![]() Despite the Hollywood adage that one should never work with kids or animals, Ross opens the film with a scene of the children hunting a deer. He cast six actors between the ages of 7 and 20 who had to articulate complicated scientific and philosophical concepts, play musical instruments, and do physically challenging activities like rock climbing. We have two musical numbers, two big stunts, and we’re in two states. We’re a road trip, so every day is a different set. “We’re shooting in wilderness, so you have locations you have to get up in the middle of the night to get to. Ross would not reveal the budget but notes, “It’s never enough.” That’s particularly true when considering the scope of the project. “Captain Fantastic” was filmed in July 2014. ![]() “It doesn’t look for an easy way out in how the story unfolds.” “It’s told with real heart and integrity,” he explains. Mortensen - who is earning some of the best notices of his career for the role - says it was the script that drew him in. “I wanted to ask those questions about what it means when you’re responsible for another person and begin to curate their life.” Mortensen even went to the set weeks early to plant the garden used in the film and live on the land. In fact, when Ross sent him several books to prepare for the role, the actor already owned most of them. In casting that curator, Ross saw Mortensen as the perfect fit: a poet and musician who shares much of Ben’s outlook on life. I wanted to put that in a narrative form and ask those questions about what it means when you’re responsible for another person and begin to curate their life.” “I was thinking a lot about what it means to be a parent, and what the values are my wife and I want to pass on to our children. “There are elements of my life, but it has so much less to do with me it’s more about the kind of father I want to be,” he says. In Oregon, his mother started a Waldorf School, based on the educational philosophy of Austrian theologian Rudolf Steiner.īut Ross hesitates to call “Captain Fantastic” autobiographical. “We always had a roof over our head, even if it was a tepee,” he notes. The script has roots in Ross’ own life he was raised by a single parent - his mother - in “alternative” living situations, including some places without electricity. “We believe playing through July and August will allow moviegoers to find this beautiful, heartfelt film.” “We chose to release in the summer, as there is a long history of audiences looking for an alternative to the summer blockbuster,” explains Andrew Karpen, CEO of Bleecker Street. Opening amid a wave of sequels and spectacles, the R-rated movie represents classic counterprogramming. When his bipolar wife commits suicide, Ben and his family journey into the outside world to attend her funeral. But he’s not some crazed survivalist in fact, the film makes a strong case for his style of parenting. There, he raises his children to grow their own food, read voraciously, and celebrate Noam Chomsky Day instead of Christmas. It tells the story of Ben Cash (Mortensen), a father of six who chooses to live off the grid in the Pacific Northwest. On paper, “Captain Fantastic” is not an easy sell. “I’ve been writing and directing at the same time I’ve been acting, and it’s a wonderful coincidence that I happen to be on a hit TV show at the same time I have my largest-profile film to date.”įather Figures: Ross with the cast (right) at the Cannes opening of “Captain Fantastic” Michael Buckner/Variety/REX/Shutterstock “I’m not a famous actor I’m a semi-recognizable actor who’s sometimes on a television show,” he muses. every week - reflecting on the trajectory of his career. On a recent Wednesday, Ross, who is based in Berkeley with his wife, writer Phyllis Grant, and their two children, is seated in the courtyard of his second residence, in Venice - he commutes to L.A. After debuting to a lengthy standing ovation at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, “Captain Fantastic” went on to play in Cannes, where it received a similarly positive response, and landed Ross the Un Certain Regard director prize. His feature debut, 2012’s “28 Hotel Rooms” was inauspicious, opening in just five theaters and grossing less than $20,000. Now, after years of steady work as an actor, Ross, 46, is looking to make his mark as a serious movie director with “ Captain Fantastic,” his second feature film, which Bleecker Street is releasing July 8.
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