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Captain Fantastic (film)

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Captain Fantastic
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMatt Ross
Written byMatt Ross
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyStéphane Fontaine
Edited byJoseph Krings
Music byAlex Somers
Production
companies
  • Electric City Entertainment
  • ShivHans Pictures
Distributed byBleecker Street
Release dates
  • January 23, 2016 (2016-01-23) (Sundance)
  • July 8, 2016 (2016-07-08) (United States)
Running time
118 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$13 million[2][3]

Captain Fantastic is a 2016 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Matt Ross and starring Viggo Mortensen. The story centers on a family who are forced by circumstances to reintegrate into society after living in isolation for a decade.

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2016.[4] It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.[5][6] It was theatrically released on July 8, 2016, by Bleecker Street.[7]

Plot

Ben Cash, his wife Leslie, and their six children live deep in the wilderness of Washington state. Ben and Leslie became disillusioned with capitalism and American life, and chose to instil survivalist skills and philosophy in their children. Isolated from society, Ben and Leslie devote their existence to raising their children – educating them to think critically, training them to be self-reliant and be physically fit and athletic, guiding them in the wild without technology, and demonstrating the beauty of co-existing with nature.

Leslie is hospitalized for bipolar disorder and eventually commits suicide. Ben learns the news from his sister Harper and gets into an argument with his father-in-law Jack over her funeral arrangements. Ben wants to cremate Leslie, according to her own wishes, while Jack wants to have her buried. Ben initially does not want to attend the funeral, and prevents his children from doing so. He then decides to crash the funeral, and leads his children to a road trip. They have a culture clash with life outside the wilderness.

The family briefly stays at Harper's house. She and her husband try to convince Ben that his children should attend school and have a real education. Ben argues that his children are better educated than Harper's own children. Ben leads his children into Leslie's funeral, interrupting the service. He reads Leslie's will, which instructs her family to cremate her and to flush her ashes down the toilet. In response, his father-in-law has Ben forcefully removed.

Ben's children start having doubts about their father and his parenting skills. His son Rellian accuses Ben of failing to treat Leslie's mental health problems. His son Bodevan accuses his father of failing to equip them for the real world and shows him college acceptance letters from Ivy League schools that Leslie had helped him apply for. Rellian wants to live with his grandparents, who want to take custody of them. When Vespyr tries to climb into a window to "free" Rellian from his grandparents, she falls from the roof and narrowly avoids breaking her neck. Ben, shocked and guilty, allows Jack to take in his children. The children stay under Jack's roof for a while and bond with their grandparents, but decide to follow Ben again when he departs.

The children want to honor Leslie's funeral wishes and convince Ben to help them. They surreptitiously exhume Leslie's corpse and burn it in a self-made funeral pyre. Leslie's ashes are soon flushed down an airport toilet. Bodevan leaves the family to travel and find his place in the world. The rest of the family settle in a farm, living in a house. The children still adhere to Ben's philosophy of life, but have started attending a local rural school.

Cast

Production

The idea of the movie started for Matt Ross as he began questioning the choices he and his wife were making as parents. From there he wondered what would happen if he were "completely present" in his children's lives, while noting that modern technology had made that difficult.[8] In making the film Ross also took autobiographical bits from his own life, notably being raised in what he terms as "alternative-living communities" growing up.[8]

Viggo Mortensen was cast in February 2014[9][9] That June, it was announced that George MacKay, Annalise Basso, Samantha Isler, Nicholas Hamilton, Shree Crooks and newcomer Charlie Shotwell had also been cast.[10] With much of the rest of the cast joining that July and August.[11][12]

Filming

Principal photography on the film commenced in July 2014, in Western Washington.[13]

Release

In July 2014, eOne Entertainment acquired international distribution rights to the film.[14] In August 2014, it was announced that Bleecker Street would distribute the film in the United States.[15] The film had its world premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2016.[4][16] The film was released on July 8, 2016.[7] The film was aired in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, with Matt Ross winning the Best Director prize.[17]

