Sunday, March 12, 2017

Captain Fantastic 2016


     Ben and Leslie Cash have six children and all the children have unusual names, Bodevan, Kielyr, Vespyr, Rellian, Zaja, Nai.  They live in a cabin in the mountains of Washington State.  The children are non-registered home schooled and their parents have passed down their ideals of socialism and survivalism.  They encourage extensive reading and individual thinking.  They also shun commercialism and corporate America.  Leslie is not with the family right now because is in a hospital for treatment of bipolar disorder.  This large family has a bus named Steve for traveling. 
     The scenery in this film is very beautiful.  Overall, the children are all well behaved and respectful.  They are all advanced in their education but they are at a disadvantage among their peers because of their isolation.  They are further set apart since all their names are not in common usage but have been made up by their parents.  Originally, this project started as an exaggeration of different choices in raising children in today’s society.  Along the way, the focus changed to how much should people let society influence their lives?  One element not discussed is how can freethinking children question everything except the person doing the teaching?  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

118 min, Comedy directed by Matt Ross with Viggo Mortensen George MacKay, Samantha Isler, Annalise Basso, Nicholas Hamilton, Shree Crooks, Charlie Shotwell, 
Trin Miller, Kathryn Hahn, Steve Zahn, Elijah Stevenson.

Note:  Imdb 7.9 out of 10, 83% critic 85% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 1 ½*, Amazon 4.2* out of 5* with 1269 reviews.
Special Note:  Filmed in Deception Pass State Park, Lake Stevens, Snohomish, Sultan, Gold Bar, Kirkland, Whatcom County, Othello, Index, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Las Cruces, Mesilla, Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The young actors started calling Viggo Mortensen “Summer Dad.”  Mortensen was nominated for Best Actor for the Academy Awards.

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