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 (screenplay) (as Anik Chooney)

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
Louise Birgan	...	Natasha
Roy Billing	...	Ticket Officer
Roxane Wilson	...	Lady
John Alansu	...	Hairdresser
Darren Hanna	...	Cook
Bob Gould	...	Book Store Owner
Paul Dawber	...	Father

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 | australia | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Soundtracks

Sailor's Dream
Written by Louis Tillett (as L. Tillett)
Performed by Louis Tillett & the Wet Taxis

User Reviews

Dead bore in the boondocks

Erskineville Kings

Avoid this one.

Erskineville is an inner suburb of Sydney near the bottom of the social scale (or at least it was in the 1970s when this movie is apparently set.) Young man returns home on father's death. To greet him are a couple of dissolute mates, a nice ex-girlfriend and a brother eaten up with bitterness after having to look after the old boy in his declining years. Mum shot through many years ago and brother is pretty bitter about that too. Young man was driven out by Dad's drunken violence and doesn't understand why the brother is so hostile. He finds out eventually, but we're past caring.

One or two good performances, especially Aaron Blabley as one of the noxious mates. The whole thing was too thin even for a short (80 minute) feature and the camera spends too much time slowly scanning the crumbling Victorian buildings of Esrkineville. Maybe it would have worked as a 30 minute piece. As it is, a dead bore.

Details

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 September 1999 (Australia)

Filming Locations:

Enmore, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

AUD500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

RadicalMedia

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1