Captain Fantastic (2016) User Reviews

a clash of philosophies

[ferguson-6 · 8/10 · 15 July 2016]

Greetings again from the darkness. There seems to be no end to the theories on how to be an effective parent and raise kids who are productive, well-adjusted and successful. Writer/director Matt Ross offers up a creative, entertaining and thought-provoking story of one family's unconventional approach in a world that seems to expect and accept only the conventional.

We are first introduced to Ben (Viggo Mortensen) and his six kids as they are stalking a deer while deep in the Pacific Northwest forest … only this isn't your buddy's weekend deer hunting trip. Each family member is covered head-to-toe in mud and other means of camouflage, and the oldest son Bodevan (George MacKay) takes the lead with his knife in what is presented as a rite of passage into manhood.

The family carries out a daily ritual that includes extreme physical conditioning, lessons on survival and living off the land, and advanced education that includes reading such diverse material as Dostoevsky and Lolita. Each evening is capped off with an impromptu musical jam. It's evident that self-sufficiency, intelligence and family loyalty are crucial to Ben's approach … an approach that is challenged when circumstances require the family board their Partridge Family bus (named Steve) and take a cross-country road trip into a civilization that doesn't know what to make of them (and vice-versa).

The film is jam-packed with social commentary on education, parenting, societal norms, societal influences, and even grief. Who gets to decide what is best for a family or what's the best method for education? Sometimes the dysfunctional family isn't so easy to identify. Director Ross proves this in a gem of a dinner table scene as Ben and the kids visit Kathryn Hahn, Steve Zahn and their two sons in suburbia.

In addition to the terrific performance by up-and-comer George MacKay, the other actors playing the kids are all very strong and believable: Samantha Isler as Kieyler, Annalise Basso as Vespyr, Nicholas Hamilton as Rellian, Shree Crooks as Zaja, and Charlie Shotwell as Nai. Screen vets Frank Langella and Ann Dowd bring presence to the role of their grandparents and provide the greatest contrast to the off-the-grid existence of the kids.

Viggo Mortensen truly shines here and gives a performance full of grace and depth as he displays many emotions (some of which aren't so pleasant). He even goes full-Viggo for one of the film's many humorous moments … though the comedy is balanced by plenty of full scale drama. His best work comes in the scenes when he begins to question that there may be some flaws in his plan … the moments of self-realization are stunning.

Many will note some similarities between this film and Little Miss Sunshine (2006), though this one carries quite a bit more heft. It's beautifully photographed by cinematographer Stephane Fontaine (A Prophet, Rust and Bone) and captures the danger and solitude of the forest, while also capturing the more personal family dynamics. It's a film that should generate plenty of discussion, and one of the questions is … will Noam Chomsky Day ever match Festivus in popularity?

Ben and Civil Disobedience. An interesting take on checking out on society. With a top layer of dealing with hardship and what it means to live the good life

[Solaris_Flare · 9/10 · 7 August 2016]

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." Henry David Thoreau

I just happen to be reading Henry David Thoreau's book Walden for a philosophy club. When I saw this trailer I told myself I had to see this before it left my city. The similarity between the book Walden and this film are pretty high. With similar topics of arguments against commercialism and full industrialism. Then throw on top a yearning for spiritual truth and self-reliance. Still, this isn't just a stick your middle finger at the system film. It's way more than that.

Matt Ross has an interesting meditation on what it means to live outside society in America. He shows a couple reasons why someone would do this and show the pros and cons in a very interesting way. The views evolve as the story moves on. Such is life eh?

Viggo Mortensen acting is amazing in this role. With that said, don't overlook Jack (Frank Langella) acting in the film. For a good portion of the film, we only see the point of view from the family and mostly Ben (Viggo Mortensen) at that. But later in the film, you see Jack's motives too. I can see why he acted the way he did and I may have done this same if I was in his spot too.

Bo (George MacKay) gets a couple good scenes too. It's great to see him fumble through interactions throughout the film and to discover what he wants out of adult life. This may or may not conflict with what his dad wants.

I highly recommend this film and can't wait to see what Matt Ross does in the future. If this film comes to your town do yourself a favour and see it. Clever films are rare and need to be supported.

Unique movie

[palavitsinis · 9/10 · 24 October 2016]

This movie challenges lots of things that we wrongfully take for granted in today's society. Mortensen is brilliant for yet another time and all the cast is simply breathtaking.

The concept of the movie and the backstory were brilliant. A touching movie, heartwarming and brilliant all along. A father that although strict and sometimes military like, who's also artistic and deeply sentimental. An amazing depiction from Vigo Mortensen. Amazing.

A movie that in a simple but yet elegant way depicts all the things that have altered our society and brings forth lots of the things that really matter. It makes us think about the ways we were raised and rethink the ways in which we want our children to be raised.

This is a movie well worth your time. One of the best movies I have watched in 2016, by far!

This is a movie for every generation. It needs to be noticed, it deserves to be talked about, and discussed.

[ognjen-janic · 17 August 2016]

Aesthetically on high-level, questioning the most important points of human life and importance of verbal, mental, physical, social, emotional development and the inability of developing them all on the same level. There are so many factors that influence one's development. And there is space for many mistakes.

