At first I was put off by the fact that the characters seemed unrealistic, a bit too perfect in some ways. They seemed a bit like caricatures. However, eventually the movie started to reveal their flaws and the flaws in their way of living and it seemed more believable and the movie became enjoyable. By the end I found the movie quite touching.

@microscope said:

he is supposed to be heroic but he is incredibly pompous and annoying

That isn't the impression I got at all. He clearly had many flaws, which were revealed throughout the movie, one of them being his inflexibility. The movie is essentially about his growth as a person and father. His desired way of life was unrealistic and damaging (he even takes blame for it killing his wife, and it begins to alienate his children) and he ends up finding balance, allowing the children to go to school and live in a house.

I didn't make it to the end, sounds like it gets better. But the film lost me when I saw all the kids sitting there reading Nietzsche.

Yeah, I think that was the point. They were showing the extremes and thus, Dad's flaws in child-rearing.

@microscope said:

he is incredibly pompous and annoying, as are the children

Agreed. They were all obnoxious. As was the film.