Captain Fantastic

"We're defined by our actions, not our words."

Ben Cash (Mortensen) is raising his six children off the grid.  They live in wilderness and are home-schooled.  They also learn survival skills such as hunting, self-defense, and living minimally.  Ben and his wife Leslie (MacKay) were not interested in the typical American life and dreamed of something more for their children.  When oldest son Bodevan (MacKay) was very young, they moved away from society and started anew.  Leslie is suffering from Bipolar disorder and was institutionalized away from the family, leaving Ben as the sole authority over their brood: sons Bodevan, Rellian (Hamilton), and Nai (Shotwell) and daughters Kielyr (Isler), Vespyr (Basso), and Zaja (Crooks).

While getting supplies for the family, Ben learns that Leslie has committed suicide.  He and the children are devastated, especially when they learn that Leslie's parents refuse to follow her wishes for a service and burial.  Her parents, Jack (Langella) and Abigail (Dowd), hate Ben and the life he has chosen for their grandchildren.  With the threat of imprisonment, hanging over him, can Ben say good-bye to his wife and find a way to make a life for his children?


Director Matt Ross wrote this film as he questioned the choices he was making as a father.  The film looks at difficult problems that parents face.  What do they tell their children and what things do they shield them from.  They show the differences between Ben's style of telling the kids everything (they ask anything and he explains it) with Harper and Dave's style of avoiding certain details / language in front of their children.  It never portrays the homeschooling as a negative and makes the children well-rounded and far more interesting than their traditional-schooled counterparts.  If nothing else, this film shows the positives of homeschooling, while still advocating for a rounded education / more socialization.  Many of my friends homeschool their children and are part of co-opts that allow the kind of education they want and the opportunity for their children to connect with other children in their age-group.  The film also doesn't shy away from portraying intense grief and it can be hard to watch.

The children are all entertaining.  British actor George MacKay is 24 and plays the 18 year old Bo.  He has appeared in films since 2003.  Samantha Isler is 18 and is best known for her role in TV's Sean Saves the World, here she is oldest daughter / budding singer Kielyr.  Annalise Basso is also 18 and has acted in TV and movies since she was 10, and plays adventurous daughter Vespyr.  Australian actor Nicholas Hamilton is 16 and plays rebellious son Rellian.  Shree Crooks has appeared on TV shows Ray Donovan and American Horror Story, here she is precocious daughter Zaja.  And Charlie Shotwell plays youngest son Nai, he started acting in 2014.

Viggo Mortensen is nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for his role in this film.  He is great here, but it probably won't be enough to give him the win.

Overall, it is an interesting and intense film and deserves to have a larger audience.

Captain Fantastic (2016) 118 minutes
Rating: R for language and brief graphic nudity
Director: Matt Ross
Starring: Viggo Mortensen as Ben Cash
George MacKay as Bodevan "Bo" Cash
Samantha Isler as Kielyr Cash
Annalise Basso as Vespyr Cash
Nicholas Hamilton as Rellian Cash
Shree Crooks as Zaja Cash
Charlie Shotwell as Nai Cash
Kathryn Hahn as Harper
Trin Miller as Leslie Abigail Cash
Steve Zahn as Dave
Elijah Stevenson as Justin
Teddy Van Ee as Jackson
Erin Moriarty as Claire
Missi Pyle as Ellen
Frank Langella as Jack
Ann Dowd as Abigail