High quality acting. Viggo Mortensen gives one of his best performances, a devoted father that wants only the best for his kids, an authority, a leader, a teacher, loving, loyal husband, a grieving human with tough, determined, honest attitude he transmits to his children. Kids, from the youngest to the oldest, act with such naturalness that you simply dive in this masterfully-made journey.

Film doesn't show how one should live and not live because both sides are flawed. Internal and external conflicts make you question the reality of the present, giving you space to find your own balance of how one should live.

I personally started thinking of how there is a massive space for improvement in every field of our lives. An example is school. And how devastating it is that one could neglect the knowledge at that extant. Kids need to be inspired and motivated to learn. And more important is that they have to build inner-motivation that will make them interested and ambitious as they improve the world around them. And of course kids can't be accused for not wanting to learn if the teachers don't show them how and why to love their subject. And of course parents to support them.

This (above) is just one point of where this movie has taken my entranced mind.

This is a movie for every generation. It needs to be noticed, it deserves to be talked about, and discussed. Because that is the point of Captain Fantastic.

Nuanced commentary on modern society

[veloskiw · 10/10 · 15 June 2016]

Set against the beautiful Pacific Northwest backdrop, Captain Fantastic is easily one of the most nuanced films to come to mainstream cinema in the last few years. It's main plot addresses the struggle when everyone has the best intentions but not the same values. Additionally, the film makes honest and straightforward comments on controversial issues in today's society that are often taboo in the media such as mental illness, the hypocrisy of children's exposure to violence and sex, religion, and the flaws in the American education system. This sounds heavy and uncomfortable but these issues are paralleled in such a way that parts of the film had us in tears; from laughing so hard. Director Matt Ross says the project started as an exaggerated exploration of the difficult choices that must be made in regards to raising children in today's society. I think the film goes a step further and awakens an internal dialogue in each of it's viewers about the way that we live our own lives based on societal influences. Furthermore, the performances given by the perfectly arranged cast enhance your investment in the story in a way that will cause you to question what right and wrong really are when you're only trying to do your best and do what you think is best for those that you love.

A gem hidden in the forests of the Pacific Northwest

[christina-delimitrou · 10/10 · 27 April 2016]

I watched this in Sundance earlier in the year, and was captivated by the storytelling, acting and cinematography.

The story follows Ben (Viggo Mortensen), a father of six, living deep in the forests of the pacific northwest, far from modern life. All six children, from seventeen year old Bodevan to seven year old Nai are fluent in philosophy, history and quantum theory (!), and can hunt and fend for themselves in the wilderness. At least that is until the suicide of their mother forces the family to clash with modern society, and then Ben realizes that he has in fact not prepared his children at all for what lies outside their forest. Bodevan, for example, accepted in a swarm of the top colleges and adept enough to kill a deer single-handedly, cannot bring himself to talk to a girl without immediately proposing to her.

The family's ideals further come under stress when his late wife's father (Frank Langella) who hates the life Ben has created for his family comes into the picture, and forbids Ben from attending his wife's funeral, threatening him with arrest. In what could have easily turned into a one-dimensional harsh/rich character, Frank Langella also projects empathy and deep grief over his daughter's death. When Ben and his children visit his sister's much more conventional family, and her smart phone-obsessed children, Ben criticizes their upbringing, only to have his sister bring his own parenting skills into question. Director Matt Ross skillfully presents both sides here without picking favorites.

Acting-wise the film is captivating, with Mortensen fitting the renaissance profile of Ben like a glove. He projects all the arrogance and hardheadedness of Ben together with his warmth, adoration for his children, and respect for his wife's wishes with grace and subtlety in one of the most seemingly effortless performances I have seen. He is also surrounded by an excellent supporting cast, from the children to his in-laws and sister.

In summary, Captain Fantastic is a rare case where family dynamics, with their controversies and dilemmas are not oversimplified to a preaching doctrine in the finale; the film allows the viewer the space to find their own balance on what it means to raise a child.

One of the best movies of the year so far

[paul-allaer · 9/10 · 30 July 2016]

"Captain Fantastic" (2016 release; 119 min.) brings the story of Ben and his 6 kids. As the movie opens, we are looking onto the breath-taking landscapes of western Washington. The camera then zooms in on a deer, and before we know it, the deer is killed by a brutal knifing (with audible gasps in the theater audience). It turns out to be Ben's oldest son. Ben exclaims proudly "today a boy is dead, in his place is a man!". We get to know Ben and the 6 kids, ranging from 17 to about 7 or 8 in age, as they live completely off the grid. As we wonder "where is Ben's wife/the mom?", we learn that Leslie is in the hospital due to bipolar disorder. One day Ben drives into town to call the hospital to see how Leslie is doing... At this point we're not event 15 min. into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the second feature length from actor/writer/director Matt Ross, who previously directed the under the radar "28 Hotel Rooms". Here he brings something completely different, and a social experiment at that: what if you raise a family completely off the grid, in a utopian but clear anti-capitalistic setting, without any interaction with the "real" world, and what would happen if at one point those children are forced to confront the "real" world. Fascinating idea, and one that Ross examines quite nicely. The movie excels even more due to the performance of Viggo Mortensen, which is out of this world, but truth be told: the six kids are quite outstanding as well. The movie is pretty much perfect for the first 90 min., but then struggles to come to a reasonable conclusion, regretfully. There is also an outstanding score for this movie, courtesy of Alex Somers and performed by Somers and Jonsi (of Sigur Ros). Apart from the score, there are a number of other good song placements throughout the movie (but not Elton John's "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy", if you were wondering). Can't wait to check out the soundtrack.

