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Captain Fantastic

  • 2016
  • R
  • 1h 58m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
245K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,536
477
George MacKay in Captain Fantastic (2016)
Deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, isolated from society, a devoted father (Viggo Mortensen) dedicates his life to transforming his six young children into extraordinary adults. But when a tragedy strikes the family, they are forced to leave this self-created paradise and begin a journey into the outside world that challenges his idea of what it means to be a parent and brings into question everything he's taught them.
Play trailer2:32
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Coming-of-AgeQuirky ComedyRoad TripTeen ComedyTeen DramaComedyDrama

In the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a father devoted to raising his six kids with a rigorous physical and intellectual education is forced to leave his paradise and enter the world, cha... Read allIn the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a father devoted to raising his six kids with a rigorous physical and intellectual education is forced to leave his paradise and enter the world, challenging his idea of what it means to be a parent.In the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a father devoted to raising his six kids with a rigorous physical and intellectual education is forced to leave his paradise and enter the world, challenging his idea of what it means to be a parent.

  • Director
    • Matt Ross
  • Writer
    • Matt Ross
  • Stars
    • Viggo Mortensen
    • George MacKay
    • Samantha Isler
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.8/10
    245K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,536
    477
    • Director
      • Matt Ross
    • Writer
      • Matt Ross
    • Stars
      • Viggo Mortensen
      • George MacKay
      • Samantha Isler
    • 619User reviews
    • 332Critic reviews
    • 72Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 15 wins & 51 nominations total

    Videos21

    Exclusive Trailer
    Trailer 2:32
    Exclusive Trailer
    Im A Maoist
    Clip 1:00
    Im A Maoist
    Im A Maoist
    Clip 1:00
    Im A Maoist
    Crossbow Censored
    Clip 1:23
    Crossbow Censored
    Dinner
    Clip 0:51
    Dinner
    Love Birds
    Clip 1:31
    Love Birds
    So They Know Were Coming
    Clip 1:24
    So They Know Were Coming

    Photos276

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    Top cast50

    Edit
    Viggo Mortensen
    Viggo Mortensen
    • Ben
    George MacKay
    George MacKay
    • Bodevan
    Samantha Isler
    Samantha Isler
    • Kielyr
    Annalise Basso
    Annalise Basso
    • Vespyr
    Nicholas Hamilton
    Nicholas Hamilton
    • Rellian
    Shree Crooks
    Shree Crooks
    • Zaja
    Charlie Shotwell
    Charlie Shotwell
    • Nai
    Trin Miller
    • Leslie
    Kathryn Hahn
    Kathryn Hahn
    • Harper
    Steve Zahn
    Steve Zahn
    • Dave
    Elijah Stevenson
    • Justin
    Teddy van Ee
    Teddy van Ee
    • Jackson
    • (as Teddy Van Ee)
    Erin Moriarty
    Erin Moriarty
    • Claire
    Missi Pyle
    Missi Pyle
    • Ellen
    Frank Langella
    Frank Langella
    • Jack
    Ann Dowd
    Ann Dowd
    • Abigail
    Galen Osier
    • Small Store Owner
    • (as Gallen Osier)
    Hannah Horton
    Hannah Horton
    • Teenage Girl
    • Director
      • Matt Ross
    • Writer
      • Matt Ross
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews619

    7.8244.9K
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    Featured reviews

    8ferguson-6

    a clash of philosophies

    Greetings again from the darkness. There seems to be no end to the theories on how to be an effective parent and raise kids who are productive, well-adjusted and successful. Writer/director Matt Ross offers up a creative, entertaining and thought-provoking story of one family's unconventional approach in a world that seems to expect and accept only the conventional.

    We are first introduced to Ben (Viggo Mortensen) and his six kids as they are stalking a deer while deep in the Pacific Northwest forest … only this isn't your buddy's weekend deer hunting trip. Each family member is covered head-to-toe in mud and other means of camouflage, and the oldest son Bodevan (George MacKay) takes the lead with his knife in what is presented as a rite of passage into manhood.

    The family carries out a daily ritual that includes extreme physical conditioning, lessons on survival and living off the land, and advanced education that includes reading such diverse material as Dostoevsky and Lolita. Each evening is capped off with an impromptu musical jam. It's evident that self-sufficiency, intelligence and family loyalty are crucial to Ben's approach … an approach that is challenged when circumstances require the family board their Partridge Family bus (named Steve) and take a cross-country road trip into a civilization that doesn't know what to make of them (and vice-versa).

