A single father, Ben (Viggo Mortensen), with his six children, is Captain Fantastic.
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
By Marlene Ardoin
A single father, Ben (Viggo Mortensen), with his six children, navigates his way around the death of his bipolar wife in the best possible Buddhist way.
We find that he and his wife, a former attorney from a wealthy family, have home-schooled their children in an isolated wilderness. Both parents were very critical of society. The children have been groomed to be athlete fit, healthy, intelligent, analytical, well-read, creative, independent, survivalist, brave and self-sufficient individuals. If the world as we know it fell apart tomorrow, this family would be ready.
It is a clash of two schools of thought on raising the next generation, in which neither school is totally without flaw. We gradually realize that this father has given it his all. But, having to carry on alone, in the midst of his grief, almost unravels him.
The death of his wife forces him to reenter the real world. The close knit family discovers that they are not in any way, shape or form, prepared to live in the real world, as we know it.
As they observe the new found world, they encounter sick people, fat people, and beautiful girls smoking cigarettes, kind people, and people with different beliefs, old people and gullible people. It is sort of like Prince Buddha coming out of the palace walls for the first time in his life. It is a shock.
I would have liked to have the husband’s family and background filled in. He is obviously very intelligent and free-thinking. How did he get that way? Who were his parents? And, how did he meet his wife? And, the ultimate mystery is what caused his wife’s bipolar condition? From my research, I find that it rarely occurs in childhood, but develops in adulthood. Is it caused by brain chemistry or by built up inner emotional turmoil?
His wife’s mother, Abigail (Ann Dowd), is compassionate enough, but her husband, Jack (Frank Langella), seems to blame his son-in-law for everything.
Everyone is in a fragile state due to the circumstances with plenty of blame to go around. But, by being so opinionated, he creates more strife than can be borne by the children’s father, Ben. And, Jack is forcing the children and Ben to make a choice. I think I know what caused his daughter’s manic depression.
The real core of this story is the emotional shift of full-force sympathy for the young father, Ben, as he and his children navigate their grief and bring closure to everything in the Buddhist way. They choose love and truth.
Bipolar disorder slideshow
http://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/ss/slideshow-bipolar-disorder-overview
Noam Chomsky
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noam_Chomsky
Buddhism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism
8/2/2016 # Captain Fantastic