Peter Weir directed Mosquito Coast, a drama starring Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, Andre Gregory, and River Phoenix.
Grade: C+ (** out of *****)
Based on Paul Theroux’s 1981 novel of the same name, the film tells the story of a family that leaves the US, trying to find happier and simpler life in the jungles of Central America. However, their jungle paradise quickly turns into dystopia as their stubborn father’s behavior becomes erratic and aggressive.
Ford plays Allie Fox, a brilliant but stubborn inventor fed up with the American Dream and consumerism, holding that a nuclear war is on the horizon as a result of American greed.
Allie, with eldest son Charlie, finishes assembling his latest creation, ice machine known as Fat Boy. Allie’s boss, farm owner Mr. Polski 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,” but is unimpressed.
Allie throws a party for the immigrant workers before leaving America. On board a Panamanian barge, the family meets Reverend Spellgood, a missionary, his wife, and daughter Emily.
When the barge docks in Belize City, the families disembark and go their separate ways. Allie purchases a small village called Jeronimo located in the rainforest along the river.
Allie starts building a new, “advanced” civilization, inventing new things. Allie’s will to build a utopian civilization keeps them working to their limits. Allie and Spellgood angrily denounce each other, leading to a permanent schism: Allie believes Spellgood to be a religious zealot; Spellgood believes Allie to be a communist. Allie sets to constructing a huge version of “Fat Boy” that can supply the town with ice. Upon completing the machine, Allie hears rumors of a native tribe in the mountains that has never seen ice. Allie recruits his two sons to carry a load of ice into the jungle to supply the tribe. Upon arriving, Allie finds that the load has melted, and that the tribe has already been visited by missionaries.
Spellgood leaves, scaring them with stories of God’s biblical destruction. The near-empty town is visited by rebels, who demand to use Jeronimo as a base.
Set on freezing them to death, Allie bunks the rebels up in the giant ice machine, tells Charlie to lock its only other exit, and activates it. The rebels, waking in panic, try to shoot their way out. To Allie’s horror, the rebels’ gunfire sets off an explosion within the machine. By the next morning, both the machine and the family’s home is in ruins, and chemicals from the destroyed machine have severely polluted the river.
Mother and the children rejoice, believing they can return to the United States. Allie, refusing to believe his dream has been shattered, announces that they have all they need on the beach and tells them that the United States has been destroyed in a nuclear war. Settling on the beach in a houseboat he has built, and refusing assistance from Mr. Haddy, Allie believes that the family has accomplished building a utopia. One night, the storm surge from a tropical cyclone nearly forces the family out to sea until Charlie reveals that he has been hiding motor components (secretly given to him by Mr. Haddy), allowing them to start the motor on the boat.
Charlie and Jerry grow resentful of their father. Coming ashore when the family stumbles across Spellgood’s compound, Allie sees barbed wire, and mutters that the settlement is a Christian concentration camp. While the rest of the family sleeps, Charlie and Jerry sneak over to the Spellgood home. They find out that the United States was not destroyed and that Emily will assist them in escaping from Allie. Before Charlie can persuade Mother and his sisters to leave, Allie sets Spellgood’s church on fire. Spellgood shoots Allie, paralyzing him from the neck down. The family escapes aboard the boat.
The family begins traveling downriver, with Allie drifting in and out of consciousness. Allie asks his wife if they are going upstream, and she lies to him.
Charlie’s narration reports Allie’s death, but expresses hope that the family can live their lives freely from now on.
Producer Jerome Hellman bought the rights to Theroux’s novel, with Weir attached as director. Jack Nicholson was originally offered the lead, but backed out over salary demands.
Meanwhile, Weir was approached to direct Witness starring Harrison Ford. The film, which was Weir’s first American production, was a critical and commercial success, garnering eight Oscar nominations including Weir for Best Director, Ford for Best Actor, and Best Film.
During the production of Witness, Weir discussed The Mosquito Coast with Ford who became interested in the role of Allie Fox. With Ford attached to the project, financial backing and distribution for the film was easier–ultimately from Saul Zaentz and Warner.
Weir and Ford famously missed the Oscar ceremony for which they had both been nominated for Witness, which won two Oscars, for Best Screenplay and Best Film Editing.
The film marks the last role of Butterfly McQueen, who had prominent part in Gone with the Wind, playing lapsed churchgoer, though in real life was a vocal atheist.
The film was initially a critical and commercial disappointment, with major reviewers complaining about the flat narrative and boring proceedings.
However, the film has since received stronger reviews, especially praising Harrison Ford capably, credited with tackling a tough, unlikable role that called for progressively declining state of mind, and for conveying a complex persona of polarities in what was both a physical and metaphysical journey into the jungle.
With a production budget of $25 million, the film made only $14 million in America.
Cast
Harrison Ford as Allie Fox
Helen Mirren as Margot “Mother” Fox
River Phoenix as Charlie Fox
Conrad Roberts as Mr. Haddy
Andre Gregory as Reverend Spellgood
Martha Plimpton as Emily Spellgood
Melanie Boland as Mrs. Spellgood
Dick O’Neill as Mr. Polski
Jadrien Steele as Jerry Fox
Hilary Gordon as April Fox
Rebecca Gordon as Clover Fox
Alice Heffernan-Sneed as Mrs. Polski
Jason Alexander as Hardware Clerk
William Newman as Captain Smalls
Aurora Clavel as Mrs. Maywit
Butterfly McQueen as Mrs. Kennywick
Credits:
Directed by Peter Weir
Screenplay by Paul Schrader, based on The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux
Produced by Jerome Hellman
Cinematography John Seale
Edited by Thom Noble
Music by Maurice Jarre
Production company: Saul Zaentz Company
Distributed by Warner
Release date: November 26, 1986
Running time: 117 minutes
Budget: $25 million
Box office: $14.3 million
