![]() ![]() ![]() Just like Rellian himself does later on in the movie. The novel is about three brothers who, as they grow older, start to rebel against the ways of their father. In the campfire scene at the beginning you can see him reading The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevski. Rellian, 14, unlike the other five kids, has re-focused the critical thinking taught by his parents back on their very lifestyle and parenting choices. She knows a lot of medical terminology like “pneumothorax,” “blunt force trauma,” and “splenic flexure of the large intestine.” When Zaj isn’t wearing a bobcat hat, she dons a gas mask. Zaja (Zaj), 8, collects road-kill and is an amateur taxidermist who keeps a collection of animal skulls in a secret treehouse, overseen by a picture of Pol Pot. He can also accurately define the word “fascism,” and goes around saying “Power to the people!” A true child of the forest, Nai prefers to be nude whenever possible. Nai, 6, though the youngest, is a capable hunter and rock climber just like his older siblings. In addition, they each have their own quirks in their interests and the way they dress, making them a fascinating group of characters. Ben and his wife (before she was admitted to a mental hospital) have devoted their entire parenthood to homeschooling their kids to be rigorous critical thinkers, training them like professional athletes, teaching them to thrive without modern technology, and demonstrating how to co-exist with the natural world.Īll of the children are not only in exceptional physical shape, they are intellectually far advanced for their age. They are never talked down to or spared from the harsh realities of life and death. ![]() In this family, the parent and child relationship is based on complete honesty, constant curiosity, and open discourse. Courtney Hoffman, the costume designer, also did a wonderful job on the eccentric characters’ motley outfits. Writer/director Matt Ross (aka the snide Gavin Belson on HBO’s Silicon Valley) actually drew from his own childhood growing up in a similar environment (as described in this article). The Cash family’s alternative lifestyle, although seemingly far-fetched, is portrayed very convincingly. For example, Nike is just the Greek goddess of victory to them. ![]() Unlike Nim’s Island where at least they had solar power and the internet, here the kids are so isolated from modern civilization that they know nothing about popular culture. The children have grown up far outside mainstream society, believing that “Americans are under-educated and over-medicated.” After dinner, instead of watching TV they discuss quantum physics, read classic literature, and play improvised music around the campfire. Ben and his family live self-sufficiently in a private wilderness paradise where they hunt, fish, forage, and grow their own food. This tranquil setting is the North Cascades in northern Washington State. The movie starts out looking like “The Relaxation Channel” with beautiful footage of spectacular mountain scenery, green forests and ferns. Their favorite catch-phrase is “Stick it to the man!” Even if you don’t like their left-wing political leanings, it’s intriguing to watch how they learn knife-fighting skills along with the cultural theories of Noam Chomsky. They are well-versed in the ideologies of Marx, Trotsky, and Mao. This unconventional family is so radical, I’m surprised they don’t have a poster of Che Guevara hanging on their wall. He raises them with sharpened knives and sharpened minds, combining the ideals of survivalism and socialism. Ben loves his children, and he is the ultimate dad who devotes himself completely to their physical, mental, and philosophical education. Mortensen was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Ben Cash, the free-spirited patriarch of six children, who is disillusioned with capitalism and the American way of life. (In our house we use the affectionate term “ Captain Dad.”) However, you could say the dad – played by Viggo Mortensen! – is a hero to his kids. It’s an unusual film about a homeschooling family living off-the-grid in the Pacific Northwest. Wish you had your own copy of the book or movie? Just click on the product image or text links to go to the author’s site or Amazon to buy it! By Tab Olsenĭespite its title, Captain Fantastic is not a superhero movie. Do you enjoy a good story with compelling and memorable heroes and heroines? This monthly column features homeschooled characters in literature and film. ![]()
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