The Mosquito Coast

indyswk · 10-12-2010, 11:09 PM

Just watched The Mosquito Coast. I find it pretty good movie besides the box office disaster (as found written in Wikipedia).

Few things I want to mention about the movie: -

- We see Harrison Ford working at a fridge junk pile at the beginning of the movie. This immediately made me think about the Indy4 escape. I wonder if Harrison is thinking "hmm more fridges, like in The Mosquito Coast" when reading that script. He also goes into a fridge (although it's a gigantic one) in a few scenes.

- He also says "nucular blast" in that movie. Yep, "nucular". I think he also mentions that in K-19: The Widowmaker, which I think he also pronounced it as such, though with that one he has a thick Russian accent. Because all Russians speak in English.

- Mosquito Coast: "Get off my land!" = Air Force One: "Get off my plane"

I like Ford's acting in The Mosquito Coast. Did he win best actor for that? Because he really put a good show, his delirious mumblings, him taking care of the family, turning delusional, getting being angry at his sons, sorrow at the loss of the "fat boy" (gotta watch it to understand), etc. I don't see him as "Indiana Jones or Han Solo" I just see him as the person he was supposed to portray, he does it really well.

TheMutt92 · 10-13-2010, 03:40 PM

Ford didn't win best actor... in fact he's only been nominated once: for his performance in Witness. Although for Indy fans I think its important to realize that this is the film that paired Ford and River Phoenix together (which prompted Ford to suggest him for the Young Indy role in LC). I havn't seen the film, but after watching the trailer I think I might give it a watch...

indyswk · 10-13-2010, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMutt92

Ford didn't win best actor... in fact he's only been nominated once: for his performance in Witness. Although for Indy fans I think its important to realize that this is the film that paired Ford and River Phoenix together (which prompted Ford to suggest him for the Young Indy role in LC). I havn't seen the film, but after watching the trailer I think I might give it a watch...

Watch it, if only for variety. The reviews were mixed, and while I personally enjoyed it, I can see how it may not be someone else's cup of tea. BTW, forgot to mention, (also can be seen in the trailer above), when he started chasing the natives and then suddenly stopped with the natives pointing arrows at them, that classic Ford 'Indy' look. But only that scene is reminiscent of Indy.

Yeah, I forgot to mention River Phoenix. He was much younger, also I thought he was completely different altogether in The Mosquito Coast than in Last Crusade. Which is a good thing, the guy has talent, especially in LC emulating Ford. It's a shame that he died of drug overdose.

Moedred · 07-02-2012, 01:40 PM

Read the book 10 years ago but finally saw it, very good. It's unfortunate Ford infrequently gets interesting roles and scripts like this.

The waist-level shot at 1:15 in the trailer of his hammer in its holster is classic western, maybe even a nod to the swordsman scene in Raiders?

featofstrength · 07-04-2012, 10:45 PM

real good movie to celebrate Independence Day:

"Nobody loves America more than I do. That’s why we left. I couldn’t bear to watch.”

phantom train · 07-09-2012, 09:08 AM

The Mosquito Coast is a great movie, and is definitely very underrated these days. It's very disturbing on some leves, and H. Ford's acting & character are definitely different from many of his more well-known roles. IMHO, this film takes at least two viewings to fully appreciate, but maybe that's just me.

H. Ford actually has been in a lot of great dramas over the years, including "Witness", "Regarding Henry", "Frantic", "The D.'s Own", and the great horror film "What Lies Beneath".

goodeknight · 07-09-2012, 09:24 AM

Yes, great movie. Personally, I don't like the portrayal of the radical religious leader. The movie in many ways is about faith/God vs. science/industry/self. Hence the Western style showdown with Ford and his hammer standing against the religious leader and his Bible. Very memorable shot, but as a Christian it makes me cringe a bit. Haven't seen it in years, but I need to watch it again sometime.

Some people don't recognize Ford as a "great actor," but he is. Just compare the characters and the acting in Witness, Mosquito Coast, Indy, and Star Wars. Totally believable, and totally different in all of them.