Captain Fantastic (2016) – 8.5/10 – Thought-provoking critique of conformity that inspires introspection
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC is a coming-of-age drama and comedy that explores the philosophy of human life. This film has more layers than meets the eye. Matt Ross, the writer and director, inspired this story from his own experiences and personal aspirations. This is a social commentary that depicts a man and his children resisting conformity to societal norms and expectations of conduct. Inspirational and thought-provoking, it encourages outside-the-box ideas and challenges the status quo set by society. You find plenty to respect about them and their stories, even if you disagree with the characters’s political and religious views. The characters wear their virtues and flaws on their sleeves, but they are more than that. They are also their actions, words, and personality. I became captivated by this movie and lost track of time.
Ben Cash (Viggo Mortensen) lives in a Washington state forest with his six children, away from civilization. He has mistrust in capitalism, materialism, and practiced religion, and only goes into town when he must. He teaches his children how to survive in the wilderness, rigorously trains them, and, alongside his wife, Leslie, helps instill education. But Leslie battles severe mental illness and is off at a psychiatric institution fighting for her life. Although Ben distrusts modern medicine and society, he is compelled to try it as a last resort. A particular event forces Ben and the kids to face the modern world. Caught unprepared with no prior real-world experience, the children lose their compass. Ben recognizes he has failed in preparing his kids for what’s out there, beyond the comforts of their forest home. A fight between him and Leslie’s father forces him to reconsider his worldview and reconcile the good with the bad of reality.
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC is a fantastic (!!) movie I enjoyed. The skilled acting, directing, stunning cinematography, meticulous script, and soundtrack are sensational. From the major actors, I’m only familiar with Mortensen as Aragorn from Lord of the Rings, but his performance is excellent here. The entire cast fits seamlessly, including the child actors ranging from ages 9 to 23 (6 to 18 in character). I was stunned by how many themes the screenplay packs within two hours. These topics include parenting, conflict resolution, finding balance in life, being present, critical thinking, freedom, prizing honesty, maturation, overcoming grief, and being multifaceted.
There are a few flaws. First, I don’t expect kids that age to grasp quantum physics, master multiple philosophies, recite the Bill of Rights word-for-word, become athletes with amazing acumen, and become expert survivalists. All from homeschooling. Even with professional schooling, that prospect looked farfetched. It was unnecessary to make their strengths essentially perfect. The oldest kid homeschooled and self-taught through library books, found himself accepted to MIT, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and Brown, an unlikely proposition. Second, my impression was the writers gave qualities to the Cash family that appeared antithetical, which may have been intentional. I sense darkness behind the curtain and the light-hearted atmosphere. Third, I wish we got more background on Ben Cash and Leslie Cash, including their past, what led to them questioning civilization, and how things went south. We know little of their earlier days or what happened between the two. There are subtle hints between the lines and clues of Ben’s behavior with his wife, but not much to go on. Finally, I felt the ending could have been smoother and more inspiring. The movie is preachy, so a preachy resolution full of morals fits the style.
Would I recommend this? Yes! CAPTAIN FANTASTIC offers so much to admire and enjoy, despite imperfections. Cynics might find it offensive, but it’s not meant to be. I understand the central family’s political/religious views may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and they mock things such as capitalism, materialism, and religion. But this movie is more than that. The film centers on the idea that shared love can unite and change even those with extreme beliefs. Truth be told, this story is the polar opposite of how the average parents indoctrinate and raise their kids, so it’s mocking that. There is depth and rationality behind it against conformity. Two scenes are not child-friendly. My rating is 8.5/10.
*Any trivia facts were obtained from IMDB’s trivia page and plot/basic history/name information from Wiki
