The first trailer for writer-director Matt Ross' dramedy Captain Fantastic has landed online. I have to say, it's refreshing to be surprised by a trailer and have zero clue what the movie is about before clicking play. If you feel the same way, I suggest skipping on down to the video player and taking a look. If you need just the slightest bit of info to get you interested, here's this: Captain Fantastic stars Viggo Mortensen as a father raising his six children in the wild until he's forced to take them all into the big city.
At first blush, this trailer conjures up similarities to the 2006 Oscar-winning film Little Miss Sunshine, thanks in part to the motley crew of family members cramming into a uniquely designed vehicle in order to drive their way out of their comfort zone. However, this movie goes into riskier territory by centering on a family of wilderness survivalists whose ways come into conflict with the mores of modern civilization. We'll see how Cannes audience receive it in a few weeks.
Check out the trailer for Captain Fantastic below:
While I feel like the trailer does a good job of selling you on the premise and the heart inherent within the film, our own Adam Chitwood says that the film lacks the depth to make good on its promises. He checked it out at its Sundance premiere and was not impressed, calling it "naïve, disappointing, and immensely frustrating despite a solid performance by Viggo Mortensen." Read his full review here.
George MacKay, Frank Langella, Samantha Isler, Annalise Basso, Nicholas Hamilton, Shree Crooks, Kathryn Hahn, Steve Zahn, Erin Moriarty and Missi Pyle also star.
Here's the synopsis for Captain Fantastic:
Deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, isolated from society, a devoted father (Viggo Mortensen) dedicates his life to transforming his six young children into extraordinary adults. But when a tragedy strikes the family, they are forced to leave this self-created paradise and begin a journey into the outside world that challenges his idea of what it means to be a parent and brings into question everything he's taught them.
