<description>&lt;p&gt;Sean and Cody exchange bonny Scotland for the steamy rainforests of Honduras as they set course for this Peter Weir-directed 1986 drama, &lt;em&gt;The Mosquito Coast&lt;/em&gt;. When insufferable motormouth and probable Libertarian kook Ally Fox (Harrison Ford) decides to move his long-suffering family (Helen Mirren, River Phoenix, Jadrien Steele et al.) to Central America to build a jumbo ice machine, Mother and the kids have little choice in the matter. But the harshness of life in the rainforest proves to be only the beginning of the family’s troubles, especially when Ally’s swelled head leads to some not-so-funny hijinx that nearly gets them all killed. Environmental issues discussed include the real-life history of the Miskitia region and its people, geothermal energy and climate change in Central America, intentional or “breakaway” communities, and our old friend the white savior complex, back for another bruising round.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In what countries are the real Mosquito Coast and why did it prove to be such a burr up the bum of the British, Spanish and Americans throughout history? Are Central Americans really sitting on a fortune in geothermal energy, as claimed in the film? What, and where, is Gaviotas and what does it have to do with this movie? Remember that time Ron Paul’s fans thought they were going to start their own town in the Texas desert where they wouldn’t have to pay taxes? Can Harrison Ford convincingly portray an abusive father? How did this picture end up being part of a big deck of role-swapping Pokemon cards involving Harrison Ford, Jack Nicholson and Burt Reynolds? Why do Peter Bogdonavich and Paul Schrader always pop up whenever anyone starts doing cinema nerd white-guy takes on the importance of movies? Have you ever heard of Ninja brand chainsaws? All these questions and more are headed upriver in this mosquito-ey episode of &lt;em&gt;Green Screen&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CONTENT WARNING: this episode contains discussion of psychological and physical abuse in a family setting.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Mosquito Coast&lt;/em&gt; (1986) on IMDB: &lt;a href= "https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091557/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"&gt;https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091557/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;em&gt;The Mosquito Coast&lt;/em&gt; (1986) on Letterboxd: &lt;a href= "https://letterboxd.com/film/the-mosquito-coast/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"&gt;https://letterboxd.com/film/the-mosquito-coast/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Next Movie Up: &lt;em&gt;Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon&lt;/em&gt; (2000)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href= "https://greenscreenpod.com/2021/04/29/episode-33-the-mosquito-coast/"&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Additional Materials About This Episode&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Green Screen

Sean Munger

The Mosquito Coast

APR 29, 202170 MIN
Green Screen

The Mosquito Coast

APR 29, 202170 MIN

Description

Sean and Cody exchange bonny Scotland for the steamy rainforests of Honduras as they set course for this Peter Weir-directed 1986 drama, The Mosquito Coast. When insufferable motormouth and probable Libertarian kook Ally Fox (Harrison Ford) decides to move his long-suffering family (Helen Mirren, River Phoenix, Jadrien Steele et al.) to Central America to build a jumbo ice machine, Mother and the kids have little choice in the matter. But the harshness of life in the rainforest proves to be only the beginning of the family’s troubles, especially when Ally’s swelled head leads to some not-so-funny hijinx that nearly gets them all killed. Environmental issues discussed include the real-life history of the Miskitia region and its people, geothermal energy and climate change in Central America, intentional or “breakaway” communities, and our old friend the white savior complex, back for another bruising round.

In what countries are the real Mosquito Coast and why did it prove to be such a burr up the bum of the British, Spanish and Americans throughout history? Are Central Americans really sitting on a fortune in geothermal energy, as claimed in the film? What, and where, is Gaviotas and what does it have to do with this movie? Remember that time Ron Paul’s fans thought they were going to start their own town in the Texas desert where they wouldn’t have to pay taxes? Can Harrison Ford convincingly portray an abusive father? How did this picture end up being part of a big deck of role-swapping Pokemon cards involving Harrison Ford, Jack Nicholson and Burt Reynolds? Why do Peter Bogdonavich and Paul Schrader always pop up whenever anyone starts doing cinema nerd white-guy takes on the importance of movies? Have you ever heard of Ninja brand chainsaws? All these questions and more are headed upriver in this mosquito-ey episode of Green Screen.

CONTENT WARNING: this episode contains discussion of psychological and physical abuse in a family setting.

The Mosquito Coast (1986) on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091557/ The Mosquito Coast (1986) on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/the-mosquito-coast/

Next Movie Up: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Additional Materials About This Episode