Expat Films: Mosquito Coast

Mosquito Coast

Mosquito Coast, starring Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren and River Phoenix, based on a book by Paul Theroux, chronicles the adventures of the Fox family. Brilliant inventor/philosopher/father Allie Fox (Harrison Ford) gets disgusted with the United States and moves his family to the jungles of Central America. “Nobody ever thinks of leaving this country” says Allie. “I do, I think about it every day.”

Fed up with cheap Japanese imports and fast food, Fox takes the family to the jungle, where he believes life is purer. “It would take courage to go there,” he tells them. “Not ordinary gumption.” He buys a village on the Mosquito Coast and involves the entire village population in building a jungle utopia, complete with air conditioning.

Allie leaves America because he loves it. “Nobody loves America more than I do. That’s why we left. I couldn’t bear to watch.”

Unfortunately, Allie gets bored once the village is built, crops are growing, and the refrigeration unit is humming along. Trouble ensues, and the Foxes find out firsthand just how impure jungle life can be.

Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren — two of my favorite actors — are superb, and River Phoenix is convincing as their pre-adolescent oldest son. This is a good expat movie, and shows us very graphically how we bring our problems with us wherever we go. It also shows us some disturbing views of American culture at its worst, especially the group of worshippers in a small church, mesmerized by the service they are watching in a big-screen TV. I highly recommend it.

Buy from Amazon The Mosquito Coast

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