The Mosquito Coast (1986)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

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
Melanie Boland	...	Mrs. Spellgood
Raymond Clare	...	Convert #1
Emory King	...	Man at Bar
Tony Vega Sr.	...	Mr. Maywit
Aurora Clavel	...	Mrs. Maywit
Butterfly McQueen	...	Ma Kennywick
Michael Opoku	...	Bucky
Adolpho Salguero	...	Drainy
Rafael Cho	...	Leon
Sofia Coc	...	Alice
Margarita Coc	...	Veryl
Wilfred Peters	...	Dixon
Luis Palacio	...	Peaselee
Juan Antonio Llanes	...	Mercenary
Abel Woolrich	...	Mercenary
Jorge Zepeda	...	Mercenary

Directed by
Peter Weir

Writing credits
Paul Theroux		(novel)
Paul Schrader		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jerome Hellman	....	producer
Neville C. Thompson	....	associate producer (as Neville Thompson)
Saul Zaentz	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre

Cinematography by
John Seale

Film Editing by
Thom Noble

Casting by
Dianne Crittenden

Production Design by
John Stoddart

Art Direction by
John Wingrove

Set Decoration by
John H. Anderson		(as John Anderson)

Costume Design by
Gary Jones

Makeup Department
Rosalina Da Silva	....	assistant makeup artist (as Rosalina Silva)
Judy Lovell	....	key hair stylist
Judy Lovell	....	key makeup artist
Michelle Myers	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Stewart Krohn	....	production manager
Stratton Leopold	....	production manager: USA

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Steve E. Andrews	....	second assistant director (as Steve Andrews)
Mark Egerton	....	first assistant director
Michael Hammerman	....	trainee assistant director (as Mike Hammerman)
Philip A. Patterson	....	third assistant director (as Philip Patterson)
Russell Vreeland	....	fourth assistant director (as Russ Kneeland)

Art Department
Frank L. Brown	....	assistant property master (as Frank Brown)
Gary Clark	....	painter foreman
John Fredericks	....	assistant props
Gene Fukuzawa	....	greensman (as Gene 'Chubby' Fukuzawa)
Richard Greene	....	greensmen
Mike Higelmire	....	assistant set decorator: USA (as Michael Higelmire)
Bill Iiams	....	first construction foreman
Roger Irvin	....	construction coordinator
Michael Kohan	....	stand-by props
Tom Lawson	....	metalwork foreman
Charles R. Lipscomb	....	lead man (as Chuck Lipscomb)
Ray Mercer Jr.	....	property master (as Ray Mercer)
Brian Nickless	....	assistant art director
John A. Scott III	....	lead man (as John Scott III)
Daniel Sudick	....	second construction foreman (as Dan Sudick)
Tony Villanueva	....	construction foreman: Belize

Sound Department
C.J. Appel	....	adr editor
Sandina Bailo-Lape	....	sound effects assistant (as Sandina Bailo)
John Benson	....	sound effects editor
David Franklin Bergad	....	dialogue assistant (as David Bergad)
Mark Berger	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Jay Boekelheide	....	sound effects editor
Todd Boekelheide	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nicole Boris	....	apprentice sound editor
Matt Brady	....	foley engineer
Karen Brocco	....	dialogue assistant
T.M. Christopher	....	sound effects assistant
Luis Colina	....	foley assistant
Gloria D'Alessandro	....	dialogue assistant
Richard Daniel	....	sound maintenance
Frank E. Eulner	....	sound effects assistant (as Frank Eulner)
Peter Fenton	....	dialogue mixer: Australia
Les Fiddess	....	dubbing editor: Australia
Rob Fruchtman	....	foley editor
Vivien Hillgrove Gilliam	....	supervising dialogue editor
Phil Heywood	....	sound effects mixer
Richard Hymns	....	sound effects editor
Pat Jackson	....	sound effects editor
Leigh Kowald	....	assistant dubbing editor: Australia
Ann Kroeber	....	sound effects recordist
Laurel Ladevich	....	adr editor
Michael Magill	....	dialogue assistant
Robert Marty	....	dialogue assistant (as Bob Marty)
Barbara McBane	....	dialogue editor
John Morris	....	foley assistant
Christopher Newman	....	production sound recordist
David Parker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Diana Pellegrini	....	foley editor
Michele Perrone	....	apprentice sound editor
Janis Prater	....	apprentice sound editor
Michael Rosen	....	foley engineer
Paige Sartorius	....	sound effects assistant
Robert Shoup	....	foley editor
Karen Spangenberg	....	dialogue editor
Alan Splet	....	supervising sound editor
Ewa Sztompke	....	sound effects assistant
Dennie Thorpe	....	foley artist
John Verbeck	....	assistant sound editor
Ken Weston	....	boom operator
Alan Abrams	....	sound effects recordist (uncredited)
Philip Rogers	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Albert Bartoli	....	special effects
Paul Bradley	....	special effects foreman: Belize unit
Pat Cartwright	....	special effects
Casey Cavanaugh	....	special effects
Lawrence J. Cavanaugh	....	special effects coordinator (as Larry Cavanaugh)
Noah Cornell	....	special effects assistant
Allen Hall	....	special effects
Rudy Liszczak	....	special effects
Joe Lombardi	....	special effects consultant
Tom Sindicich	....	special effects
R. Bruce Steinheimer	....	special effects supervisor (as Bruce Steinheimer)
Chuck E. Stewart	....	special effects (as Chuck Stewart)

