The Castle (1999)

Darryl Kerrigan and his family are the embodiment of contentedness. They cannot believe their good fortune: they own a home adjacent to the airport, their daughter has a degree in cosmetology and a new husband, two of their three sons aren't in jail, and the son who is in jail simply fell in with the wrong crowd but has turned his life around. They're inspirationally besotted with each other and delight in their daily routines.

There's a bump in their easy road, though: the airport is expanding and the law says they can compulsorily acquire the Kerrigans' neighborhood to do so. Darryl is sure that he will be able to reason with the judge on behalf of his family and neighbors but, for the first time, he finds that his good fortune could be at an end.

Such a wonderful, life-affirming story. We saw this more than 20 years ago and I'm so very happy to discover that it holds up beautifully. What a joy.

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