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The Mosquito Coast

  • 19861986
  • PGPG
  • 1h 57m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
29K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,804
2,676
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Harrison Ford in The Mosquito Coast (1986)
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:27
2 Videos
74 Photos
  • Adventure
  • Drama
  • Thriller

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

IMDb RATING
6.6/10
29K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,804
2,676
  • Director
    • Peter Weir
  • Writers
    • Paul Theroux(novel)
    • Paul Schrader(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Harrison Ford
    • Helen Mirren
    • River Phoenix
Top credits
  • Director
    • Peter Weir
  • Writers
    • Paul Theroux(novel)
    • Paul Schrader(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Harrison Ford
    • Helen Mirren
    • River Phoenix
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 121User reviews
    • 33Critic reviews
    • 49Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 3 nominations

    Videos2

    The Mosquito Coast
    Trailer 2:27
    The Mosquito Coast
    The Mosquito Coast
    Trailer 0:31
    The Mosquito Coast

    Photos74

    Harrison Ford in The Mosquito Coast (1986)
    Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, Hilary Gordon, and Rebecca Gordon in The Mosquito Coast (1986)
    Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren in The Mosquito Coast (1986)
    Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, Hilary Gordon, Rebecca Gordon, Andre Gregory, and Jadrien Steele in The Mosquito Coast (1986)
    The Mosquito Coast (1986)
    Harrison Ford in The Mosquito Coast (1986)
    Harrison Ford in The Mosquito Coast (1986)
    Harrison Ford in The Mosquito Coast (1986)
    Harrison Ford, River Phoenix, and Judd Hirsch in The Mosquito Coast (1986)
    Harrison Ford in The Mosquito Coast (1986)
    Harrison Ford in The Mosquito Coast (1986)
    Harrison Ford in The Mosquito Coast (1986)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Harrison Ford
    Harrison Ford
    • Allie Foxas Allie Fox
    Helen Mirren
    Helen Mirren
    • Motheras Mother
    River Phoenix
    River Phoenix
    • Charlieas Charlie
    Jadrien Steele
    • Jerryas Jerry
    Hilary Gordon
    • Aprilas April
    Rebecca Gordon
    • Cloveras Clover
    Jason Alexander
    Jason Alexander
    • Clerkas Clerk
    Dick O'Neill
    Dick O'Neill
    • Mr. Polskias Mr. Polski
    Alice Heffernan-Sneed
    • Mrs. Polskias Mrs. Polski
    • (as Alice Sneed)
    Tiger Haynes
    • Mr. Semperas Mr. Semper
    William Newman
    William Newman
    • Captain Smallsas Captain Smalls
    Andre Gregory
    Andre Gregory
    • Reverend Spellgoodas Reverend Spellgood
    Melanie Boland
    • Mrs. Spellgoodas Mrs. Spellgood
    Martha Plimpton
    Martha Plimpton
    • Emily Spellgoodas Emily Spellgood
    Raymond Clare
    • Convert 1as Convert 1
    Emory King
    • Man at Baras Man at Bar
    Conrad Roberts
    Conrad Roberts
    • Mr. Haddyas Mr. Haddy
    Michael Rogers
    • Francis Lungleyas Francis Lungley
    • Director
      • Peter Weir
    • Writers
      • Paul Theroux(novel)
      • Paul Schrader(screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

    The Life and Times of Harrison Ford

    The Life and Times of Harrison Ford

    Take a look back at Harrison Ford's movie career in photos.
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    Storyline

    Edit
    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. —Keith Loh <loh@sfu.ca>
    • back to nature
    • central america
    • inventor
    • jungle
    • utopia
    • 178 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • He never bargained for what he found.
    • Genres
      • Adventure
      • Drama
      • Thriller
    • Certificate
      • PG
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

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

      Emily Spellgood: [to Charlie] I think about you when I go to the bathroom.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: The Mosquito Coast/Streets of Gold/Crocodile Dundee/Rate It X (1986)
    • Soundtracks
      Clap Your Hands
      Words and Music by Gary Johnson

      Performed by Grace Gospel Primary School Choir

    User reviews121

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    A mad scientist at the end of his rope
    Harrison Ford is often described as a movie star rather than an actor, but "The Mosquito Coast" easily disproves that (actually, so does "Blade Runner", but I digress). It's a fevered performance on which the whole film rests. Easily worth a watch.

    But it also demands a lot from the audience. For one, there's an undercurrent of dread that's there right from the start and it's hard to watch Ford's mercurial character drag his family to the far ends of the jungle essentially to reboot civilization (a myopic one, at that). All I could think of was my family in that situation (hell, no).

    I'm not going to lie, this is a hard movie, rife with misfortune; on occasions shocking, infuriating and exhausting. But I was glued to my seat until the very end, primarily because of Ford's deteriorating mental state. That's a house of horrors unto itself. This is a well-directed movie but man if it's not wearing.
    helpful•3
    0
    • Mr-Fusion
    • Aug 17, 2018

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 26, 1986 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Mosquito Coast
    • Filming locations
      • Rome, Georgia, USA
    • Production companies
      • The Saul Zaentz Company
      • Jerome Hellman Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $25,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $14,302,779
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $110,313
      • Nov 30, 1986
    • Gross worldwide
      • $14,302,779
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 57 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    ‘Mosquito Coast’: A Gripping Family-On-The-Run Story Is A Prologue Akin To ‘Ozark’ & ‘Breaking Bad’ [Review]
    ‘Mosquito Coast’: A Gripping Family-On-The-Run Story Is A Prologue Akin To ‘Ozark’ & ‘Breaking Bad’ [Review]
    Apr 19The Playlist
    ‘Mosquito Coast’ Trailer: AppleTV+ Revisits Peter Weir’s Drop-Out-Of-Society Drama In New Series Starring Justin Theroux
    ‘Mosquito Coast’ Trailer: AppleTV+ Revisits Peter Weir’s Drop-Out-Of-Society Drama In New Series Starring Justin Theroux
    Apr 7The Playlist

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