The Mosquito Coast

The Mosquito Coast

In the movie The Mosquito Coast Harrison Ford plays a character that is fascinated with inventions. Ford and his family live in rural farming area, where Ford is employed by a neighbor farmer. Ford is hired to provide some kind of coolant for the farmer's barn, but invents his own little machine. The farmer doesn't appreciate Ford's efforts. This pisses Ford off and he sweeps his family away to a Central American jungle. Upon arriving to the jungle, Ford, his family, and some workers start work on a house and various buildings that are made from ruins and wood found amongst the trees. No necessities were at hand, so all food and water was to be found, grown, or pumped in order to eat and drink. This is what Ford wanted to teach his kids, survival. He didn't agree with America's standards and the way the country was run. Out in the jungle, he could create his own world and be the ruler. From the looks of the people, this jungle is very hot. There are beautiful trees everywhere, a river, and mucky water holes. After building the necessary structures to survive, he begins work on his ice machine invention. The local people didn't understand this machine, having lived in this dreadfully hot climate all of their lives, and they believed it to be a miracle. Many of the locals lived on or near the river, but didn't know what it meant to have cold water.

When delivering ice to a nearby village of people, Ford's son spots another white man. He thinks they are prisoners and tries to help them. When the "prisoners" follow Ford's trail, they end up in the family's jungle home. The "prisoners" end up being men with guns who try to take over the household. Ford tells them that the house has ants and they then burn half of what they had worked so hard to achieve. The men still don't leave so Ford tells them to go into the building where his invention is. He intends to freeze them, but they blow it up with their guns and destroy everything, including the river. The river is now contaminated and can no longer be used. The family and one black man gather into a boat and go with current until they end up on an island, where they seem to do the same thing over again. Some time later a big storm comes and blows everything away and they start going upstream on a raft. The waters that they are on are very