Family communication is essential to building positive dynamics among family members and to raising children as productive members of society. Therefore, this paper analyzes family communication and its representation in the movie called Captain Fantastic. First, the paper explains patterns of family communication as a factor in shaping the environment within the family and the atmosphere for the proper upbringing of the younger generation. In addition, it provides a brief overview of the movie and main characters, and then, the paper analyzes the show using a dialectical perspective model of relationship dynamics and communication.
First, it is necessary to gain an understanding of the basic concept which was the basis for this work. Thus, family communication is a particularly valuable aspect of human life. First of all, this is due to the fact that within the framework of this institution occurs the socialization of individuals. Further, in it, they develop and form values and attitudes, which will then be used in the course of life. Moreover, family communication contributes to an atmosphere in which children learn to communicate with others and gain an understanding of how this process should occur and the patterns that can be used.
Further, the process of communication in the family has many positive aspects that become beneficial for family members. For example, as part of communication, they learn how to provide support in difficult situations as well as receive support from others. This helps to build valuable qualities such as empathy, empathy, and understanding. Moreover, effective communication in the family contributes to the reduction of stressful and conflict situations that can negatively affect its members. Thus, the constant sharing of information, experiences, and emotions contributes to the formation of strong bonds between children and parents. This, in turn, ensures the harmonious development of individuals, and they become full members of society.
The dialectical perspective model of relationship dynamics and communication was taken as the basis for this work. This choice is due to the fact that this approach can help to gain a fuller understanding of family communication, especially in situations of stress and conflict. Thus, this theory is “a theory of communication that addresses the tension and struggle between equally desirable relationship goals” (Johnson et al. 14). In other words, it is based on the concept that confrontation and difference in any kind of relationship are a driving force for their development.
Consequently, the dialectical perspective theory is of particular importance in the study of family communication. This is due to the fact that it emphasizes the fact that the child’s development occurs through interaction with an adult. Thus, this encounter is a driver for the development of the younger generation as individuals and participants in society. Possible differences in the perception of any phenomena determine the process for the formation of the child and the acquisition of basic knowledge about life, values, and worldview.
Another important aspect for gaining a better understanding of family communication is awareness of patterns of family communication. These include aspects such as “parent-child relationship and behavioral outcomes including conflict avoidance, disclosure with parents, parenting styles, discipline messages, and communication satisfaction” (Szkody and McKinney 3179). The most effective pattern for building the most fruitful and positive family communication becomes consensual, which is based on high levels of conversation and conformity. Other ways of communication between parents and children can also have effectiveness, but also more significant drawbacks that can cause conflict, stress, or deviant behavior in children.
Based on this information. Communication is critical in building the most supportive family relationships. When there is a high level of conversation between parents and children, there is more understanding and awareness of the importance of this relationship. Thus, that conversation orientation has a valuable role in the pattern of family communication. Research stated that it “has been positively associated with parent-child communication satisfaction, collaborating and confronting parents during the conflict, authoritative parenting, and disclosure to parents” (Szkody and McKinney 3179). Therefore, in a consensual pattern between family members, the occurrence of conflicts and protests is reduced, there is a full exchange of experiences and emotions, and family norms and values are properly constructed. On the other hand, for example, in an authoritarian pattern, parents act in the role of leaders, whose opinion is supreme and irrefutable in the family. Because of all kinds of strict rules and lack of communication between parents and children, there can be adverse consequences in the behavior of the young generation and problems in their formation as social personalities.
The next step, as part of this work, is the chosen pop-cultural artifact. Regarding the theme of family communication, the movie Captain Fantastic was chosen for analysis. This feature film raises many important topics, such as socialization, but family communication between the main characters becomes important for this paper. Thus, the cinematic picture is based on the narrative that the father, after the death of his mother, remains with his six children. The peculiarity of this family is that they live in isolation from society; however, after a tragic loss, their world begins to change. All six children are very highly intelligent, open in communication with the parent on any topic, and discussing difficult for their age literary works and their peers’ development. Thus, the film tells the story of how these intelligent and developing children, who have lived most of their lives in the woods, encounter a society that is completely unfamiliar and mystical to them.
When watching this film, one is particularly struck by the trusting yet mentoring relationship between the children and their father, which is relevant to the topic under study. Therefore, the course concepts, such as family patterns and dialectical perspective model, explain what is happening in the artifact. Thus, we can conclude that the family communication pattern is promoted. This is due to the fact that despite the fact that the father is the main source for acquiring knowledge regarding society and interaction with people, the family does not have the rigor that is inherent in the authoritarian pattern. Moreover, there is a high value placed on conversation and self-expression, which becomes the rationale for such a close relationship not only between the children but also between them and their father. Thus, they are not afraid to ask inappropriate questions, they trust their guardian completely, and they can express their worries, emotions, and experiences without having to worry about it.
Furthermore, the cinematic work Captain Fantastic represents the harmonious relationship between parent and child. However, despite this, his pattern of bringing up the children can be characterized by some features of an authoritarian style. For example, Nurkhasanah emphasizes that he had such charateristics as “a high level of affection, two-way communication, family discussion, and expectations as well as clear rules for his children’s good behaviors” (1). At the same time, some of the rules that were imposed on the children caused rather difficult situations. Their resolution was instructive for both parties and provided insight that communication and trust are among the main values in family relationships.
In the film, through positive family communication, certain social values and beliefs are communicated to the children. Among the main ones promoted in this film are discipline, maturity, honesty, intelligence, open-mindedness, responsibility, and trustworthiness (Putra 2). A dialectical perspective model can be applied to this process, which implies development through the confrontation and interaction between parents and children. Thus, throughout the film, quarrels arise between the father and children, the resolution of which becomes a cautionary lesson not only for the younger generation but also for the parent.
In conclusion, this paper has investigated the film Captain Fantastic in relation to several concepts concerning family communication. Thus, the cinematic paper was examined in relation to the concept of family communication patterns and dialectical perspective models of relationship dynamics and communication. The paper first provided an explanation of these concepts and then focused on a description of the pop-cultural artifact. After gaining a full understanding of these aspects, they were applied to the movie Captain Fantastic. Therefore, the patterns of the father-child relationship, the level of trust and bonding, and how this affected their relationship and development as individuals were analyzed. The work concluded that the film shows quite fruitful and favorable patterns of family communication and reflects the importance of a close parent-child relationship.
Works Cited
Johnson, W. Brad, et al. “Ethics and Relational Dialectics in Mentoring Relationships.” Training and Education in Professional Psychology, vol. 12, no. 1, 2018, p. 14.
Nurkhasanah, Wahyu Meyndri. American Parenting Style As Depicted In Ben Cash, The Main Character Of Captain Fantastic Movie (2016). Diss. Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, 2022.
Putra, Bagus Walindra. The Analysis of Moral Values Contained in the “Captain Fantastic” Movie. Diss. Universitas Mataram, 2017.
Szkody, Erica, and Cliff McKinney. “Family Communication Patterns and Relationship Quality between Emerging Adults and their Parents.” Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, vol. 38, no. 11, 2021, pp. 3177-3197.