The Mosquito Coast (1986)

An inventor spurns his city life and moves his family into the jungles of Central America to make a utopia.

Director:

Peter Weir

Writers:

Paul Theroux (novel), Paul Schrader (screenplay)

Stars:

Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, River Phoenix

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

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Harrison Ford	...	Allie Fox
Helen Mirren	...	Mother
River Phoenix	...	Charlie
Jadrien Steele	...	Jerry
Hilary Gordon	...	April
Rebecca Gordon	...	Clover
Jason Alexander	...	Clerk
Dick O'Neill	...	Mr. Polski
Alice Heffernan-Sneed	...	Mrs. Polski (as Alice Sneed)
Tiger Haynes	...	Mr. Semper
William Newman	...	Captain Smalls
Andre Gregory	...	Reverend Spellgood
Melanie Boland	...	Mrs. Spellgood
Martha Plimpton	...	Emily Spellgood
Raymond Clare	...	Convert 1

Storyline

An eccentric and dogmatic inventor sells his house and takes his family to Central America to build a utopia in the middle of the jungle. Conflicts with his family, a local preacher, and with nature are only small obstacles to his obsession. Based on the novel by Paul Theroux.

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Plot Keywords:

central america | inventor | jungle | utopia | missionary | 

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Taglines:

How far should a man go to find his dream? Allie Fox went to the Mosquito Coast. He went too far.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

26 November 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Mosquito Coast

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$110,313, 30 November 1986

Gross USA:

$14,302,779

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,302,779

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Saul Zaentz Company, Jerome Hellman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Due to principal photography on this movie, Harrison Ford and Director Peter Weir famously missed the 1986 Academy Awards Ceremony, for which they had been nominated for Witness (1985), in the Best Actor and Best Director categories, respectively. Witness (1985) went on to win two Oscars, for Best Film Editing and Best Original Screenplay, after being nominated for eight, including Best Picture.

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Goofs

The "Ice from Fire" technique for using heat, ammonia and hydrogen was actually invented in 1824 by the English scientist Michael Faraday.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Charlie: My father was an inventor, a genius with anything mechanical. Nine patents, six pending. He dropped out of Harvard, "to get an education", he said. I grew up with the belief that the world belonged to him, and that everything he said was true.
Allie Fox: Look around ya, how did America get this way? Land of promise, land of opportunity. Give us the wretched refuse of your teeming shores. Have a Coke. Watch TV.
Charlie: Have a nice day.
Allie Fox: Go on welfare. Get free money. Turn to crime - crime pays in this ...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The 44th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1987)

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Soundtracks

Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us
Words attributed to Dorothy A. Thrupp (uncredited)
Music by William B. Bradbury (uncredited)
Performed by The Ron Hicklin Singers
Conducted by O.D. Hall Jr. (as O.Q. Hall)

User Reviews

Harrison Ford should have received an Oscar for this Performance

I have read the book and watched the film, and because of Harrison Ford's uncanny portrayal of the lead character he should have received an Oscar. There is an eerie scariness in the coming to life inventor- father to a mad scientist with humanistic touches. The book gave deep and colorful look at this man, but Ford alone made him transition from words to life. A deep look at someone with high ideals who becomes disillusioned at American way of life.