"Captain Fantastic" won Matt Ross the best director award in the "Un Certain Regard" showing at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The movie finally opened at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati and I couldn't wait to see it. The Saturday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended very nicely, I am happy to say. It seems that, other than the gasps in the opening scene of the movie, the audience really enjoyed the movie. I know I did. If you are interested in a very solid family drama with a unique social experiment, you cannot go wrong with this, be it in the theater, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray. "Captain Fantastic" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

American Classic

[Ata-2 · 10/10 · 21 July 2016]

This is simply the best movie I have seen since Shawshank Redemption. It tells the story of a family living in the wilderness who are forced to face modern society. Its funny, with a pinch of sad, and a huge dollop of thought-provoking.

Matt Ross is a genius who has found his voice and style in this film. The direction is just incredible. The script has all the fluff stripped out so it moves along at a great pace. It is edited to perfection so every scene draws you further in. It feels like "Into The Wild" as directed by Clint Eastwood. I have been going around telling random people about how great this movie is and how it will clean up at the Oscars.

I don't see it appealing to everyone however. That is what makes it such a great film because no one left the screening ambivalent. The open-minded Austin, Texas audience was vastly in the Fantastic camp, but I can see this film is not going to go down well everywhere with everyone. If it did, it would be some fluff piece and not the classic it is destined to be.

Pretentious granola fantasy world flick

[roymartin-65813 · 6/10 · 20 August 2016]

I'm a resident and lover of the Pacific Northwest and pretty far left on the political spectrum, so this should have been a film for me. The cinematography is gorgeous. It's well acted and nicely directed. But I had problems with its heavy handedness and Utopian pretentiousness.

Perhaps if I were younger, with a more absolutist worldview, I'd have been able to suspend disbelief enough to enjoy this film without reservation. But it fell flat for me in a number of ways.

First, there are too many things that don't add up, from having a magically fueled bus available at all times despite a lack of that terrible capitalist green stuff to a balanced and varied diet supportive of an extreme training regimen even though living as hunters and gatherers without taking the time or energy to cultivate crops. Everyone manages to stay clean and well dressed despite a lack of electricity or running water. The children are educated to be philosopher-scholars, musicians, theoretical physicists, linguists, endurance athletes and survivalists (all at the same time, as if any one of these challenges would not be a full time endeavor reserved for ones of special gifts and talents) while handling every aspect of their fully self-sufficient lives in their idyllic nature preserve. It's never explained how the family manages to purchase a huge tract of old growth forest or manages to squat without consequence on public land.

Setting aside all of that, I found the political/philosophical point of view of the film heavy handed to say the least. The father inculcates the children with his westernized quasi-Buddhist spiritual philosophy and Marxist ideals; fine. But the film seems intent on antagonizing everyone who doesn't share such views -- though the themes are softened here and there, I guess in an effort to make it seem more open-minded and, thus, palatable to a broader audience.

Personally, though not a Christian, I see no need to belittle and offend those who are. While projecting a supposedly tolerant and nuanced worldview, with some tips of the cap to broad-mindedness as the father realizes he's been perhaps a tad extreme, the film is actually quite intolerant and demeaning of conventional values. Why, for example, is it a good thing to educate the children on how to steal? I've no issue with a nudist lifestyle and have in fact spent time on nude beaches, so I have an understanding of the ways in which removing clothing can strip away pretensions and leave people open and vulnerable in good ways. At the same time, is inflicting one's nudist philosophy on others a good thing? It's also worth pointing out that among the most extreme of contemporary fundamentalists, Wahabi Muslims have this habit of bulldozing the shrines of Sufi Muslims and erecting public toilets in their place as a means to belittle and humiliate. This film, which tries to embody themes that are open and tolerant, in a very real way commits the same offense as the Muslim extremists of Saudi Arabia with a gratuitous scene set in a public toilet.

At the end of the day, for all the messages the film seems to want to carry, it's really a rather thin and hypocritical gruel, blind to the irony of its own intolerance, offering little of lasting value (except a nicely nuanced nutshell review of the Nabikov novel "Lolita").

I've still given the film six stars because it's well crafted and for its efforts to be thought provoking. Those are laudable goals even if the effort ultimately falls far short.

Captain Fantastic is a very amusing look at trying to find a balance between two different worlds.

[subxerogravity · 8/10 · 10 July 2016]