    The film is jam-packed with social commentary on education, parenting, societal norms, societal influences, and even grief. Who gets to decide what is best for a family or what's the best method for education? Sometimes the dysfunctional family isn't so easy to identify. Director Ross proves this in a gem of a dinner table scene as Ben and the kids visit Kathryn Hahn, Steve Zahn and their two sons in suburbia.

    In addition to the terrific performance by up-and-comer George MacKay, the other actors playing the kids are all very strong and believable: Samantha Isler as Kieyler, Annalise Basso as Vespyr, Nicholas Hamilton as Rellian, Shree Crooks as Zaja, and Charlie Shotwell as Nai. Screen vets Frank Langella and Ann Dowd bring presence to the role of their grandparents and provide the greatest contrast to the off-the-grid existence of the kids.

    Viggo Mortensen truly shines here and gives a performance full of grace and depth as he displays many emotions (some of which aren't so pleasant). He even goes full-Viggo for one of the film's many humorous moments … though the comedy is balanced by plenty of full scale drama. His best work comes in the scenes when he begins to question that there may be some flaws in his plan … the moments of self-realization are stunning.

    Many will note some similarities between this film and Little Miss Sunshine (2006), though this one carries quite a bit more heft. It's beautifully photographed by cinematographer Stephane Fontaine (A Prophet, Rust and Bone) and captures the danger and solitude of the forest, while also capturing the more personal family dynamics. It's a film that should generate plenty of discussion, and one of the questions is … will Noam Chomsky Day ever match Festivus in popularity?
    9paul-allaer

    One of the best movies of the year so far

    "Captain Fantastic" (2016 release; 119 min.) brings the story of Ben and his 6 kids. As the movie opens, we are looking onto the breath-taking landscapes of western Washington. The camera then zooms in on a deer, and before we know it, the deer is killed by a brutal knifing (with audible gasps in the theater audience). It turns out to be Ben's oldest son. Ben exclaims proudly "today a boy is dead, in his place is a man!". We get to know Ben and the 6 kids, ranging from 17 to about 7 or 8 in age, as they live completely off the grid. As we wonder "where is Ben's wife/the mom?", we learn that Leslie is in the hospital due to bipolar disorder. One day Ben drives into town to call the hospital to see how Leslie is doing... At this point we're not event 15 min. into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

    Couple of comments: this is the second feature length from actor/writer/director Matt Ross, who previously directed the under the radar "28 Hotel Rooms". Here he brings something completely different, and a social experiment at that: what if you raise a family completely off the grid, in a utopian but clear anti-capitalistic setting, without any interaction with the "real" world, and what would happen if at one point those children are forced to confront the "real" world. Fascinating idea, and one that Ross examines quite nicely. The movie excels even more due to the performance of Viggo Mortensen, which is out of this world, but truth be told: the six kids are quite outstanding as well. The movie is pretty much perfect for the first 90 min., but then struggles to come to a reasonable conclusion, regretfully. There is also an outstanding score for this movie, courtesy of Alex Somers and performed by Somers and Jonsi (of Sigur Ros). Apart from the score, there are a number of other good song placements throughout the movie (but not Elton John's "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy", if you were wondering). Can't wait to check out the soundtrack.

    "Captain Fantastic" won Matt Ross the best director award in the "Un Certain Regard" showing at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The movie finally opened at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati and I couldn't wait to see it. The Saturday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended very nicely, I am happy to say. It seems that, other than the gasps in the opening scene of the movie, the audience really enjoyed the movie. I know I did. If you are interested in a very solid family drama with a unique social experiment, you cannot go wrong with this, be it in the theater, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray. "Captain Fantastic" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
    10veloskiw

    Nuanced commentary on modern society

    Set against the beautiful Pacific Northwest backdrop, Captain Fantastic is easily one of the most nuanced films to come to mainstream cinema in the last few years. It's main plot addresses the struggle when everyone has the best intentions but not the same values. Additionally, the film makes honest and straightforward comments on controversial issues in today's society that are often taboo in the media such as mental illness, the hypocrisy of children's exposure to violence and sex, religion, and the flaws in the American education system. This sounds heavy and uncomfortable but these issues are paralleled in such a way that parts of the film had us in tears; from laughing so hard. Director Matt Ross says the project started as an exaggerated exploration of the difficult choices that must be made in regards to raising children in today's society. I think the film goes a step further and awakens an internal dialogue in each of it's viewers about the way that we live our own lives based on societal influences. Furthermore, the performances given by the perfectly arranged cast enhance your investment in the story in a way that will cause you to question what right and wrong really are when you're only trying to do your best and do what you think is best for those that you love.
    9Solaris_Flare

    Ben and Civil Disobedience. An interesting take on checking out on society. With a top layer of dealing with hardship and what it means to live the good life

    "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." Henry David Thoreau

    I just happen to be reading Henry David Thoreau's book Walden for a philosophy club. When I saw this trailer I told myself I had to see this before it left my city. The similarity between the book Walden and this film are pretty high. With similar topics of arguments against commercialism and full industrialism. Then throw on top a yearning for spiritual truth and self-reliance. Still, this isn't just a stick your middle finger at the system film. It's way more than that.