Reception

Critical response

Captain Fantastic has received positive reviews from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 83%, based on 178 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Captain Fantastic's thought-provoking themes—and an absorbing starring turn from Viggo Mortensen—add up to an above-average family drama with unexpected twists."[18] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 72 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[19] It received a ten-minute standing ovation at Cannes.[20]

Alonso Duralde of TheWrap gave the film a positive review, saying "The movie really belongs to Mortensen, who allows Ben to be exasperating, arrogant and impatient but also warm, loving and caring. He’s a tough but adoring father, a grieving widower and an angry defender of his wife’s final wishes, and Mortensen plays all these notes and more with subtlety and grace".[21] Peter Debruge of Variety gave the film a positive review, saying "Boasting half a dozen impressive youth performances alongside a leading role that takes full advantage of Mortensen’s own sensitive, back-to-nature spirit, Captain Fantastic easily ranks among the most polished and relatable of this year’s Sundance offerings."[22]

One of the few negative reviews was from Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian. He wrote in his 1*/5 review: "There’s a meaty whiff of phoney-baloney in this fatuous and tiresome movie, replete with forced emotional crises and wrong notes, topped off with an excruciatingly unearned, sentimental ending. It's a low-cal version of Peter Weir’s 1986 movie The Mosquito Coast, starring someone who is essentially a cross between Charles Manson and Captain von Trapp."[23]

Accolades

List of awards and nominations
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
AARP Annual Movies for Grownups Awards February 6, 2017 Best Actor Viggo Mortensen Pending [24]
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival July 31, 2016 Save Energy, Save Earth Film Award Captain Fantastic Won
Cannes Film Festival May 22, 2016 Un Certain Regard - Prize for Best Director Matt Ross Won
Prix Un Certain Regard Captain Fantastic Nominated
Critics' Choice Awards December 11, 2016 Best Actor in a Comedy Viggo Mortensen Nominated [25]
Deauville American Film Festival September 11, 2016 Audience Award Captain Fantastic Won
Jury Prize Captain Fantastic Won
Grand Prix Captain Fantastic Nominated
Evening Standard British Film Awards December 8, 2016 Best Supporting Actor George MacKay Nominated [26]
Florida Film Critics Circle December 23, 2016 Best Actor Viggo Mortensen Nominated [27]
Golden Globe Awards January 8, 2017 Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Viggo Mortensen Pending [28]
Houston Film Critics Society January 6, 2017 Best Actor Viggo Mortensen Pending [29][30]
Best Poster Captain Fantastic Pending
Independent Spirit Awards February 25, 2017 Best Male Lead Viggo Mortensen Pending [31]
IndieWire Critics Poll December 19, 2016 Best Actor Viggo Mortensen 8th Place [32]
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival July 9, 2016 Audience Award Captain Fantastic Won
Nantucket Film Festival June 27, 2016 Audience Award Captain Fantastic 2nd place
Online Film Critics Society January 3, 2017 Best Actor Viggo Mortensen Nominated [33]
Rome Film Festival October 22, 2016 BNL People's Choice Award Captain Fantastic Won
San Diego Film Critics Society December 12, 2016 Best Actor Viggo Mortensen Runner-up [34][35]
Satellite Awards February 19, 2017 Best Film Captain Fantastic Nominated [36]
Best Actor Viggo Mortensen Won[a]
Best Original Screenplay Matt Ross Nominated
Best Costume Design Courtney Hoffman Nominated
Seattle International Film Festival June 12, 2016 Golden Space Needle Award for Best Film Captain Fantastic Won
Screen Actors Guild Awards January 29, 2017 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Viggo Mortensen Pending [37]
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture The cast of Captain Fantastic Pending
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association December 18, 2016 Best Actor Viggo Mortensen Nominated [38]

