Movies - TV
Harrison Ford Ignored All Advice To Star In The Mosquito Coast
By JEREMY SMITH
In “The Mosquito Coast,” Harrison Ford plays Allie Fox, a disillusioned inventor who whisks his family off to South America to start a new, enlightened civilization. The role offered Ford the opportunity to go way against type, and while the material didn’t have a great deal of commercial potential, the re-teaming of Peter Weir and Ford augured well for awards season.
Ford's excitement for the project was not, however, shared by his agent, Patricia McQueeney, who, according to Lee Pfeiffer's “The Films of Harrison Ford,” believed “The Mosquito Coast” would bomb. She wasn't wrong, but Ford was right to disregard her concerns. Unfortunately, the film received mixed reviews and limped into awards season with insufficient fanfare.
In an interview at the time, Ford fired back at the film’s reception: “Critics see a film and then rush to review it. This is the sort of movie that really doesn't sink home for about three days. It is disturbing and makes you think. It stays with you.” Ford wasn’t wrong, as the film is a haunting meditation on the messianic folly of seemingly civilized men whose “help” is purely self-serving.