Captain Fantastic

2016 • 119 minutes

About this movie

Viggo Mortensen (The Lord of the Rings series) stars in The New York Times Critics'' Pick, Captain Fantastic, about an unconventional man who raises his six children in the forest of the Paci, Northwest, isolated from society. When he is forced to bring his family out of seclusion and into the world, it leads to a confrontation with his father-in-law (Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon), who wants his grandchildren to have a normal life. Now Ben must question if his methods are the best for his family. Rolling Stone raves, "Viggo Mortensen is magnifcent. A career best work." (Original Title - Captain Fantastic) - 2016 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Ratings and reviews

The world is neither black nor white, it is various shades of grey. Generally movies ten to be one or the other. This movie helps to bring balance to the candy, puff, lazy thinking, empty crap we generally have at the mall. Designed to basically sell popcorn and help us escape. The standard movie fair is like really crappy cocaine. At first the dealer gives you the good stuff, you get hooked and from then on you get the crap. This movie is like all of a sudden getting your hands on the good stuff. Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr wore his character like a glove, spoke to his offspring as if he helped birth them in the forrest keeping them safe in a very unsafe place. He emotes the relationships he has with his children, by making sure we get that each is unique, with its own tempo, smile and varying eye contact. He had support from the youngins, on set when acting yet that is all. From my perspective his dad character was nothing more then Mortensen's other persona he lives with daily yet no, this is a character he developed for this project, has some support from the kids and is very successful presenting the Dad with ease, confidence, coolness and wit all on his own merit. Hope you win

While some facts were misconstrued as to definitions, the suspension thereof was humorously brilliant at points. Archetypes were usually well-crafted with ties to family, originality, and independence as a American Classic might hope to aspire. While the trite exercises punctuating the experience of this movie were trying, the conclusion justified the exercise in patience. What I liked most was how mind and heart were both respected by all players. Worth the purchase for me.

SPOILERS. Important look at child abuse & effects of mental illness in parents and spouses. Couple raises 6 kids in woods with no electricity or running water, in a small shed & tents. Wife kills herself due to bipolar disorder. We later learn that it began as postpartum psychosis & husband wouldn't let her get treatment. When narcissist dadtells the kids, he offers no comfort as they sob. They later dig up & steal her corpse, burn it & flush the ashes. Alienation of affection from grandparents.