Stunts
Rich 'Nubbs' Gowdy	....	stunt double
Vic Armstrong	....	stunt double: Mr. Ford (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dean Bryan	....	electrician
Craig Bryant	....	best boy electric
David Burr	....	camera operator: second unit photography
Patrick Capone	....	assistant camera: additional camera crew
François Duhamel	....	still photographer (as Francois Duhamel)
Alan Dunstan	....	electrician
Nancy Ellison	....	special photographer
Ross Erickson	....	dolly grip
Geoff Full	....	grip
Reg Garside	....	gaffer
Andrew Glasser	....	rigger
Karl Glasser	....	rigger
Gary Hill	....	electrician
Laurie Kirkwood	....	clapper loader: first camera crew (as Laurence Kirkwood)
Robin P. Knight	....	key grip (as Robin Knight)
Bruce MacCallum	....	camera operator: additional camera crew (as Bruce McCallum)
Larry McConkey	....	camera operator: additional camera crew
Andrew McLean	....	focus puller: second unit photography
Rex Nicholson	....	clapper loader: second unit photography
John Seale	....	camera operator: first camera crew
Ben Seresin	....	focus puller: first camera crew
Matt Slattery	....	electrician
Robbie Verkerk	....	electrician

Casting Department
Alejandra Hernández	....	casting: Mexico (as Alejandra Hernandez)
Sarah C. Koeppe	....	casting assistant: New York (as Sarah Koeppe)
Lisa London	....	casting apprentice: Los Angeles
Susan Parker	....	casting: Central America (as Sue Parker)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Maurine Boutin	....	wardrobe assistant
Michael Dennison	....	wardrobe consultant
Bruce Ericksen	....	wardrobe supervisor
Sue Gandy	....	assistant costume designer
Yvonne Jeffries	....	wardrobe assistant: Belize
Kerri Mazzocco	....	wardrobe mistress (as Kerri Barnett)

Editorial Department
Joan E. Chapman	....	post-production coordinator: USA
Carol A. Ellison Fleming	....	apprentice editor (as Carol Fleming)
Richard Francis-Bruce	....	editor: Australia
Lynn Gailey	....	post-production coordinator: Australia
Patricia A. Galvin	....	assistant editor (as Patricia Galvin)
Jane Moran	....	assistant editor: Australia
Simon Smithers	....	assistant editor: Australia
Pamela Jule Yuen	....	second assistant editor (as Pamela J. Yuen)

Music Department
Michael Boddicker	....	musician: synthesizers
Michael Fisher	....	musician: synthesizers
Ralph Grierson	....	musician: synthesizers
Jim Harrison	....	supervising music editor
Maurice Jarre	....	music supervisor
Judd Miller	....	musician: synthesizers
Joel Moss	....	music recordist
Nyle Steiner	....	musician: synthesizers
Ian Underwood	....	musician: synthesizers

Transportation Department
Hank Van Apeldoorn	....	transportation captain: Rome, GA
Susan Van Apeldoorn	....	transportation: Rome, GA
Ernesto Vázquez	....	transportation manager: Belize (as Ernesto Vazquez)