    Matt Ross has an interesting meditation on what it means to live outside society in America. He shows a couple reasons why someone would do this and show the pros and cons in a very interesting way. The views evolve as the story moves on. Such is life eh?

    Viggo Mortensen acting is amazing in this role. With that said, don't overlook Jack (Frank Langella) acting in the film. For a good portion of the film, we only see the point of view from the family and mostly Ben (Viggo Mortensen) at that. But later in the film, you see Jack's motives too. I can see why he acted the way he did and I may have done this same if I was in his spot too.

    Bo (George MacKay) gets a couple good scenes too. It's great to see him fumble through interactions throughout the film and to discover what he wants out of adult life. This may or may not conflict with what his dad wants.

    I highly recommend this film and can't wait to see what Matt Ross does in the future. If this film comes to your town do yourself a favour and see it. Clever films are rare and need to be supported.
    ognjen-janic

    This is a movie for every generation. It needs to be noticed, it deserves to be talked about, and discussed.

    Aesthetically on high-level, questioning the most important points of human life and importance of verbal, mental, physical, social, emotional development and the inability of developing them all on the same level. There are so many factors that influence one's development. And there is space for many mistakes.

    High quality acting. Viggo Mortensen gives one of his best performances, a devoted father that wants only the best for his kids, an authority, a leader, a teacher, loving, loyal husband, a grieving human with tough, determined, honest attitude he transmits to his children. Kids, from the youngest to the oldest, act with such naturalness that you simply dive in this masterfully-made journey.

    Film doesn't show how one should live and not live because both sides are flawed. Internal and external conflicts make you question the reality of the present, giving you space to find your own balance of how one should live.

    I personally started thinking of how there is a massive space for improvement in every field of our lives. An example is school. And how devastating it is that one could neglect the knowledge at that extant. Kids need to be inspired and motivated to learn. And more important is that they have to build inner-motivation that will make them interested and ambitious as they improve the world around them. And of course kids can't be accused for not wanting to learn if the teachers don't show them how and why to love their subject. And of course parents to support them.

    This (above) is just one point of where this movie has taken my entranced mind.

    This is a movie for every generation. It needs to be noticed, it deserves to be talked about, and discussed. Because that is the point of Captain Fantastic.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      George MacKay practiced yoga 3-4 hours a day once he was cast as Bo so he could do the advanced poses he did in the film. He said it was the toughest part of the shoot for him.
    • Goofs
      A body cannot be cremated into "flush-able" ash from a fire. It does not get hot enough. Even in a proper crematory, the bones have to be ground up to be unrecognizable.
    • Quotes

      Ben: When you have sex with a woman, be gentle and listen to her. Treat her with respect and dignity even if you don't love her.

      Bo: I know.

      Ben: Always tell the truth. Always take the high road.

      Bo: I know.

      Ben: Live each day like it could be your last. Drink it in. Be adventurous, be bold, but savor it. It goes fast.

      Bo: I know.

      Ben: Don't die.

      Bo: I won't.

    • Connections
      Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movies You Missed this Summer (2016) (2016)
    • Soundtracks
      El Hilo De Ariadna
      Written by Viggo Mortensen and George MacKay

      Performed by Viggo Mortensen, George MacKay, Samantha Isler, Annalise Basso, Nicholas Hamilton, Shree Crooks and Charlie Shotwell

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    FAQ21

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 29, 2016 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Bleecker Street Media (United States)
      • Mars Films (France)
    • Languages
      • English
      • Esperanto
      • German
      • Chinese
    • Also known as
      • Capitán Fantástico
    • Filming locations
      • Deception Pass State Park, Washington, USA(funeral pyre erected at Rosario Head)
    • Production companies
      • Electric City Entertainment
      • ShivHans Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $5,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $5,879,835
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $93,824
      • Jul 10, 2016
    • Gross worldwide
      • $23,149,206
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 58 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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