I really wanted to like this movie. It has an interesting premise and raises worthwhile questions. It also has exceptional acting by Viggo Mortensen and Frank Langella. But the many absurdities in the script ruined any credibility the movie could have had.
The movie is about a man who is raising his six children on a piece of forest land he and his wife had bought 10 years previously. They have little contact with others and the children spend their days learning survivalist skills and being homeschooled. Their mother is in a psychiatric hospital after her bipolar disorder worsens. Then, a crisis reunites them with family living more typical American lives.
The plot is full of inaccuracies and holes. A living will is a legal document and I believe that willfully ignoring it could be considered a crime. When a conflict erupts between the man and his father-in-law, serious questions are raised, but the script magically makes them disappear. There's a major loose thread left hanging at the end of the film.
The character of the oldest son made no sense. At times he behaved as if mentally ill, and I think the idea was that he didn't understand normal social relations due to being raised in the woods. However, since the children read novels, they would have had a pretty good idea of how most people act towards each other. Lots of the dialogue was forced and many situations were exaggerated.
The movie is about a man who is raising his six children on a piece of forest land he and his wife had bought 10 years previously. They have little contact with others and the children spend their days learning survivalist skills and being homeschooled. Their mother is in a psychiatric hospital after her bipolar disorder worsens. Then, a crisis reunites them with family living more typical American lives.
The plot is full of inaccuracies and holes. A living will is a legal document and I believe that willfully ignoring it could be considered a crime. When a conflict erupts between the man and his father-in-law, serious questions are raised, but the script magically makes them disappear. There's a major loose thread left hanging at the end of the film.
The character of the oldest son made no sense. At times he behaved as if mentally ill, and I think the idea was that he didn't understand normal social relations due to being raised in the woods. However, since the children read novels, they would have had a pretty good idea of how most people act towards each other. Lots of the dialogue was forced and many situations were exaggerated.