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I watched The Mosquito Coast (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mosquito_Coast) earlier.
It's probably my all time favorite Harrison Ford film.

(http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/6402/200pxmosquitocoastmovie8qg.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)

I've owned it on DVD for a few years now and have watched it at least 4-5 times, but during this most recent viewing, I watched it in a different frame of mind.

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I had never heard of Jim Jones (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jones) or the Jonestown Massacre until about a month ago. 
Being a big history buff, you'd think I would've learned about this man and the tragedy he created years ago, but I didn't.
Somehow, everything about him and that awful incident slipped through the cracks for me.
I stumbled across the article about him over at Wikipedia on one of my 3-4 hour long Wiki-binges and was completely riveted by the story of Jonestown.

For those of you who have never heard of him or Jonestown...and to truly understand what I'm talking about...Read this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonestown)
It's a bit long but very informative.

Watch this short video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY3cx3U0gYE)

There's another longer video on Youtube that I debated whether or not to post because it's quite explicit and graphic. 
Ultimately, I decided not to.
If you want to watch it, do a search for "Jim Jones and the Jonestown Tragedy" on Youtube.

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While watching The Mosquito Coast, I couldn't help but draw parallels between the two men...the fictional character of Allie Fox played by Harrison Ford and the real life Jim Jones.
Both men were charismatic leaders who took their "families" out to the jungle in the middle of nowhere to live in what they deemed to be "paradise".
Each shared an intense love/dislike for the United States.
What Allie thinks about America (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCuG17Cp8Zc)

Both accepted blacks and other minorities into their communities as equals.
In the film and in real life, their followers and families both called them "Father".
They both made everyone work their asses off to create what they considered to be the ideal utopian society. 
Jones in Jonestown...and Fox in the fictional town of Geronimo.

Watch this video of Allie Fox trying to inspire everyone to help create his vision of how society should be and building it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-z7x-vhR0Y)

For both men, that dream of the perfect society ultimately crumbles before them and in the end, both end up dead.

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I have to believe that Paul Theroux, the author of the 1982 novel "The Mosquito Coast" deliberately based the character of Allie Fox after Jones.

He made some big changes though.
Whereas Jones was a minister, Fox hates religion and ministers.  Fox is actually shot by a minister in the film.
watch this short clip of Fox having dinner with the minister and his wife (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1EnLNJK4NA)

I debated whether to put this in the Good Movie section but decided against it.
I just felt the need to point out the many similarities that these two men share.

Had you ever heard of Jim Jones and Jonestown?
Have you ever seen The Mosquito Coast?

Any thoughts?

Never heard of it?  Wow.  I don't mean to be negative, just that I remember when it happened.  Kinda scary to think now there's a whole generation of adults who weren't around for it.

History Channel's been showing a program on Jonestown recently.  It's pretty good, they've even got Jones' son on.

I'll never forget the images from a helicopter of the hundreds of dead bodies scattered around.

yet another reason why the 1970s sucked.

I just learned of Jim Jones last semester in college and I'm in my 4th year.

Never seen the  The Mosquito Coast sound interesting. Might have to check it out

I'm not exactly sure why discussion of a movie is in the off-topic section, but oh well...

Anyhoo, I too remember when the Jim Jones event took place.  It's interesting, but there is a popular radio talk show host who often comments that for many people, history begins they day they were born.

Another thing I find interesting about THE MOSQUITO COAST (loved the movie, btw), is that it was directed by Peter Weir.  Peter also gave us MASTER AND COMMANDER as well as that cinematic gem THE CARS THAT ATE PARIS.