The Mosquito Coast
| The Mosquito Coast | |
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Theatrical release poster by John Alvin
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| Directed by | Peter Weir |
| Produced by | Jerome Hellman |
| Screenplay by | Paul Schrader |
| Based on |
The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Maurice Jarre |
| Cinematography | John Seale |
| Edited by | Thom Noble |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
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Release date
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Running time
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117 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $25 million |
| Box office | $14.3 million |
The Mosquito Coast is a 1986 American drama film directed by Peter Weir and starring Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, Andre Gregory, and River Phoenix. It is based on the novel of the same name by Paul Theroux. The film tells the story of a family that leaves the United States and tries to find a happier and simpler life in the jungles of Central America. However, their jungle paradise quickly turns into a dystopia as their stubborn father's behavior becomes increasingly erratic and aggressive. It was shot in the cities of Cartersville and Rome in Georgia, in addition to Baltimore, Maryland, and Belize.
In narration, Charlie Fox explains that his father, Allie Fox, is a brilliant inventor with "nine patents, six pending." Allie has grown fed up with the American Dream and consumerism, believing that Americans "buy junk, sell junk, and eat junk." Furthermore, he fantasizes that there is a nuclear war on the horizon as a result of American greed and crime.
Allie and Charlie go to a hardware store to buy components for a new invention, an ice machine known as Fat Boy. Upon seeing that the product was made in Japan, Allie refuses to purchase it. After Allie and Charlie acquire the components at a local dump, he finishes assembling his creation. Allie's boss, Mr. Polski, an asparagus farm owner, complains that Allie is not tending to the asparagus, which is rotting. Allie, Charlie, and Allie's youngest son, Jerry, meet Mr. Polski, and Allie shows him "Fat Boy." The machine leaves Polski unimpressed. As he drives past the fields, a dejected Allie comments on immigrants picking asparagus, and says that where they come from, they might think of ice as a luxury. The home of the migrant workers is in a state of disarray, exemplifying their poverty.
That night, Jerry tells "Mother" that he believes something terrible is about to happen. Mother rebuffs her son, explaining that she believes something good will happen. The next morning, Allie throws a party for the immigrant workers before telling his family that they're leaving the United States. On board a Panamanian barge, the family meets Reverend Spellgood, a missionary, his wife, and their daughter, Emily. Emily flirts with Charlie. Allie and the Reverend try to get along, despite having entirely different religious views. When the barge docks in Belize City, the families disembark and go their separate ways. Allie, with the consent of the Belize government, purchases a small village called Geronimo in the rainforest along the river.
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Wikipedia