Mortensen plays Ben, A father of six children, whose wife suffers from mental illness and Ben thought it would be good for her and the kids to live out in the wild, living off the land and tossing the rules of our society out the window. However, Ben's wife did not get better. Captain Fantastic mostly focuses on the children. On a road trip towards their mother's funeral, they get a culture clash with the rest of the world. It lays out all the info for the question of weather these kids were raised right or raise wrong. Captain Fantastic starts off showing you the children's lifestyle, were organic met growing and hunting your own food and made their own clothes and were home schooled. Then they come into society where everyone looks at them as if they are freaks, but why is it weird that these kids don't know the name brand of sneakers? The look on their faces when they experienced Street Fighter for the first time makes sense when your not use to such things. Besides, it's a shame on our Society that an 8 year old can comprehend the Bill of Rights better than those older than her. Watching these kids tackle the woods than watching them adapt to society was a bit of an eye opener. Some times the movie punches you in the gut, like when the talk about religious "organizations" and how Fat everyone in the city seems to be, but the blow is softer cause it's coming from children. But Captain Fantastic is not all one sided, detailing some down qualities of living in the wild , like the eldest son's overzealous first encounter with the opposite sex or the fact that It was the parents choice to live out in the woods, not the child's. Mortensen played the part well of a man who sometimes got too clouded by his beliefs of doing the right thing by his family and who sometimes went to far to prove a point. Also like Frank Langella's character, the father who just lost his daughter and blames his son-in-law. It's was good cause you really know people like the character he plays. Steve Zahn and Kathryn Hahn were also terrific in the movie playing yin to Ben's yang, as parents who don't fully see eye to eye with what he's doing. Overall, everyone has a upbringing different from everyone else and Captain Fantastic takes that statement to a different level, but at it's core, he's just a parent who loves his children and is trying to do the best he can in a difficult time. This theme radiates from Mortensen and the rest of the cast, which is what makes it so Fantastic.

A movie that pretends to do the opposite of what it does

[mbrumsen · 6/10 · 2 January 2017]

Captain Fantastic is a beautifully filmed, moving story. But as much as I enjoyed watching it, it left a bad aftertaste. It pretends sympathy for the lifestyle choices of the main character, who brings up his children in the wild, teaching them both survival skills and a critical attitude towards capitalist, consumerist America. However, in the confrontation with this modern and consumerist society, he is in the end forced to admit that it was all a bit of a mistake, and that it was not in the interest of his children to educate them like that. Wherever your ideological sympathies may lie, this film manipulates the viewer badly. The Cash family, in the end, are some kind of caricature in their extremism. So the movie ends up trying to convince the viewer that turning one's back on this society, even though it is far from flawless, is a very bad idea. And this, after having first pretended great sympathy with the Cash family's lifestyle. What makes all of this worse is that it's very easy to take the film at first degree, and only see its insincere criticism of consumerist society. "A film that really makes you think", people will coo, without paying much attention to the fact that in the end all this reflection is rejected, thus making it easy for the viewer not to be challenged in their ideas at all. Additionally, what makes it a story badly told is that we do not really get to know the mother at all, apart from her last wishes, and the suggestion that the choice for the wilderness was made in the hope that it would help her recover her mental health. Why, crucially, did she at some point believe that her parents should "rescue" her from the wilderness (and her husband), why did she change her mind, and most importantly why was it decided that she ought to be hospitalised? How can this be a story about choices that parents have to confront if the mother's perspective is missing? See this film if you must: it does have beautiful scenery, beautiful and convincing actors, and very comical moments. But prepare to feel manipulated.

Best movie in a long time. Great Acting and Story

[buffetfan1102 · 10/10 · 1 August 2016]

This movie had wonderful child actors and a great family story. Yes it is a unusual family but that is why I liked it. The story is believable. You will laugh and cry. A great story of a family that you will grow to love. You will like the scenery. It is thought provoking and shows all different aspects of family life. There is a small short scene of male frontal nudity but other then that it is fine. You will enjoy the full two hours of the movie. I think the child actors should be nominated for Oscars. They were very believable. It makes you think about the different ways we raise our kids. The dad may seem strange in his beliefs but that is why I liked the movie We are all different.

Good concept, Hard to believe

[magikredrose · 6/10 · 5 March 2017]

Seeing unrealistic elements in REALISTIC movies are the biggest turn off for me and unfortunately this movie is filled with Dialogues/Characters/Actions that you find hard to believe. The concept of this movie is deep and it's the kind of movie that makes you think but it's so exaggeratedly made to the point that it turns shallow.

Less than it could have been

[mannacio-124-682011 · 5/10 · 22 August 2016]

Raising 6 children, three boys and three girls, in the wilderness would be hard enough. Training them to be skilled hunters, gifted at self defense and schooling them effectively would be beyond the skills of most parents. But this Dad isn't most people. His oldest son speaks 6 languages and is accepted to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown and M.I.T. His youngest girl can recite or explain the Bill of Rights. All six children are able rock climbers and very fit. In keeping with the politics of the day they are followers of Noam Chomsky and more than just a little left of Bernie Sanders. All of this already strains credulity and is it really necessary?

So, when the children and their father decide to leave their retreat in the woods to attend their mother's funeral, we are sure that there will be a culture clash. The excesses of this clash are to be expected after the excesses of the characterization of the children. The mere fact that these children grow up in the wilderness does not mean that their parents would have failed to provide any social skills whatsoever. This makes the culture clash setup less believable and true to life. If there might have been any issues that the audience is expected to think about, the way the characters are drawn detracts so much that any serious issues that could have been raised are no longer relevant.

Perhaps this is the reason this movie is listed BOTH as a comedy AND a Drama. But it succeeds at neither. My long car trip to see it was really not worth the effort.

Discovered Chomsky

[fear_is_nooption · 10/10 · 24 August 2019]

I cant say much for this movie except that its good and i urge people to give it a try if you havent, i personally watched it 2 times, one alone and one with my mother.

But the most important thing i'd like to say this movie offered me, was a kind of happy accident, and that was the discovery of Noam Chomsky, whom i'd have never discovered otherwise (god knows youtube wont reccomend him unless you have already watched him), and for that i am truly grateful.

