying father. After two years and no explanation, can Lanny take Barky back? With everything on the line will Barky choose again to leave it all behind? In the King's Hotel the two brothers try to make sense out of life after their father's death. Beer, anger and pain prove to be a dangerous mix.

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Plot Keywords:

abusive father | cane field | death | beer | bathroom | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 September 1999 (Australia)

Filming Locations:

Enmore, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

AUD 500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Radical Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Winterland"
Written by B. Meyers and R. Peno
Performed by Died Pretty

User Reviews

Gritty men seek emotional solutions

Erskineville Kings tries to crack that hermetically sealed, impregnable fortress called 'The Australian Male Psyche.' Two brothers confront each other's emotions as they attempt to reconcile and resolve their differences after the fallout from their father's death. Hugh Jackman plays the elder brother who sided with his father's hatred of a wife and mother who deserted three males at a time when she was needed most. Marty Denniss is the younger brother who like his mother left home to escape an abusive father and an unsympathetic brother who resented his absence and now resents his homecoming. His unwelcome return to attend the funeral of his father must inevitably catapult the siblings into emotional warfare as they seek the truth of their past and face a future in which they only have each other. Although the script is a little overwritten, it is literate and insightful while the acting is superb, and the inner city location of Erskineville, a suburb of Sydney, is realistic and atmospheric. Australian movie making seems to be going through a period where the silliness of whimsy and fancy have been replaced by gritty realism. I, for one, applaud the the transition from Strictly Ballroom, Priscilla and Muriel to the current crop of excellent films. I wish Hollywood would get of the treadmill and start running around the streets.