Notes

  1. ^ Tied with Andrew Garfield for Hacksaw Ridge

References

  1. ^ "Captain Fantastic". British Board of Film Classification. July 21, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  2. ^ "Captain Fantastic". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 8, 2016. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  3. ^ "Captain Fantastic (Foreign Gross)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Sundance Institute Completes Feature Film Lineup For 2016 Sundance Film Festival". sundance.org. December 7, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  5. ^ "2016 Cannes Film Festival Announces Lineup". IndieWire. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  6. ^ "Cannes 2016: Film Festival Unveils Official Selection Lineup". Variety. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  7. ^ a b Penderson, Erik (February 4, 2016). "'Captain Fantastic' Gets Summer Release From Bleecker Street". Deadline.com. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  8. ^ a b Tedder, Michael. "This Silicon Valley Actor Made One of the Strangest and Most Beautiful Films of the Summer". Esquire. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  9. ^ a b Fleming Jr., Mike (February 20, 2014). "Viggo Mortensen To Star In Electric City's 'Captain Fantastic'". Deadline.com. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  10. ^ Yamato (June 27, 2014). "Viggo Mortensen Starrer 'Captain Fantastic' Adds Cast Of Youngsters". Jen. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  11. ^ Fleming Jr., Mike (July 18, 2014). "Frank Langella To Star With Viggo Mortensen In 'Captain Fantastic'". Deadline.com. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  12. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (August 4, 2014). "'Captain Fantastic' Enlists More Cast As eOne Boards Viggo Mortensen Pic". Deadline.com. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  13. ^ Keary, Polly (July 22, 2014). "Viggo Mortensen filming in upper Sky Valley". MonroeMonitor.com. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  14. ^ Nancy Tartaglione. "eOne Takes International On Captain Fantastic, Zahn, Hahn, Pyle, Moriarty Join Film | Deadline". deadline.com. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  15. ^ McClintock, Pamela (August 13, 2014). "Toronto: Former Focus Co-CEO Andrew Karpen Launches New Distribution Company". TheHollywoodReporter.com. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  16. ^ "Captain Fantastic". Sundance.org. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  17. ^ ‘Olli Mäki,’ ‘Captain Fantastic’ Win Big in Un Certain Regard at Cannes
  18. ^ "Captain Fantastic (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  19. ^ "Captain Fantastic Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  20. ^ deadline.com
  21. ^ Duralde, Alonso (January 24, 2016). "Captain Fantastic' Sundance Review: Viggo Mortensen Raises an Off-the-Grid Family in This Touching Dramedy". TheWrap. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  22. ^ Debrudge, Peter (January 23, 2016). "Sundance Film Review 'Captain Fantastic'". Variety. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  23. ^ The Guardian
  24. ^ Rahman, Abid (December 15, 2016). "Denzel Washington's 'Fences' Leads Nominations for AARP's Movies for Grownups Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 26, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  25. ^ "La La Land Leads with 12 Nominations for the 22nd Annual Critics' Choice Awards". Critics' Choice. December 1, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  26. ^ Moore, William (November 17, 2016). "Evening Standard British Film Awards - The Longlist". London Evening Standard. Retrieved November 29, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  27. ^ "'MOONLIGHT' LEADS 2016 FLORIDA FILM CRITICS AWARDS NOMINATIONS". Florida Film Critics Circle. December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  28. ^ "Golden Globes 2017: The Complete List of Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. December 12, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  29. ^ "Houston Film Critics Nominations for 2016 Films". MovieAwardsPlus.com. December 13, 2016. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  30. ^ "Houston Film Critics Society Nominations – 'The Nice Guys' and Rebecca Hall Get a Deserved Boost". AwardsCircuit.com. December 13, 2016. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  31. ^ Warren, Matt (November 22, 2016). "2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations Announced!". Independent Spirit Awards. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  32. ^ Greene, Steve (December 19, 2016). "2016 IndieWire Critics Poll: Full List of Results". IndieWire. Retrieved December 27, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  33. ^ "20th Annual Online Film Critics Society Awards Nominations". Online Film Critics Society. December 27, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  34. ^ "2016 San Diego Film Critics Society's Award Nominations". December 9, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  35. ^ "San Diego Film Critics Society's 2016 Award Winners". December 12, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  36. ^ Kilday, Gregg (November 29, 2016). "Satellite Awards Nominees Revealed". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  37. ^ "SAG Awards 2017: The Complete List of Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. December 14, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  38. ^ "2016 StLFCA Annual Award Nominations". St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association. December 12, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

External links

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