A gem of a film. Great feels

[ctowyi · 8/10 · 20 July 2016]

Captain Fantastic begins with the death of a boy and the birth of a man. What a gem of a film! We had to sit at the front row because of a full-house screening, but the punishing ordeal was but a breeze as 2 hours whizzed by.

Viggo Mortensen plays a Renaissance man Ben who is out of this world, but never out of his depth. He is a father to six children and they live off the grid in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, eating off the land. Every day he home-schools his children in jungle survival skills, hand-to-hand combat, vertical rock-face climbing and pushes their fitness levels to way off the charts. The children, ranging from an 8-year-old to a 17-year-old, are fluent in philosophy, history, literature, foreign languages (including mandarin!), music and even quantum theory! Their mother's death forces the family of 7 to board the family bus named Steve for modern society. Ben and his posse of 6 aren't quite ready for the cruel world and the world aren't quite ready for Ben, Bolevan, Kielyr, Vespyr, Rellian, Zaja and Nai - all original names lovingly created by their parents because they feel their names should reflect the fact that each one of them is unique. OMG I want one too!

The film is superbly written, acted, musically scored, shot and directed. It is suffused with social commentary on the education system, parenting techniques, societal norms and the handling of grief. Writer-director Matt Ross never pushes one agenda over another, allowing a scene to play out nicely. It takes a lot of restraint to present both sides of the argument without screaming in your face what you should do. In so doing I start to question the different ways of upbringing and which side of the fence I will sit on. Watch out for a pivotal scene at the dinner table where two families gather. You know a WWIII is about to happen as the youngest girl asks to taste wine and the man of the house is trying very hard to explain how did Aunt Harper, Ben's wife, die. The scene is hilarious and thought provoking as two schools of thought on parenting come into loggerheads with one another.

There is another scene that rings emphatically true for me. Being an educator for the longest time, I have always felt teachers in classrooms predominantly emphasise the "how" and "what" in lessons. The "why" is usually treated as a cursory by-line because the "how-s" and the "what-s" will get a student through the huddles of exams and tests. Ben notices Vespyr is reading Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, a book way ahead of her Literature curve, and proceeds to ask her what she thinks of it. An ubiquitous "it is interesting" comment rings out and in Ben's family mantra "interesting" is a non-word. He coaxes out more depth and analysis from her and her reply will put pride in any parent or an educator.

The film rests on Viggo Mortensen's shoulders and he is perfectly cast. He embodies all the attributes of a father - authoritarian, hardheadedness, arrogant, eccentric, kind, warm, understanding and respectful. All through it, his grace, love and adoration for his children shine out like a beacon in a dark place. This is flat-out effortlessly one of the best performances I have seen this year. The rest of the kids are also captivatingly natural and raw. I read in an interview that Ross would linger the camera on the kids to capture them in a natural state so as to bring out the best in them. If their antics and love for learning don't hit a raw nerve in you, it probably means you have already been molded and indoctrinated by the society.

The last act feels a little too neat and tidy for my liking but it doesn't take away the fact that this is one of those rare movies that truly engages your intellectual mind, endeavours to question societal norms and dares to "stick it to the man". How it does all this without being high-handedly preachy is FANTASTIC! I particularly love the last sendoff scene. To me it means our lives don't have to be someone else's idea of what we should be. We can be what we choose. And if anyone is ever in a position to take our lives away from us? We should do something about that.

A great examination of extremism verses conformity!

[Hellmant · 9/10 · 17 August 2016]

'CAPTAIN FANTASTIC': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five) Indie drama flick; about a family, that has lived in isolation in the Pacific Northwest forests (for a decade), that's forced to reenter society when tragedy strikes. It was written and directed by actor, turned filmmaker, Matt Ross. The film stars Viggo Mortensen; and it features small supporting turns from Frank Langella, Steve Zahn, Kathryn Hahn and Ann Dowd. It's been a small hit at the indie theaters, and it's also received mostly positive reviews from critics, and fans alike. I went into the movie knowing very little about it (having not seen a single trailer), and I really enjoyed it. Ben and Leslie Cash (Mortensen and Trin Miller) had been living 'off the grid', in the Washington state mountains with their six children, for close to ten years. They taught their kids very strict survival skills, as well as the benefits of a socialist society. When Leslie suffers from severe bipolar disorder, and kills herself because of it, Ben decides to take his family to her funeral, in New Mexico, despite Leslie's father (Langella) strongly discouraging him against it. The family's new experiences, in the conventional world, challenges all of their staunch views on life (especially Ben's). The movie is a great examination of extremism verses conformity; it does a very fair job of weighing the pros and cons of each. It's also an excellent character study, that's filled with involving performances; especially from Viggo, but the child actors are all good as well. It's equally funny, heart breaking and thought provoking. It's definitely a film that will leave a lasting impression on me, and I wouldn't mind revisiting it, at some point in the future. I look forward to seeing more from Matt Ross.

outsider lifestyle

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 11 February 2017]

Ben (Viggo Mortensen) and Leslie Cash raised their children in the woods in an alternative, survivalist, leftist, anti-modern, anti-capitalist environment. The kids have unique names; Bodevan, Kielyr, Vespyr, Rellian, Zaja and Nai. Ben is brutally honest to his kids even when their mother killed herself in the hospital after long-suffering of bipolar disorder. He tries to assert her wish to be cremated. Her rich father Jack (Frank Langella) refuses and insists on a traditional funeral. Ben drives their bus with his kids to the funeral.

