Written and Directed by: Matt Ross
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, George MacKay, Steve Zahn, Frank Langella
Runtime 118 minutes
Summary: A father raises his six children in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. He is forced to take them from their paradise when his wife (their mother) dies. Together they venture into the real world, which brings up a plethora of unforeseen challenges.
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC is all about family and I think its fair to say that every family is different in their own way. This is good because it makes everyone unique and from there, different values are defined.
Viggo Mortensen plays Ben. Ben, a heavily devoted father, raises his children in the wilderness. He instructs them through rigorous training so they can learn to protect themselves. Additionally, he home schools them in the wilderness. They can read, write, speak and understand several languages, play instruments, cook, etc… They really are all hyper intellectuals. His eldest son secretly applies to a handful of Ivy league universities and gets accepted.
Raising your family in the woods, away from the outside world, raises moral questions for sure. To me, the idea makes me feel light. It makes me feel less anxious about my daily worries.
For example, I find myself constantly on my iPhone. I scroll through Instagram, snap chat, emails, text messages etc… it’s a habit that I really hate, yet it’s subconsciously engrained in my daily routine. In the woods, Ben and his family do not have electricity when night falls. They sit around a fire. They discuss ideas, they sing songs, they dance. This movie made me feel spiritual and soulful.
My only quandary I had was this whole idea about social interaction.
When someone is away from the world like that, they rely on themselves and their surroundings. It’s important though to meet new people; people that are different from you and connect with them. I think connections with other are key to learning about yourself. You will agree on things and disagree on things. Those kinds of exchanges define your values.
If you read reviews on this movie, critics all over the country talk about how Ben is portrayed as a bad dad, where as I felt the opposite.
I have a long history of ups and downs with my father. Today, he’s my best friend, but it took us a while to get there. The one constant I’ve always had with him, is that I know he’s always loved me. Our parents are people too and sometimes; people have a funny way of showing things. We’re human.
Watching Ben on screen reminded me of my dad. My dad is far from perfect, but he’s my dad. Ben raised his children in a certain way and for a while it worked, but as time progressed, there were flaws in the system. His love, however, was constant.
He also has a back and forth relationship with his parents. I love my grandparents, but boy are they set in their ways. It’s their way or the highway. My dad, for whatever its worth, beats to his own drum… and honestly, it’s more like a Congo! That dynamic between Ben and his mother and father in law correlates to my dad’s situation with his family.
What are your family dynamics like? Please share 🙂
Yoga Pose: Tree Pose {Vrksasana}
Looking at a tree we are conscious of alignment, uprightness and strength. There is BALANCE between the spread of the branches and the root system that expands in width and depth. When balance is out of whack, the tree will fall down. Seeking that equilibrium, however, is reasonable to re-obtain.