The Mosquito Coast (1986)

Director:

Peter Weir

Writers:

Paul Theroux (novel)
Paul Schrader (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 November 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Allie Fox followed his dream to the Mosquito Coast. He planned a paradise. He created a Hell.

Plot:

An eccentric and dogmatic inventor sells his house and takes his family to Central America to build an ice factory in the middle of the jungle...

Plot Keywords:

Central America | Obsession | Inventor | Jungle | Ice Factory

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Harrison Ford	...	Allie Fox
Helen Mirren	...	Mother Fox
River Phoenix	...	Charlie Fox
Conrad Roberts	...	Mr. Haddy
Andre Gregory	...	Reverend Spellgood
Martha Plimpton	...	Emily Spellgood
Dick O'Neill	...	Mr. Polski
Jadrien Steele	...	Jerry Fox
Michael Rogers	...	Francis Lungley
Hilary Gordon	...	April Fox
Rebecca Gordon	...	Clover Fox
Jason Alexander	...	Hardware Clerk
Alice Heffernan-Sneed	...	Mrs. Polski (as Alice Sneed)
Tiger Haynes	...	Mr. Semper
William Newman	...	Captain Smalls

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:10 | South Korea:All | Netherlands:6 | Australia:PG | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-8 | Norway:12 | Spain:18 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

The Saul Zaentz Company

Trivia:

Of all of his films, Harrison Ford considers this to be his favorite.

Goofs:

Continuity: While Allie Fox and his family are being lashed by violent winds and near horizontal rain during a hurricane a couple of palm trees in the background are standing perfectly still.

Quotes:

Allie Fox: Ice is civilization!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Ten (2007)

Soundtrack:

Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us

Good drama + great character development.

Harrison Ford and River Phoenix seem like an ideal adult-youth pair for a good drama, like Mel Gibson and Elijah Wood in "Forever Young." "Mosquito Coast" does not disappoint: it's the kind of movie where you want to jump through the screen and SHAKE someone. The symbolism of river and jungle combining to derail souls from ordinary reality and ordinary morality strongly recalls "Apocalypse Now" (1979), which in turn owes a debt to the classic Bogey "African Queen" (1951). The difference here is that the story unfolds through the responses of the protagonist's wife and two sons -- the narrator (River Phoenix) about 14, and his brother (Jadrien Steele) about 12. An odd sort of paradox is set up, in that each younger of the three is more level-headed and in touch with reality, yet less confident or able to act on his/her assessments. As the father's character disintegrates, that of the narrator so grows and solidifies that his physical appearance actually seems to change. It's no surprise to find that powerhouse director Peter Weir was in charge. All in all, despite some slow spots, this is an excellent film, and deserves to be better known.