Mortensen has great presence and commitment. His commitment generates both awe and hesitation. His charismatic obsession leads one to follow him but also to call child's services. The kids are just as terrific. Each one delivers a unique and complete performance. Their characters are each compelling in their own right. There are moments of comedy and there are some surprisingly powerful moments of family drama. There are some uncertain turns but it all wraps up in the end. It's a compelling unique movie family.

Does not promote any serious reflection

[howard.schumann · 6/10 · 5 December 2016]

In Matt Ross' Captain Fantastic a family has opted for a simple life in the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, turning their backs on what they consider to be a corrupt system that supports an inauthentic way of being in the world. The children, Bodevan (George MacKay), Kieyler (Samantha Isler), Vespyr (Annalise Basso), Rellian (Nicholas Hamilton), Zaja (Shree Crooks), and Nai (Charlie Shotwell) are united in their disdain for consumer culture and the quest for status. They are well versed in philosophy, history and quantum theory, and can hunt for food and show impressive physical skills. Their politics are decidedly outside of the mainstream.

Instead of celebrating Christmas, they pay homage to progressive author Noam Chomsky on his birthday, while 18-year-old Bo, the oldest son, proclaims he is neither a Trotsky-ist or a Trotsky-ite but a Maoist. The superhero Captain Fantastic in this scenario is father Ben (Viggo Mortensen) who assists the family in developing survival skills, leading the children in exercises worthy of marine boot camp. At night, to their credit, they sit around the campfire at night reading classic literature and discuss weighty topics such as capitalism and how they see the world. Apparently they have little use for religion, especially Christians and Christianity, but do have a fondness for Buddhism, a religion in vogue right now.

The clan is shaken to its core when Ben tells the family without sugar coating it that their mother Leslie, a victim of bipolar disease, has committed suicide. Though she has been hospitalized for three months, nothing is said about anyone in the family visiting her in the hospital, not an example of Buddhist compassion. According to Leslie's will, she requested to be cremated and Ben intends to carry out her wishes in spite of strong opposition from Leslie's wealthy father (Frank Langella) who organizes a Christian funeral service for his daughter. Ben and the children pile into their rickety school bus and head to New Mexico determined to rescue their mother from the grave and the film suddenly becomes a high energy road trip with a few challenging adventures along the way.

Mortensen is impressive in the role of Ben as are the actors who play his children and, as usual, Langella is convincing in his role as a wealthy man who is seemingly the epitome of unrestrained capitalist excess. While Ben is a loving father who eventually entertains the strange notion of compromise, he is basically little more than a caricature, an idealized fantasy figure who creates what the director must think a sixties commune must have been like. Ben is raising his children to be independent thinkers but does not create any space for them to question his authority, and the semi-robotic kids mouth their father's ideas rather than their own thoughts (Lolita notwithstanding).

What is unfortunate is that these ideas do have meaning. In the proper context, "Power to the people" is much more than a mindless slogan. While the children are home schooled and appear to be very well educated, they do not seem to have the skills to engage in the world outside of their enclave. Bodevan, for example, accepted in some of the top colleges and adept enough to kill a deer singlehandedly, cannot bring himself to talk to a girl without immediately proposing to her. While the ideals that the film espouses are important, here they are trivialized to the point of seeming shallow and phony and there is no discussion of what the word integrity means.

Killing an animal is a pathway to manhood? Robbing a supermarket is "sticking it to the man?" Tolerance is another casualty. "We don't laugh at people…" Ben tells the children during the road trip "…except Christians." While there is a legitimate discussion about conventional and unconventional ways to raise children, Captain Fantastic does not promote any serious reflection. Perhaps if this holier than thou family would come out of the wilderness and participate in making a difference in the real world we could be getting someplace.

Mortensen gives an Oscar caliber performance in one of the year's must see best films.

[george.schmidt · 9/10 · 18 July 2016]

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC (2016) **** Viggo Mortensen, George MacKay, Samantha Isler, Annalise Basso, Nicholas Hamilton, Shree Crooks, Charlie Shotwell, Trin Miller, Kathryn Hahn, Steve Zahan, Elijah Stevenson, Teddy Van Ee, Erin Moriarty, Missi Pyle, Frank Langella, Ann Dowd. Mortensen gives an Oscar-worthy performance as the paterfamilias of a decidedly dysfunctional family he has raised with '60s hippie values that comes to the head when his wife dies and sends the brood into a major turnaround with some life lessons along the way proving blood is thicker than water in this well-conceived drama. Written and directed by actor Matt Ross the film falls on the capable shoulders of Mortensen whose deeply soulful and effective low-key performance anchors the story with gravitas, heart and solidity with a remarkable cast of newcomers as his children facing off his estranged father-in-law (Langella who thankfully shades his character as an all-too-easy-to label a villain). Funny, poignant and one of the best films of the year; a must see.

Silly Script Ruins Good Idea

[TigerHeron · 6/10 · 22 October 2016]

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.

Potency is power, but what is happiness?

[Semisonic · 8/10 · 21 January 2017]

A man lives with his six children, age from 8 to around 18, in the woods, where he trains them as some utopian superhumans. But all goes sideways when the mother of the children and the man's wife kills herself...

