CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

Posted 8/11/16

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

* * * * *

(Fantastic family

adventure)

Fantastic!

This film about a unique family that has many adventures drew us into the plot and characters like only a few rare …

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CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

Posted

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

* * * * *

(Fantastic family

adventure)

Fantastic!

This film about a unique family that has many adventures drew us into the plot and characters like only a few rare films can do.

Viggo Mortenson plays the father of six children who raises them to be self-sufficient in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. We first meet them stalking a deer and preparing it for food in their creative home carved out of the forest. Their mother has been hospitalized and dies, forcing the family out of their secure lifestyle to attend the funeral.

What follows is a lesson in a different kind of survival, as the children are in awe of how other people live and act. There are so many lessons to learn from this engrossing story that we don’t know where to begin, so we will leave the magical moments up to you to enjoy.

“Captain Fantastic” is as far from a Marvel Comic character as you can get. While the father at one point is alluded to as the fantastic father of the children, he is not perfect. Sure, he has taught his kids to be physically and mentally fit. He’s the ultimate home-schooler, offering them challenging books to read, teaching them to argue their positions, and making them strong in body, mind and spirit.

The bus trip to the city is their biggest challenge, as they must face relatives and in-laws (Frank Langella as the father-in-law is terrific) who cannot accept their lifestyle. The same goes for the fantastic family.

The mother leaves an unusual will that her father will not honor, forcing her husband and kids to take unusual measures and setting up a conclusion to their problem and to this wonderful movie that will have you cheering and possibly shedding a tear of happiness.

“Captain Fantastic” is one of those rare films that make it worthwhile to leave the comfort of your home, pay the big bucks, and go to the movies. If you miss it (it is at Warwick Showcase), make a note to catch it on Netflix or buy the DVD/Blu Ray. It is worth seeing more than once.

Rated R because of profanity and frank sexual discussions. There is a scene where the father honestly and matter-of-factly answers basic sexual questions to his younger daughter that is an absolute classic.

If you could ever get your teenage children to go to a movie with you, (let them sit in the back, away from you if necessary) buy them a ticket, and then discuss the film when you get home.

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