Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

Captain Fantastic

July 29, 2016 By Adnerb Leave a Comment

Apple Rating:

I feel it is my duty to let you know before I continue that this is not a super hero movie.  However, Ben Cash, as played by the great Viggo Mortensen, is  a flawed father who adapts and grows in order to give his kids a better life; that is my idea of a hero anyway.  The story centers on Ben and his six kids who live deep in the Washington wilderness while  his wife is being treated for a mental illness.  They live “off the grid” while learning to hunt, be self-sufficient,make and grow most of what they need, and  read  and discuss meaty literature.  When Ben gets news of his wife’s suicide, he and the kids decide to leave their mountain Utopia to attend her funeral in another state.  I won’t go into detail about what happens next, but Viggo Mortensen gives a nuanced and, to me, Oscar caliber performance as the conflicted father.  I enjoyed how the sheltered kids come in contact with modern society ( they have never had a coke or hot dog).  This is a warm, funny, thought-provoking movie that will make you laugh and cry.  I would hesitate to bring young kids, especially since Viggo goes full frontal for one particular scene, but I think children over 13 might find much here to think about.  I highly recommend this little indie film and hope it finds the audience it deserves.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Tweet

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Utopia, Viggo Mortensen, wilderness

About Adnerb

I'm a middle school teacher and pop-culture lover. I created this blog to give you my take on movies, TV shows, and other things I find interesting.

About the Ratings:

= Highly Recommended!!
= Good Movie!
= Eh, it's okay.
= STAY AWAY!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Browse the Archives

Select Genre

Recent Comments

  • Adnerb on The Menu and Glass Onion
  • Kristen W. on The Menu and Glass Onion
  • Adnerb on Black Adam
  • Kristen W. on Black Adam
  • Adnerb on Black Adam

Tags

Adam Driver Allison Janney Ben Affleck Benedict Cumberbatch Bryan Cranston Bryce Dallas Howard Chris Hemsworth Chris Pine Chris Pratt Ciaran Hinds Colin Farrell Daniel Craig Dwayne Johnson Eddie Redmayne Emily Blunt Emma Stone Felicity Jones Gal Gadot J.K. Simmons James McAvoy Jared Leto Jason Statham Jennifer Lawrence John Goodman Johnny Depp Jordan Peele Jude Law Liam Neesan M. Knight Shyamalan Margot Robbie Matt Damon Matthew McConaughey Meryl Streep Michael Caine Morgan Freeman Olivia Colman Oscar Isaac Ryan Gosling Ryan Reynolds Samuel L. Jackson Tom Cruise Tom Hanks Tommy Lee Jones Willem Dafoe Woody Harrelson

Copyright © 2025 · but you wouldn't plagiarize a nice teacher would you? | Lovingly crafted by Adnerb's son at Aledor Web Design