Do we like the world we live in? Do we wanna change it to the better, or there's no other way but to bend down and adapt? Well, Captain Fantastic is a story about people who had no illusions about the modern society surrounding them, so instead of letting it crook their lives and the lives of their children they decided to create their own small paradise, the triumphant kingdom of both physical and mental superiority. But it would be too simplistic to paint the story in just black and white, so to make our superkids a little more human the filmmakers gave them a flaw of being absolutely incapacitated socially. The whole movie then progresses by using that striking contrast as its driver until, eventually, it settles things to a seemingly reasonable consensus between the perfect ideas and the imperfect world those ideas have to be implemented in.

...

There's a moment in this film when Viggo Mortensen's character asks his daughter to give her analysis of Nabokov's Lolita. She at first struggles to find the right words, saying "it's interesting". "Be more specific", he replies, because he tries to teach his kids to do more than just scratching the surface and being satisfied with simple answers.

Well, finding the right words for this film might be an equally challenging task. And it's definitely a mixed bag of emotions and impressions. I like and admire the film for how beautifully it's made. The chemistry between the kids, more bound to each other now that they have nobody else to turn to, and their father, who's both an upholding pillar of their lives and a subject of their angst and frustration, is a never-ending source of wonder. Now that Viggo Mortensen's gradually ending his career as an action figure, seeing him go for the emotional complexity - and succeed at it - is quite a pleasure.

What I don't find the pleasure in, however, is a typical loophole of giving the otherwise flawless characters a defect both huge and unlikely, using that trick to create something resembling a conflict the movie would be so desperately lacking otherwise. Why do children who can master quantum physics or military-grade physical training have to be so blatantly ignorant when it comes to the regular people's lives? Why would a kid know about the Supreme Court cases but have no idea what Nike or Coca Cola is? Why would a guy be speaking six languages but have no idea how to talk to a girl? It's not like the only books in this world are for nerds, we have social studies and psychological literature as well. Of course, if Ben's kids were reading those books too they would be Hanna-like complete (for those unaware who I refer to, please watch the 2011 film of the same name, it's really awesome in its own right). But that kind of perfection assumes a sense of purpose, something that we regular flawed people are entitled not to have or to struggle searching for, and something that turns a perfect human into something not entirely human but rather like a tool or a weapon. And the thing Ben's kids definitely don't have is a knowledge of what to do with such fantastically special selves.

Maybe I'm over-analyzing and it's just my wishful thinking, but it really seems that behind the story of Captain Fantastic is a story of us all and the question we all seek the answer for: what is happiness and what's the way to achieve it? It's clear that the "superkids" in this film are superior to the most of us in terms of mental and physical development. But what's the point of all that potency? Does it make them happy? Do they feel better than the regular typical us simply because they are healthier, stronger or more educated? Or do they feel lonely and cast away from the society which finds unity in its common flaws and mistakes? Because those fat/lazy/shortsighted and basically ignorant people don't seem to suffer too much from their imperfections. Maybe they don't even realize their existence. Ignorance may be a real bliss sometimes.

The only problem is that once you've gotten yourself above that bliss and saw the ugliness it grows from, no matter how much you try to go back you won't be able to get it back, you've come undone already. So the seemingly blissful finale of the film's story is nothing more than just a question: you have traded in your consistency, but have you gotten what you wanted, have you become happy for real? And come think of it, ignorance might not only be a source of bliss but the very single chance to achieve it...

Great Potential Soured by Strange Decisions

[please_stand_by · 6/10 · 9 June 2017]

This film left me a bit perplexed. The premise of six wilderness dwelling, society-shunning children and their unusually strict, blunt, and academically-inclined father being forced to confront modern society is genuinely very compelling. Viggo Mortensen's performance as the father is great (dare I say 'Fantastic'?), and the family's chemistry feels energetic and natural, albeit highly unusual. The film's cinematography and general aesthetic is also quite striking. The film's writing, however, is truly baffling at times. Most of this stems from the family's interactions with the modern world once they leave their home in the wilderness.

Before I get into that, though, I really want to stress that Captain Fantastic is, on most levels, a fine film. Despite my reservations about many of the choices that were made, I'd still probably be inclined to recommend it to most people who are interested in exploring the dynamics and problems of a strangely unique family if they can tolerate the occasional dose of insufferable hypocrisy or arrogance. I honestly went into the film expecting to like it a lot, so I take no delight in picking it apart to explain what I believe is wrong with it, but I think it is worth doing. Also keep in mind that because this is probably going to be a love/hate movie for many people, these things I list might not bother you at all. That being said, let's get into some of the strange choices with the writing, of which there are many.

We as the audience naturally expect the family to behave in an unusual manner given their rather extreme lifestyle, but what we don't expect is the rather distasteful undercurrent of arrogance and contempt for other people that seems to consistently guide their behavior. They are not merely fish out of water innocently bumbling through their interactions. Instead, they are constantly reassuring themselves of the inferiority and hopeless degeneracy of those around them, while reinforcing in their minds their own superiority.

