“Captain Fantastic” is the tale of a family that moves into the wilderness to avoid the societal woes created by politics, religion, and materialism. It is one of my favorite films of 2016 and is completely underrepresented at the Oscars. It strikes a good balance of comedy, drama, impressive acting, beautiful scenery, and a moral about the importance of family. I found its tone to be reminiscent of "Little Miss Sunshine." You may think that it’s because the story centers around a slightly dysfunctional family on a road trip, but it comes mostly from the themes of family sticking together through the tough times. The family dynamic is deep and real. The interactions amongst the kids as well as their interactions with their father feel so legitimate that you’ll forget that they are actors until you sit down to write a movie review (speaking from personal experience). Viggo Mortensen gives the performance of his career with a broad array of emotions as well as strong chemistry with every character surrounding him. The remainder of the cast is rounded out by talented child actors an ensemble of character actors including Steve Zahn, Kathryn Hahn, and Frank Langella. All of the quirky characters are the brainchild of Writer/Director Matt Ross. I would've loved to see his screenplay get an Oscar nomination if not for the neverending stream of unnecessary f-words. These cheapen the heartwarming story of family and standing up for what you believe in. Without the profanity (and more of Viggo than we ever needed to see), this would have made a great PG-13 film that parents and teens could enjoy together. “Captain Fantastic” is a highly entertaining story filled with great acting and a strong moral as long as you can get past all of the f-words. I wish that more of 2016’s Oscar films could have found this balance between drama and comic relief.
[Pictured: This picture says everything that you need to know about this unique family and their interactions with people who have been raised traditionally]
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