Current IMDB score: 8.1
Director: Matt Ross
Main Actors you care about: Viggo Mortensen, George MacKay
Why I liked it: Yet again another movie that made me feel good about life. The Sweet Child of Mine scene had me in tear (not tears). It made me feel sad and good at the same time. If I ever have kids I feel like that's the way I would want to raise them. I don't think I would go that far with the sex stuff though. I feel like a little older is better to explain that stuff but everything I feel like kids can grasp if you take enough time to explain it to them. I think it makes them smarter earlier in life which makes them smarter later in life.
Thing(s) I would change: The scene where the oldest child Bo proposes doesn't make too much sense. With how open Viggo is with his kids it's hard to believe he wouldn't have gone through marriage with him. With the number of books they are mandated to read I'm surprised the book Pride and Prejudice wasn't one of the books. That book would have made him easily see to not propose in two seconds and that waiting and thinking about it is generally better. I feel like a better example could have been brought up of them not having real world experience/street smarts.
The digging up scene is cringe-worthy but perfectly fine for what they did with it after.
Favorite Line(s)/Scene:
Viggo: "And (How is the book?)"
Kielyr: "It's interesting."
The family: "It's interesting! Illegal word! Dad she said interesting!"
Viggo: "Interesting is a non-word. You know you are suppose to avoid it. Be specific."
Kielyr: (Explains the plot)
Viggo: "That's the plot, (Tell me how the book made you feel.)"
Son: "Why can't we celebrate a normal holiday like Christmas instead of Noam Chomsky Day?!"
Viggo: (thinks for a sec) "Alright if you can come up with some good reasons as to why we should celebrate a made up holiday that celebrates buying things instead of one of the greatest humanitarians that was a major reason we have a lot of the human rights we have now. We'll debate and if your argument is valid enough as a group we will celebrate Christmas instead."
This is the type of thing parents should be doing instead of just saying: "No, because daddy/mommy said so." I don't like treating kids over the age of like eight like kids. They should be treated with the idea that they could have more valid thoughts than us. Somewhere around eight I feel like most kids can be smarter than some adults and should be treated accordingly.
Nai: "Let's dig. Otherwise she has to lie under that bullshit forever."
I love that they named the bus Steve for no particular reason. I love that they give the kids names that are unique. I love everyone's wardrobe at the first funeral.
I love the 2nd funeral scene. Beautiful rendition of Sweet Child of Mine. It wrapped up the feeling of the movie in a glorious last song/scene. It made me want to be there, to participate in there discussions, and to be singing or playing an instrument in there song of life.
"If you assume that there is no hope, you guarantee that there will be no hope. If you assume that there is an instinct for freedom, that there are opportunities to change things, then there is a possibility that you can contribute to making a better world."
Similar Movies/TV Shows: Little Miss Sunshine, Into the Wild, The Room?
"Side" note: Hopefully one day I'll have a house in the woods I built myself.