The family's inwardness allows them to justify various narcissistic antisocial behaviors. This includes the family stealing large quantities of merchandise from a store using a deceptive scheme, insulting and/or mocking nearly everyone they encounter including members of their own extended family (even when treated with hospitality), the father instructing his children to perform dangerous activities resulting in injuries, and openly despising Christians (but no other religions or beliefs). The family also has rather extreme communist leanings, even going as far as to identify favorably with despicable totalitarian communist dictators (Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, etc.). The oldest son goes as far as to seriously refer to himself as "not a Trotskyist anymore, but a Maoist", which is just an embarrassingly asinine thing to say.

There are numerous other bizarre behaviors, such as the young children's fetishization of knives and other weaponry, clinically utilitarian honesty about sex, drugs, violence, death, rape, and suicide with young children, not only allowing and justifying young children drinking alcohol, but pouring them glasses of wine under the assumption they will drink it even if they didn't ask for it (with an ironically absent diatribe about the real dangers of alcohol particularly for children, despite going into morbidly and tediously explicit academic detail about almost every other subject imaginable), and who could forget the family's inexplicable worship of Noam Chomsky. I can't quite figure out if these are inserts by the writer/director that in some way reflect his own viewpoints, or if he is attempting to poke fun at people who think and behave this way. Either way, it doesn't come across as funny or satirical despite the film being labeled a "comedy". But it sure is obnoxious.

Why do these details matter? Because this mixture of unpleasant traits make them come across as not just weird, but delusional, antisocial, arrogant, hypocritical, mean-spirited, and even dangerous. These traits can absolutely work in the right story, but they don't work well in a narrative about a father raising his impressionable young children. It's not a good sign when it's easy to see how if the father wanted his children to kill someone, it wouldn't take him long to convince them how, when, where, and why to do it with some lengthy pseudo-intellectual lecture about the evils of capitalism, his kids then rushing off with their knives to do the deed, all while smiling and singing. To put it simply, the family dynamic is that of a cult. Yet the film never ceases to treat the cult's leader (and chief brainwasher of children) as completely sympathetic.

But all of this could be forgiven if the right ending properly redeemed these character traits. Could the children ever live within society, or would they forever be outcasts? Is there some disastrous consequence of the way they have chosen to live? Instead, the father is more or less bailed out of his problematic situation by a relative, despite being extremely disrespectful towards this person constantly. This is essentially a deus ex machina moment that makes no sense and provides no satisfying resolution. After the father has his realization that maybe his kids need to be prepared to deal with the real world, he leaves on his own, only to have his entire brood of kids inexplicably emerge from a compartment in their bus hours later to console him at the exact moment he needed it, another deus ex machina moment. The film then ends with, again, no resolution to the characters' actual underlying problems integrating into society.

It really is unfortunate that such a great premise is burdened with so many elements that are obnoxious, hypocritical, or just don't go anywhere. The family of characters, especially the father, are just grating enough to frequently be annoying or alienating to the general audience member. I really feel that if the aggressively smug and cult-like family dynamic was toned down and the ending was better executed, this would be a genuinely great film. But the devil is in the details.

Like a cross between "Into the Wild" and reddit.com/r/iamverysmart

[shawniscoolerthanyou-192-753229 · 2/10 · 11 May 2019]

People who thought the guy from "Into the Wild" was awesome (instead of a spoiled kid killed by his own hubris) will probably like this movie. It's got a lot of that "wouldn't it just be awesome to just go live in the woods" vibe, while glossing over the details of how much it actually sucks to be outside for too long. If you can get past the opening scene with a "boy becomes a man after doing a thing" trope, you'll be treated with people saying pseudo-intellectual things to give the impression "dang! this guy and his kids are really smart!" All topped off with a heaping dish of "society is bad!"

This movie loves the smell of its own farts, as do anyone giving it 10 stars.

"There is no actual food on this Menu."...Excellent Provocative Powerhouse

[LeonLouisRicci · 9/10 · 20 December 2016]

Actor and sometime Director Matt Ross Delivers a Controversial, Thought Provoking, Emotional, Heady, Earthy, Contemplation on Life in 21st Century America.

It Wears its Counter-Cultural, Communal Existence, Artistically and Intellectually pinned on its Sleeve and is Not Afraid to Question the Flaws in an Isolated Upbringing of Children that will Require for Their "Survival" a more well Rounded "Education".

Of Course the Answer is Compromise. Although there is something Winning about "Power to the People and Sticking it to the Man".

By the way, how Ironic is it that the Rants of the Hippies and Jerry Rubin got Donald Trump Elected President in 2016. He Co-Opted a Far Left Ideology and Turned it into Right-Wing Votes with the same Anti-Establishment Rhetoric.

Viggo Mortensen is Outstanding and the rest of the Cast, including the Brainy Brood, are just as Good. The Film is Funny and Heartbreaking with an Artistic Design that Beautifies the Surroundings of a Paradise Lost and Rediscovered as a Necessary "Evil" in Today's Environment that One must Reluctantly Embrace, if not Independently Wealthy, to have a Chance at Competing in the Real World.

There are enough Happenings here that makes His Determined Detachment at least Questionable and Dad comes to Realize that Maybe He has been Mistaken, concerning His Wife and the Children and as a Bright, Heartfelt Man He must sometimes do what is "Wrong" to make Things "Right" for the Family.

Overall, an Excellent Film that is bound to be Misunderstood by Knee-Jerks on a Myriad of Things that are so Complex and could Never be Fully Covered ("Clothes when we eat please.") in a Two Hour Entertainment.