The Mosquito Coast (1986)

2 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Ice Guys Finish Last

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

After the success of Witness, which earned them both Oscar nominations, director Peter Weir and star Harrison Ford attempted something even more ambitious. Based on a novel by Paul Theroux and adapted by Paul Schrader, The Mosquito Coast introduces us to Allie Fox (Ford), a crackpot inventor who drags his family, wife Margot (Helen Mirren) and son Charlie (River Phoenix) into the jungles of Central America, where he hopes to make a living by building a huge ice machine. He thinks the United States is about to be wiped out by nuclear war and lies to his family about this. As the story goes on, Allie becomes more and more unhinged, and his helpless family are forced to follow his craziness. It's a beautifully-made film, to be sure, with Weir's trademark use of space to define the characters, but it's a hard watch, given that Allie is such a deeply unsympathetic character. There's nothing to root for except for the character's ultimate failure, which will free his suffering family. Not even Ford's considerable charisma or star power can save him; the actor goes all-in on his performance. Phoenix and Ford appeared again in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, this time as younger and older versions of the same character.