Captain Fantastic Film Trailer

1. Close Reading Task

2.  The genre of the film trailer ‘Captain Fantastic’ is split between
comedy, drama and romance. This, making it a hybrid film.
 The trailer features aspects of comedy where one of the
children asks how the chickens were killed. The woman tries to
explain that she bought it like that but confuses the child.
 Drama is highlighted in the film trailer when the mother dies
and the fact the children have to explore this new life through
the journey of getting to her funeral.
 The film trailer features romantic aspects of the mother and
father at the very beginning talking about how they have raised
beautiful children. There is also young love between the eldest
boy and a girl he meets. This is mixed with the comedic aspect
of his misunderstanding of love to then propose to her. She finds
this funny as this would not happen in the ‘real’ world.

3.  The narrative is suggested in the film trailer as to be in chronological
order.
 The family live in the wild in a small house in the forest. They are off
the grid and very happy. The mother then becomes ill and dies of a
disease. The grandfather then calls the father to say he and the
children are not allowed at the funeral. The family go on a road trip to
the funeral, learning new experiences along the way. People put them
down and say the father hasn’t done a good job with the children.
They say the father has not prepared his children for the real world.
The family explore new loves and learn the realisation of being lost in
the world, not knowing anything unless it has come form a book. The
family arrive at the funeral. The grandfather then tries to take custody
of the children.
 The narrative highlights the love the family have for life and that they
still share good times through the dark tragedy of loosing their mother.

4. Opening:
The audience is introduced to the
characters and the setting. The
family live in the forest away from
civilisation. They are on their own
but have each other and live a happy
and relaxing life.
Build up:
The mother falls sick and passes
away. The children then have to
venture into the outside world to
go to her funeral.
Problems:
The children soon come to realise they
are not equipped for this lifestyle. They
don’t fit in. The elder boy feels trapped
as his only knowledge comes from a
book. The children are missing their
mother. Also, the father has to deal
with their grandfather wanting to take
custody of the children.
Events:
The children experience many
new challenges throughout their
journey to the funeral. They visit
family members, try school and
do eventually make it to the
funeral, despite the
consequences that might await
them.

5.  The target audience for this film is parents who have
children and adults. The film trailer depicts a fun, happy
tone although also exploring the difficulty of loosing a
loved one.
 The film rating is R which is restricted. This means no one
under 16 can watch it without an adult. There is no direct
equivalent with the UK rating system. So, films of an R
rating normally become 15 certificates in the UK.
 The film trailer has a heart warming feel to it which
highlights the loving family. It follows their adventure out of
the forest and into the real world.

6.  The pace is slow at the beginning, when he is stood in the
forest looking up at the trees. This reflects the peaceful
lifestyle they have in the woods.
 It then increases when the father is on the phone and
when he tells the children their mother has died. There is a
drumbeat that plays which increases the pace of the film
trailer.
 The rest of the film trailer stays at this slightly increased
pace to depict the emotions that occur during the film
trailer. The pace mirrors their lifestyle and the fact that
they are very happy and joyful but are also fearful in the
times when they don’t understand or something is new to
them.

7.  ‘What we created here may be unique in all of human
existence.’
 ‘We’ve created paradise.’
 These two voiceovers are said by the main character, the
father, at the beginning of the film trailer. They are in their
home, the forest, living a serene lifestyle.
 ‘Our children shall be philosopher kings. It makes me so
indescribably happy.’
 This phrase is said at the end of the film trailer as they are
walking into the funeral. It highlights the love the father
has for his children one last time before the trailer ends.
This is highlighted so the audience can relate to it and
emotionally connect to the character.

8. 0.01 – Film rating page
Start 0.00
Finish 2:31
0.32 - ‘Bleecker Street’
0.33 – ‘Shiv Hans
Pictures’0.42 - ‘Official
Selection Sundance
Film Festival’
‘Official Selection UN
Certain Regard
Festival De Cannes’
1.37 - ‘A funny film
that will have you in
tears.’ – Huffington
Post1.43 - ‘Triumphant and
spirited!’ – Huffington
Post 1.58 – ‘Heart
warming and off
beat.’ – Vanity Fair2.07 – ‘Viggo Mortensen
is terrific.’ 2.26 – ‘Captain Fantastic’
2.29 – ‘This Summer’
This is a chart of the film trailer
credits in order of appearance.

9.  ‘What we are doing out here is so incredible. Our kids are amazing.’ This describes how the mother
feels about their choices they have made in bringing up their children.
 ‘I miss mum.’ ‘Mum needs to be in he hospital right now.’ This highlights to the audience that the
children have never been away from their mum before. The fact that she is in the hospital also informs
the audience that she is unwell. ‘We can’t go to mummy’s funeral, we have to do what we are told.’
This suggests that there is a higher authority making sure that his adventure with his kids still fits into
the real world.
 ‘Right now, this is your first real test, remember your training.’ This sounds like they have been in a
‘boot camp’ learning about life outside of the forest.
 ‘How did you kill those chickens? With an axe of a knife?’ This questioning highlights the contrasting
lives the children lead to other children, they are not used to buying prepared goods from shops.
 ‘The kids need structure. They need to go to a real school.’ Hearing this from somebody else would
make the father feel inadequate. This could be relatable to the audience and therefore the viewer
would feel sorry for him.
 ‘Unless it comes out of a book, I don’t know anything.’ This highlights the frustration of the elder child.
He feels lost and uneducated in this new world.
 ‘Abbie and I have decided that we are going to file for custody of the children.’ This is rock bottom for
the father, he feels like a failure in the fact that others see his children as lesser than what they would
be if they lived like everybody else.

10.  The very beginning of the film trailer has diegetic sounds of birds in
the forest. This allows the audience to understand the location that
the film is initially based in.
 Then, there is the relaxing sound of the guitar being played. This
mirrors the calm lifestyle the family lead, away from the stress of the
‘outside’ world.
 The song used throughout the trailer is ‘Ghost’ by Jeremy
Messersmith.
 The lyrics ‘Broke my heart with sticks and stones,’ ‘Swore I'm never
coming home,’ ‘If there is a line ill cross it’ and ‘Coming back to where
we started’ are the lyrics used in the trailer. They all imply adventure
and overcoming new struggles. New loves, broken hearts, leaving
home, crossing boundaries and maybe returning to what they had
before is all suggested in the lyrics. This song is uplifting and mirrors
the journey the family go on. This is why the song has been used in the
trailer.

11.  There are no special effects used in the film trailer. This
is because it is a realistic drama that portrays real life.
 There is no relevance in exaggerating points with such
things as explosion as it would not improve the film.
 The realism of the film has been kept due to the fact
that they have not used any special effects in the film
trailer.

12.  The close up, slightly low angle, shot of the fathers face is
the first seen after the moving image of the trees. The trees
are blurred out in the background which puts all of the
focus on the father. The first main character seen.
 A long shot of the family sat on the grass, in a circle, with
the mountains in the background is displayed. This tells the
audience this is where they live and gives the viewer an
understanding of the beauty of this place.
 Another close up shot is used when the father is in the
shower. It is of his face with him looking down. It suggests
that at this point in the film he feels defeated and doesn’t
know how to make things right.

13.  The unique selling point of this film is about children
finding this whole new way of living in the world.
 The film trailer highlights how the film explores new
lessons learnt, new loves and how the children and the
father deal with the death of their mother and wife.
 The family have been taught everything they need to
know in life apart from how to live in the outside
world. This would interest the audience and therefore,
they would go to the cinema to watch the film.