Product Details

• Actors: Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, River Phoenix, Conrad Roberts, Andre Gregory
• Directors: Peter Weir
• Writers: Paul Schrader, Paul Theroux
• Producers: Jerome Hellman, Neville C. Thompson, Saul Zaentz
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Language: English, Spanish
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
• VHS Release Date: September 21, 1999
• Run Time: 117 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00000JKN8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #122,748 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Harrison Ford's best work, December 4, 2002

By 

Steven Reynolds (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mosquito Coast (DVD)

Peter Weir's under-appreciated masterpiece draws a striking comparison between religious zealotry and the utopian fantasies of technological imperialism. The smarmy Reverend Spellgood heads south into Central America to spread the Christian faith. Paranoid inventor Allie Fox does likewise, but his mission is somewhat different though no less religious in its intensity - he wants to bring ice, and by his logic 'civilization', to the locals. Both men are 'missionaries', both equally blind to the personal and social costs of the 'salvation' they bring. The cast is excellent. Helen Mirren is near flawless as the devoted but cautious mother, and River Phoenix really impresses as the coming-of-age son through whose eyes the story unfolds. But Ford is absolutely perfect as the father. This was truly inspired casting, as it uses our latent feelings for the actor to put us in precisely the same position as his on-screen family: we want to love him - this quintessentially paternal hero - despite his destructive obsession. But in the end we have to accept that he gets exactly what he deserves. I'm surprised Ford doesn't seek out more roles like this one, rather than settling for repetitive action fare or trying to reinvent himself as Bogart. Adapted with considerable skill by Paul Schrader from an exquisite novel by Paul Theroux, this film is a rare find: a powerful, gripping, moving story with something important to say.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars (Harrison) Ford Has a Better Idea, June 18, 2000

By 

J. Michael Click (Fort Worth, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mosquito Coast (DVD)

Harrison Ford gives one of his most forceful and compelling performances as Allie Fox, an inventor who moves his family to the jungle of Central America to establish an isolationist utopia. As his dream builds, and then unravels, he moves along the scale from manic genius to meglomanic obsession, putting him at heightened odds with God, nature, man, and finally, his own family. Ford's dazzling performance is enhanced by Helen Mirren's quiet intensity as his loyal wife, and River Phoenix's thoughtful portrayal of his observant oldest son. Look quickly for cameos by Jason Alexander (TV's "Seinfeld") and Butterfly McQueen ("Gone With the Wind")! A beautifully photographed and handsomely mounted production, perceptively directed by Peter Weir.

The DVD offers both widescreen and pan & scan tranfers; I preferred the widescreen which preserves the film's magnificent visual compositions. Video and sound are both clear and crisp, and the theatrical trailer makes a nice bonus supplement. Recommended for fans of Ford and Weir, and for viewers who like a strong mix of character study and action-adventure.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where was Oscar?, December 16, 1999

By 

"mkollmorgen" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mosquito Coast (DVD)

Say about this movie what you want, if you like Harrison Ford because of his acting ability, this is the movie to watch. Ford gives an enticing, complex, and multi-facetted performance as Allie Fox, a man with a vision of utopia, blind to the reality that binds him. With his vision and inventions, Fox takes his family into the rain forests of Central America, where he sets a chain of events in motion that soon eludes his control and --in the destructive devastation released on man and nature-- the scope of his imagination.

Mr. Ford's portrayal of this driven, and in the end obsessed man is not that of a simple villain. Through Allie Fox, Mr. Ford brings to the screen a range of emotions no other character has ever allowed him to explore and does an amazing job with. This is the kind of performance that desrves an Academy Award.

A great, albeit less popular follow up to 'Witness,' 'The Mosquito Coast' reunites Ford with Australian director Peter Weir. This is a great movie, visual and character driven. Finally, it is available in the grand widescreen format it deserves!