by Frank Calvillo
It’s extremely hard in this day and age to accept a film that has a high level of hype attached to it. More times than not, much of the buzz and excitement surrounding a movie, particularly an indie title, is due to overzealous PR people as well as the various friends and acquaintances of those who made said film. The buzz factor in modern times has become SO strong, with the actual end product proving more underwhelming, that film lovers have become a more and more cynical group with each passing year. However, the recently-released Captain Fantastic proves to be an exception: one of the few films this year so far which not only justifies any associated hype, but also has the ability to revert the cynical moviegoer and recall the reason they fell in love with movies in the first place.
The film tells the story a large family headed by Ben (Viggo Mortensen), who, along with his wife Leslie (Trin Miller), has decided to raise their six children, who range in age from 5 to 18, in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, away from the modern society which they find to be dangerous. Living in a number of cabins Ben and Leslie built themselves, the children have been taught to hunt, fight, meditate, and have been educated by their parents, who have given them the works of Karl Marx and Vladimir Nabakov to soak up. When it is revealed that Leslie has committed suicide while undergoing treatment for bipolar disorder at a mental hospital, Ben packs up his children and heads West to ensure his kids give their mother a proper goodbye, despite strong objection from his father-in-law Jack (Frank Langella).
Simply speaking, Captain Fantastic is essentially a feature-length definition of the term family. The beauty of the film comes from watching how writer/director Matt Ross has so captivatingly chosen to define what it is that makes a family. Without question, the life Ben has given his children is unconventional and full of its own hazards. However, in giving this kind of life to their children, Ben and Leslie managed to instill in them the fundamental aspects of life such as loyalty and respect, as well as an appreciation of the mind in ways they never could have in suburbia. Beyond that, however, there is a certain affection and understanding wrapped up in an unshakable bond in each of Ben’s children. They all truly love and respect one another, not because they’re blood, but because of what they mean to each other. Watching such a different and beautiful view of family was not just sheer joy, but also served as a reminder of what is sadly lacking in more traditional families in this day and age.
The one scene in Captain Fantastic which the film certainly could have done without is one in which Ben and his children create a diversion in order for them to steal food from a local grocery store. For me, the act seemed to go against the type of honor and respect Ben and Leslie fought so hard to make sure their kids took to. The incident does come into play again when Jack informs him of his desire to see the kids brought up in more traditional surroundings where they can go to a regular school and play with children their own age. With the other side making such a valid case, it’s certainly hard to paint Jack and everyone else in the outside world as straight up villains. Instead, everyone who criticizes Ben for the upbringing he gives his children serves to remind him that he’s ultimately forgotten to give his children everything they should have had.
It’s impossible to describe just how amazing Mortensen is here. For an actor with one of the most unique resumes working today, Ben is his finest performance to date. Never has the actor been this playful or sensitive on screen before. The actor plays him with a bevy of slight touches, which range from sadness to strength, making his work feel so incredibly honest and raw. There is simply no way the actor won’t be getting some recognition for his work come awards time.
The praise is certainly extended to the rest of the cast, all of whom rise up to the touching and telling level of the material, with Langella, Kathryn Hahn, and Ann Dowd (as Ben’s sister and mother-in-law, respectively) doing spectacular work. Meanwhile, George MacKay as Bo and Nicholas Hamilton as Rellian, Ben’s oldest sons, turn in fine and accomplished performances which reach way beyond their young ages.
There was a moment in the last 20 minutes of Captain Fantastic where I couldn’t believe what was happening on the screen and the act which was being encouraged and performed. And yet when all was said and done, I understood how right of an act it was and how it beautifully symbolized what that family meant to each other. It was one of the most beautiful scenes I had witnessed in any film this year and one which will linger for a long time yet to come. There will certainly be some discussion with regard to whether or not Ben and Leslie did right by their children in raising them the way they did, or if Ben should have his children taken away from him. However, no one will argue the unshakable bond that exists in that family and how in so many ways, they love each other in a sense that many other families never will.