Other crew
Bunny Alsup	....	assistant financial controller
Bonnie Arnold	....	production coordinator: USA
Jim Austin	....	production assistant
Pamela Bendich	....	assistant production coordinator
Christopher Boyer	....	production assistant
Judi Bunn	....	production coordinator
Larry Cain	....	assistant location manager
Phil Carroll	....	title designer
Vince Casper	....	production assistant
Ann Crump	....	nurse: Belize
Michele Day	....	post-production accountant: Australia
Jack Dearlove	....	stand-in: Mr. Harrison Ford
Denise DeFalco	....	production assistant
Milan Dusatko	....	production assistant
Michael Emery	....	production assistant
Helen Fairweather	....	production secretary: Belize
Steven Feldman	....	production assistant
Ann-Marie Ferney-Tellez	....	production assistant (as Anne-Marie Ferney)
Ashley Fleming	....	production assistant
Isabel Goldberg	....	stand-in: Mrs. Helen Mirren
Jeff Golub	....	native's teeth
Tom Greenwood	....	security chief: Belize
Nancy Griffin	....	assistant to producer: USA
Ruth Hasty	....	production assistant
Moya Iceton	....	assistant: Mr. Weir
Moya Iceton	....	continuity
Melba Majarrez	....	production office secretary: Belize
Donna Maloney	....	courier
Juliet Mason	....	teacher
Sharon Matola	....	animal consultant: Belize
Tamma Myvett	....	accounting assistant: Belize
David Nichols	....	location manager
Lou Nicolait	....	location assistant: Central America
Tim Noonan	....	production accountant
Dawn Oltman	....	production assistant
Felice Peres	....	assistant production coordinator
Scott G. Roberts	....	production assistant (as Scott Roberts)
Wayne Rogers	....	production assistant
Reid Rosefelt	....	unit publicist
Jeff Rosenstock	....	production assistant
Roy Segal	....	production assistant
Steve Shurtz	....	production assistant
Beau St. Clair	....	assistant to producer (as Beaumarie St. Clair)
Joe Tysl	....	production assistant
Jennifer Ware	....	production assistant
Diana Wells	....	production assistant
Carice Witte	....	courier
John Younger	....	production assistant
Paul Zaentz	....	financial controller
Jerry Irvine	....	rocket effects (uncredited)
Burton Sharp	....	adr group coordinator (uncredited)
Todd Turner	....	directorial assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Max Cleland	....	special thanks (as Secretary of State Max Cleland)
Joe Frank Harris	....	special thanks (as Governor Joe Frank Harris)

Production Companies

• The Saul Zaentz Company (presents)
• Jerome Hellman Productions

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1987) (Germany) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox Video (1987) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1987) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Aquarius TV (2005) (Greece) (TV)
• AMLF (198?) (France) (theatrical)
• Transmundo Films (1986) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (198?) (UK) (theatrical)
• Transmundo Home Video (THV) (1987) (Argentina) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Makeup Effects Laboratories

Other Companies

• Cinema Research  titles
• Clein & Feldman Associates  public relations
• Moneypenny Services  post-production accounting
• Saul Zaentz Film Center  sound re-recording
• Spectrum Films International  post-production facilities
• The Belize Zoo  animals

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:

While building the town set in Belize, the crew unearthed an ancient Mayan temple. It notified the Belize government, which declared the site an important historical find.

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:

Charlie: Once I had believed in father and the world had seemed small and old. Now he was gone and I wasn't afraid to love him anymore. And the world seemed limitless.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Reel Paradise (2005)

Soundtrack:

Sing Alleluia

Anti hero falls short of redemption

With much of Harrison Ford's career during the eighties dominated by his participation in George Lucas and Spielberg blockbusters, it comes as a relief to discover that in between his numerous flights on the Milennium Falcon and slashing his whip he found time to star in many low key movies. Among these hidden treasures is The Mosquito Coast, a character driven story about one mans attempt to recreate an Eden in a faraway land. And his secret to survival? Ice.

This is an interesting movie, not only because it has an all star cast, that includes River Phoenix, but because we see Harrison Ford give his all to creating a character that is multi dimensional. He is an idealist and has the best intentions, yet is doomed to failure as the viewer senses an impeding violent side to his vision which will come to destroy him.

As a movie this is a good study of man's attempt to act upon his dreams, as a lighthearted pop corn flick this will annoy the average mainstream cinema goer. Simply put, many people will find it hard to imagine Harrison Ford as anything else other than the super hero incarnation of Indiana Jones, and multi faceted anti heroes that never see the errors of their ways is a genre of cinema that Hollywood hasn't quite got their head around yet.

For everybody else who would like to see a movie that has depth, great acting and a solid script, this will be excellent viewing.