Structure Breakdown: Captain Fantastic

Another independent gem from a few years ago is Captain Fantastic, which places absolute and unquestioned faith in its free-wheeling structure. The story has strong ideas backed up by an even stronger conviction in its wholly unique belief system. It doesn’t exactly stick the landing, but it has a refreshing sense of ambition for an original story.

LOGLINE: A single father lives deep in the Pacific Northwest where he raises six children on his own. When the kids’ estranged bipolar mother commits suicide, he must rally his family together to say good-bye to their mother before they all fall apart.

THE NORMAL WORLD (ACT I):

Who is the MAIN CHARACTER?

Ben, 50, a narcissist father who wants to protect his family and raise them to be like him.

What is the main character’s INITIAL WANT?

He wants to raise his children to be individualists outside of society.

What is the INCITING INCIDENT that sets the story in motion?

Ben learns that the kids’ mother killed herself.

After the Inciting Incident, what is the main character’s CONFLICTED WANT?

Ben wants to ignore “the real world” and keep his family isolated, but the kids want to know make plans for their…